Freaks of Nature has confirmed its long awaited return to Saudi Arabia in 2026, unveiling the first phase of artists set to perform at its seventh edition, Freakyard. Across two weekends in February, the boutique electronic music and arts festival will once again transform the MDLBEAST Soundstorm site in Banban, Riyadh, into a multi layered immersive playground for dance music fans from around the world.

For five young musicians from Rome, Georgia, the rise of The Georgia Thunderbolts has been anything but ordinary. Built on relentless touring, deep respect for Southern rock tradition and an unshakeable sense of brotherhood, the band has spent the better part of a decade earning its reputation the hard way. Now, with the release of their new single Overlord, the group has chosen to pause, drawing the lights down on an intense and defining chapter of their story.

Scranton indie-rock stalwarts Tigers Jaw have unveiled their latest single, “Ghost,” offering a soaring glimpse into the band's highly anticipated seventh studio album, Lost On You, set for release on March 27 via Hopeless Records. The track follows December's lead single, “Head Is Like a Sinking Stone,” further cementing the band's reputation for emotive, guitar-driven rock that bridges introspection with expansive melody.

Melbourne is about to turn up the heat this summer as the Athenaeum Theatre welcomes the award-winning production of Saturday Night Fever, with performances kicking off on Thursday, January 8th, 2026, ahead of the official opening night on January 10th.

Sydney Festival opens today, marking its 50th anniversary with a city-wide celebration of theatre, dance, music, visual arts and immersive experiences. From today until Sunday 25 January, Sydney transforms into a living stage, inviting residents and visitors to gather, reflect and reconnect through a diverse program of performances and installations that honour half a century of cultural innovation while looking to the future.

Canadian indie collective Foxwarren has unveiled a new dimension to their 2025 album ‘2' with a remix of their single “Yvonne” by acclaimed electronic avant-pop artist Helado Negro. Known offstage as Roberto Lange, Helado Negro has reimagined the track into a shimmering, beat-driven piece that fuses subtle electronic textures with a warm, lilting pulse.

Stray Kids' ascent from a self-producing rookie act to one of the most commercially dominant forces in global pop is now being translated to the big screen for Australian audiences with Stray Kids: The DominATE Experience. The concert documentary captures the scale, ambition and intensity of the group's record-breaking Dominate World Tour, presenting it as a cinematic event rather than a conventional tour film.

Hawaiian singer-songwriter Thunderstorm Artis will return to Australia in March 2026, bringing his deeply personal live show to a carefully curated run of intimate venues across Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT and Queensland. Designed to prioritise connection over scale, the tour places Artis in close proximity to audiences, allowing his warm vocal delivery and reflective songwriting to resonate in the way his music was always intended.

Baz Luhrmann is returning to the world of Elvis Presley with a bold new cinematic event, EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert, a film designed to place audiences inside the live experience Elvis himself never fully realised, a global tour beyond America's borders. Following its acclaimed unveiling at the Toronto International Film Festival, the project now begins its journey with a series of high profile Australian premieres, led by Luhrmann in person.

Two of the most enduring and influential names in punk and power pop, Redd Kross and The Hard-Ons, have confirmed a significant update to their long-awaited joint Australian tour, announcing a Melbourne Saturday night venue upgrade alongside full national support details and documentary screenings that further underline the depth of history shared by both bands.

Big Game Weekend has long evolved beyond the stadium, and in 2026 one of its most anticipated music driven events returns with a line-up designed to dominate the conversation. SI The Party Presented by DraftKings is back, transforming San Francisco's historic Cow Palace into a high-profile convergence point for music, sport and popular culture, with headline performances from The Chainsmokers, Ludacris, DJ Irie and Xandra.

After more than three decades at the forefront of European rock, Finnish mainstays The Rasmus are finally about to tick off a long-standing omission from their touring history, their first ever Australian shows. With days to go before they land, the band have confirmed Melbourne outfit Nth Rd as special guests for all dates of the January and February run, marking a significant moment for both acts.

More rare live recordings from Split Enz's pivotal 1979 Australian visit have emerged, capturing the band at a creative peak just as Frenzy was reshaping their trajectory on both sides of the Tasman.

Molly Tuttle returned to the national spotlight this week with a dynamic performance of her Grammy-nominated single “That's Gonna Leave A Mark” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The track, up for Best Americana Performance, is drawn from her critically acclaimed album So Long Little Miss Sunshine, which is also nominated for Best Americana Album.

Bruno Mars has confirmed that his long awaited return to solo album territory is imminent, declaring that his next studio record is complete and signalling the end of one of the longest gaps between releases in modern pop music.

Third Man Records has announced the release of the first official live anthology from American noise rock icons Laughing Hyenas, opening a powerful new chapter in the legacy of one of the most uncompromising bands to emerge from the US underground.

Ocean Alley have continued their remarkable ascent with the release of a radiant new video for First Blush, a track that has rapidly become one of the defining moments of their current era. Shot in Hawaii, the clip arrives as the Northern Beaches outfit prepare to embark on the largest headline tour of their career, underlining just how far the band has travelled from their backyard beginnings.

Southern California punk trio Joyce Manor have unveiled I Know Where Mark Chen Lives, the opening track and latest single from their forthcoming album I Used To Go To This Bar, due out January 30 via Epitaph Records. The release offers the first proper glimpse into a record that finds the band both reconnecting with their roots and sharpening the lean, melodic attack that has defined their career for more than a decade.

As the music world marks what would have been Syd Barrett's 80th birthday, Pink Floyd's founding drummer Nick Mason has reflected on the brief, brilliant and ultimately tragic creative arc of the band's original frontman, a figure whose influence still reverberates through rock music nearly six decades after his departure from the group.

Canadian punk-rock outfit Calling All Captains are poised to return with their most intimate and introspective work to date. Their new EP, The Things That I've Lost, is set for release on January 9, 2026 via New Damage Records, marking another milestone in the band's evolution from earnest upstarts to one of modern punk rock's most compelling voices.

Winona Ryder has added a very unexpected cameo to her long list of screen appearances, starring in A$AP Rocky's new music video for “Punk Rocky.” The single is the latest teaser from Rocky's upcoming album, Don't Be Dumb, set for release on January 16, marking his first full-length effort in eight years.

Handsome Tours has announced the return of Iron & Wine to Australia and New Zealand, with the revered US indie folk project set for a series of intimate performances across February and March 2026. The tour will see Sam Beam performing solo, bringing his quietly influential catalogue back to local stages following the release of his latest album Light Verse.

Parmalee have opened 2026 by rewriting the modern country radio rulebook, securing their longest running number one with “Cowgirl” and reinforcing their position as one of the genre's most consistent hitmakers. The North Carolina band's sixth chart-topper has delivered a rare multi-week reign at the summit of US country radio, a feat that has set them apart from every other band on the format over the past year.

Award winning producers Drew Anthony Creative will continue their 2026 east coast season with a major theatrical event, announcing a new Australian staging of The Diary Of Anne Frank. The production opens at Melbourne's historic Athenaeum Theatre from March 4, 2026, following a critically acclaimed and sold out season at Perth's Heath Ledger Theatre. After its Melbourne run, the production will move to the State Theatre in Sydney.

Playing For Change has announced a major global tribute marking the 60th anniversary of The Doors, unveiling a new “Riders On The Storm” Song Around The World set to premiere on January 9, 2026. The project brings together surviving Doors members John Densmore and Robby Krieger, honours the late Ray Manzarek, and features the unmistakable recorded vocals of Jim Morrison, reintroduced through a worldwide, cross cultural performance spanning eight countries.

Pop-punk mainstays Teenage Bottlerocket have announced their latest release, a four-track EP titled The Invisible Man, coming on March 6. Following the success of their 2025 album Ready To Roll, the band is offering fans a fresh slice of high-energy punk rock, recorded during the same sessions that produced last year's acclaimed LP.

London-born, Paris-based producer and DJ Maesic has quietly become one of the most talked-about new names in global dance music, and his breakthrough track Life Is Simple (Move Your Body) is now firmly established as a defining house record of the moment. With Australia deep in summer and festival season in full flow, the track has arrived as an effortless fit for beachside playlists, outdoor stages and the wider feel-good energy that traditionally defines the start of a new year.

St Kilda Festival has confirmed its return for 2026 with the first five acts unveiled for what is shaping as one of the biggest editions in the event's long and storied history. Set across two days on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February 2026, the iconic free festival will once again transform Melbourne's bayside into a celebration of Australian music, culture and summer.

Nick Jonas has rung in the new year with a bold, emotionally charged statement, releasing his new single “Gut Punch” today via Republic Records. The track provides a first taste of his forthcoming solo album, Sunday Best, set for release on February 6, and marks what he describes as his most candid and introspective work to date.

After completing South Korea's mandatory military service, global K-pop icons BTS are poised to make a full-scale comeback in 2026 with their first new album in six years. Scheduled for release on March 20 via Big Hit Entertainment, the untitled fifth studio album marks the first full-group effort since 2020's Be, and follows a period in which members pursued solo projects and other creative ventures.