Brisbane’s riverfront is set to become Australia’s newest major live music destination when On The Banks, a fresh outdoor concert series, launches in March 2026. The Cultural Forecourt at South Bank will transform into a riverside music hub for three weeks from 1 March to 22 March, presenting a lineup of international heavyweights and Australian icons across hip-hop, alternative, pop, garage, folk, R&B and more.
The event is a collaboration between Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and South Bank Corporation, designed to activate Brisbane’s waterfront with live music, food and culture. With the city skyline as its backdrop and bars and catering on site, On The Banks aims to deliver balmy summer evenings and world-class performances in a distinctly Queensland setting.
Across the month, audiences will experience legendary hip-hop innovators De La Soul, UK trailblazer Mike Skinner as The Streets, Australian star Bernard Fanning, TikTok-powered pop phenomenon Peach PRC, New Zealand songwriter Marlon Williams, and the nationwide sensation DISCO CLUB. A one-day Punjabi cultural celebration, Blockbuster, will also debut in Queensland, bringing a curated bill of artists from India and Pakistan.
Further Australian and international acts will be revealed in early 2026.
On Sunday 1 March, On The Banks opens with Droppin’ Science, a celebration of hip-hop culture. De La Soul headline the night, armed with more than three decades of influence since reshaping rap with their landmark 1989 debut 3 Feet High And Rising. Their playful lyricism, sample-rich production and genre-bending creativity laid the groundwork for alternative hip-hop, long before the mainstream caught up.
Joining them is Washington DC rapper-producer Oddisee with his live band Good Compny, bringing soulful grooves and socially conscious storytelling. Proud Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Kalkadoon and Yirendali artist Miss Kaninna completes the lineup. A rising voice in Australian music, she made history as the first independent Aboriginal woman nominated for an ARIA for a single and has carved a lane blending hip-hop, R&B and neo-soul with a bold First Nations perspective.
Mike Skinner returns to Australia as The Streets on Friday 6 March to perform his breakthrough album A Grand Don’t Come For Free live in full for the first time in Brisbane. Released in 2004, the album reshaped UK garage and hip-hop with raw spoken-word storytelling and hits including Blinded By The Lights and Dry Your Eyes.
With a reputation for electrifying live shows and a catalogue that shaped modern British music, Skinner’s Brisbane appearance is set to be one of the standout events of the series.
A National Phenomenon Celebrates International Women’s Day Weekend
Saturday 7 March sees the arrival of DISCO CLUB, the grassroots movement-turned-cultural powerhouse created by Queensland media duo Lise Carlaw and Sarah Wills.
DISCO CLUB has become a sell-out sensation across the country, bringing thousands of women together to relive the joy of dance floors from the 80s to today. Their On The Banks appearance marks a major hometown celebration for International Women’s Day weekend.
On Sunday 15 March, Bernard Fanning will deliver a Brisbane “Final Encore” as part of his Tea & Sympathy 20th Anniversary tour. First released in 2005 following his rise as Powderfinger’s frontman, Tea & Sympathy remains a modern Australian classic featuring the chart-topping Wish You Well and beloved tracks including Songbird, Watch Over Me and Thrill Is Gone.
Fanning’s remarkable career includes seven number one albums across his solo work and Powderfinger, 23 ARIA Awards and an enduring influence across generations of Australian songwriters. He will be joined by Kasey Chambers, The Paper Kites, Troy & Jem Cassar-Daley and Georgia Mooney for this huge hometown finale.
Pop sensation Peach PRC takes the stage on Thursday 19 March. With her debut EP Manic Dream Pixie reaching number one on the ARIA charts, Peach PRC has built a devoted global following through confessional songwriting, bold humour and pop hooks built for festival moments. She brings support from Maude Latour and Salty.
Saturday 21 March introduces Blockbuster, a celebration of Punjabi food, music and art inspired by the program first staged at RISING in Melbourne. Featuring artists from India and Pakistan with a mix of Qawwali, Punjabi beats and Pakistani pop, it lands just after Eid al-Fitr, marking a major cultural moment for Queensland’s Punjabi community.
The series concludes on Sunday 22 March with New Zealand’s Marlon Williams performing his forthcoming album Te Whare Tīwekaweka, a full-length record sung entirely in Te reo Māori. Williams will be backed by a Kapa Haka choir in a performance honouring culture, storytelling and his unmistakable voice, which has earned acclaim across film, television and collaborations with artists including Lorde.
On The Banks 2026 Dates
Sunday 1 March: Droppin’ Science featuring De La Soul, Oddisee & Good Compny, Miss Kaninna
Friday 6 March: The Streets
Saturday 7 March: DISCO CLUB
Sunday 15 March: Bernard Fanning with Kasey Chambers, The Paper Kites, Troy & Jem Cassar-Daley, Georgia Mooney
Thursday 19 March: Peach PRC with Maude Latour, Salty
Saturday 21 March: Blockbuster
Sunday 22 March: Marlon Williams
Tickets go on sale Friday 14 November.
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