Australian rock icon Jimmy Barnes will headline Legends On The Lawn as the Queensland festival returns with a multi-generational Australian line-up featuring Jon Stevens, Birds Of Tokyo, Baby Animals, Busby Marou and Bachelor Girl.
by Paul Cashmere
Legends On The Lawn will return to Mackay in 2026 with one of its strongest Australian line-ups to date, led by national rock figure Jimmy Barnes alongside a bill that spans four decades of local music history.
Now entering its fifth year, the outdoor concert at Harrup Park has grown into the Mackay region’s largest music festival, drawing significant crowds and tourism to North Queensland. Mayor Greg Williamson said the event’s continued expansion reflects both audience demand and the enduring appeal of Australian artists performing in a festival setting.
Following record attendance in 2025, organisers are preparing for another large turnout when the event returns in May, combining established legends with contemporary chart performers in a single-day showcase.
At the centre of the bill is Jimmy Barnes, whose career remains unmatched in Australian chart history. Across his solo work and recordings with Cold Chisel, Barnes has accumulated 22 Australian number one albums, more than any other artist in the country’s history. Over four decades he has maintained a reputation as one of Australia’s most commanding live performers, earning dual induction into the ARIA Hall Of Fame, once as a solo artist and once with Cold Chisel.
Barnes continues to expand his creative output beyond music. His bestselling memoirs Working Class Boy and Working Class Man both topped national book charts and collected consecutive ABIA Awards, while later publications including Killing Time and Highways And Byways: Tall Tales And Short Stories From The Long Way Round further cemented his success as an author. In 2025 he returned to the summit of the ARIA Albums Chart with his 21st studio album Defiant, coinciding with celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of For The Working Class Man, supported by new vinyl editions and large-scale outdoor performances.
Joining Barnes is Jon Stevens with The Noiseworks & INXS Collection, revisiting the catalogue that established him as a defining voice of Australian rock. The show revisits songs including Take Me Back, Touch, Hot Chilli Woman, New Sensation and Never Tear Us Apart, reconnecting audiences with material that dominated Australian radio through the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Perth band Birds Of Tokyo bring a modern era perspective to the line-up. Since their breakthrough album Universes in 2008, the group has delivered five consecutive ARIA Top 3 albums, including chart-toppers March Fires and Human Design. Known for expansive live performances, the band has evolved from alternative beginnings into one of Australia’s most successful contemporary rock acts, recently releasing the single Starlights, created in partnership with the Starlight Children’s Foundation to highlight the experiences of seriously ill children.
Baby Animals will celebrate more than three decades since their self-titled debut album transformed Australian rock in 1991. Featuring hits including Rush You, Early Warning, Painless and One Word, the album spent six weeks at number one locally and achieved eight-times platinum status. Fronted by Suze DeMarchi, the band’s early international success included touring with Van Halen and a performance on American television’s Late Night With David Letterman, helping introduce Australian rock to a wider global audience.
Queensland favourites Busby Marou add a strong regional connection to the event. The duo, Tom Busby and Jeremy Marou, have built a loyal national following through emotionally grounded songwriting and harmony-driven performances. After a brief hiatus, the pair are preparing new music while returning to touring with renewed momentum.
Completing the line-up is Bachelor Girl, the Melbourne duo formed by Tania Doko and James Roche. Their breakthrough hit Buses And Trains became one of the most played Australian songs in radio history and won APRA Song Of The Year in 1999. Their debut album Waiting For The Day produced multiple hit singles and secured an ARIA Award for Producer Of The Year, establishing the group as a defining pop act of the late 1990s. Since reuniting in 2016, Bachelor Girl have continued to perform nationally while developing new material.
With its blend of heritage artists and enduring radio favourites, Legends On The Lawn continues to position itself as a celebration of Australian music culture, bringing together audiences across generations in a large-scale outdoor setting.
LEGENDS ON THE LAWN TOUR DATE 2026
Saturday 30 May, Mackay, Harrup Park
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
