Jimmy Barnes will lead an all Australian line-up for the 2027 edition of Sounds By The River, with Jon Stevens, Birds Of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe, Baby Animals, Chocolate Starfish and Sarah McLeod also confirmed for the South Australian festival.
by Paul Cashmere
Jimmy Barnes has been announced as the headline act for Sounds By The River 2027, with the annual South Australian festival returning to Mannum Golf Club on Saturday, 9 January 2027. Organisers have unveiled a bill featuring some of Australia’s best known rock artists, with tickets going on general sale on Friday, 7 August.
The announcement continues the festival’s tradition of presenting established Australian acts in an outdoor setting on the banks of the Murray River. Sounds By The River has become a regular fixture on South Australia’s summer live music calendar, with organisers again focusing on a line-up built around Australian rock, pop and contemporary alternative music.
Barnes heads the bill after another active period in his career. In 2025 he released his 21st studio album Defiant, which became another chart-topping release, and also marked the 40th anniversary of For The Working Class Man with a documentary, vinyl reissues and a series of major outdoor performances. Alongside his recording career, Barnes has continued his work as a bestselling author with memoirs, fiction, children’s books and cookbooks written with his wife Jane.
Jon Stevens will perform material spanning both Noiseworks and his time fronting INXS, drawing on a catalogue that includes songs such as Take Me Back, Touch, No Lies, New Sensation, Don’t Change and Never Tear Us Apart.
Perth band Birds Of Tokyo also joins the bill after more than two decades as one of Australia’s most successful modern rock acts. Since the release of Universes in 2008, every studio album has reached the ARIA Top 3, including the chart-topping March Fires and Human Design. The group has also built a reputation as a major live attraction through festival appearances, arena support slots and orchestral performances.
Eskimo Joe continues to celebrate nearly three decades together. The Western Australian trio recently released the single Miracle Cure and remains one of the country’s most recognised live bands, with six studio albums, eight ARIA Awards and almost one million records sold across its career.
Baby Animals will also return to the stage, more than 35 years after the release of the band’s self-titled debut album. The record spent six weeks at number one in Australia, achieved eight times platinum certification and produced the hit singles Rush You, Early Warning, Painless and One Word. The band also toured internationally during the album’s success, including dates with Van Halen in the United States.
Completing the line-up are Chocolate Starfish, whose catalogue includes Mountain and their cover of You’re So Vain, together with Sarah McLeod. Best known as the founding vocalist of The Superjesus, McLeod has also maintained an extensive solo career and will appear alongside drummer Mick Skelton as their recently formed rock duo.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, 9 January 2027 at Mannum Golf Club in regional South Australia.
Tickets
General public tickets go on sale Friday, 7 August at 10.00am local time via Ticketmaster.
Sounds By The River 2027
Saturday 9 January 2027, Mannum, Mannum Golf Club
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