Sugar Mountain will return to the centre of Naarm in 2026, reclaiming its roots as an independent festival and bringing its celebrated 360-degree stage back to Melbourne’s CBD on Saturday, 21 February 2026. The festival will take over The Paddock, an urban oasis tucked between Federation Square’s car park, Birrarung Marr and the city’s train line, marking a homecoming for one of Melbourne’s most forward-thinking music events.
Sugar Mountain’s 2026 lineup continues the festival’s future-focused vision, pairing dynamic international names with innovative local talent. This year’s performers include salute, Danilo Plessow (Motor City Drum Ensemble), Tiga, Pretty Girl [live], Paula Tape, Baby G and Yikes, setting the tone for a day shaped by cutting-edge electronic, club and experimental sounds.
It will be the first time since 2018 that Sugar Mountain stands alone. In recent years, the festival collaborated with various partners, but 2026 sees the event charting its own course again, reflecting the independent and genre-pushing ethos that has defined its history.
Since launching in 2011, Sugar Mountain has become a staple of Melbourne’s cultural calendar, carving a space for artists and audiences seeking experiences beyond traditional festival structures. Over the years, it has shifted across some of Melbourne’s most iconic arts spaces, including The Forum, the Victorian College of the Arts and most recently Williamstown’s Seaworks.
Sugar Mountain pioneered the 360-degree stage format locally in 2014, placing artists in the centre of the room with crowds encircling them for a fully immersive audio-visual experience. That setup has become synonymous with the festival, creating a sense of unity and removing the divide between performer and audience – a key element returning for 2026.
With Seaworks currently under renovation, The Paddock marks a symbolic and logistical reset. Returning to the CBD not only brings the festival back into the thick of Melbourne’s cultural pulse, it also reconnects it with the street-level energy that shaped its earliest editions.
Beyond the beats, Sugar Mountain has always presented itself as an intersection between music, art and technology, spotlighting groundbreaking talent across genres while fostering collaboration and experimentation. Its past hosts have ranged from global icons to underground innovators, helping introduce Australian audiences to artists who would go on to shape modern electronic culture.
Sugar Mountain 2026 tickets go on presale at 11am AEDT on Thursday, 13 November, with general sale at 11am AEDT on Friday, 14 November. With a compact inner-city location and the festival’s most intimate staging in years, demand is expected to be strong.
SUGAR MOUNTAIN 2026 – EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, 21 February 2026
The Paddock, Naarm / Melbourne CBD
Presale: 11am AEDT, Thursday 13 November 2025
General Sale: 11am AEDT, Friday 14 November 2025
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