Australia's festival season is heating up, but for music fans, the cost of entry is rising faster than ever. New analysis by Culture Kings of ticket data from 11 major Australian music festivals shows that prices have surged dramatically beyond inflation and are projected to continue climbing over the next decade.

Spotify has confirmed that a third party unlawfully scraped large volumes of music data from its platform, after an activist group claimed it had backed up almost the entire Spotify catalogue. The incident centres on Anna's Archive, an open source “shadow library” project, which says it has assembled metadata for 256 million tracks and accessed 86 million audio files spanning music uploaded between 2007 and 2025.

One week after verbally abusing a fan during Garbage's set at the Good Things music festival in Melbourne, Shirley Manson addressed the incident directly, delivering a heartfelt apology during a show at the Palais last night. The confrontation, which took place in front of thousands, had sparked widespread debate among fans and ignited discussions about concert etiquette and artist-fan interactions.

Brisbane's riverside concert series, On the Banks, has unveiled a new wave of international and Australian talent set to perform at the Cultural Forecourt at South Bank across February and March 2026. The series, a collaboration between Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and South Bank Corporation, promises warm summer nights filled with music, food, and community energy along the Brisbane River.

Twilight At Taronga will enter its 29th year in 2026, once again turning Taronga Zoo's waterfront amphitheatre into one of Sydney's most cherished summer destinations. With demand stronger than ever, new shows have been added for Sons Of The East on 12 February and Xavier Rudd on 22 February, joining an already packed program that has produced a string of early sell-outs.

The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition has unveiled its 2025 Top 50 Finalists, marking a historic year for the prestigious initiative named for legendary Australian writers Harry Vanda and George Young. More than 4,000 songs were submitted from 52 countries, a milestone that confirms the competition's position as one of the most recognised international platforms for contemporary songwriters.

SongMakers, the collaborative songwriting program designed to develop young Australian creators, will undergo a significant expansion in New South Wales in 2026 and 2027, following a major funding commitment from Sound NSW. The initiative, operated by APRA AMCOS, has become a core development platform for emerging talent, with a track record of embedding professional creative practice inside Australian schools.

Next year's Eurovision Song Contest has entered its most turbulent phase in decades, as Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands confirm they will boycott the 2026 event in Vienna, after the European Broadcasting Union confirmed Israel is cleared to compete. The decision came during a tightly guarded general assembly in Geneva, where the EBU declined to hold a vote on Israel's participation, a move that triggered immediate withdrawals from several major broadcasters.

A diverse lineup of Australian artists, community advocates and humanitarian organisations will come together at PICA in Port Melbourne, Naarm on Sunday 21 December for A Gathering For Gaza, a one-day fundraising event created to support urgent relief efforts in Gaza. The event will run from 2pm to 11pm and will raise funds for four frontline organisations, with all net profits directed to Olive Kids, PANZMA, PARA and Médecins Sans Frontières Australia.

It is officially that time of year again: triple j has opened voting for its iconic Hottest 100 of 2025, with the countdown to be broadcast live on Saturday, 24 January 2026. Fans from around Australia will join the nationwide listening party, tuning in from 12 pm AEDT to relive their favourite tracks of the year.

Laneway Festival has announced five new additions to its 2026 national lineup, with each act selected through the annual triple j Unearthed competition. The initiative continues its long history of elevating breakthrough talent across Australia, with the winners set to perform across Laneway's February run in the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The program has been a launchpad for many rising acts, and the 2026 group reflects the depth of new Australian music.

Steve Cropper, who shaped the sound of American soul from the heart of Memphis, died on 3 December 2025 at age 84, leaving behind one of the most consequential bodies of work in popular music.

triple j will enter 2026 with a renewed commitment to the nation's fast-rising country music movement, confirming a brand-new weekly program, Country Club, hosted by Tom Forrest, known to many listeners as Outback Tom. The announcement lands during a major groundswell for the genre, as local acts and global releases fuel interest across Australia's youth audience. In recent years, country music has experienced a surge across pop and alternative spheres, with global artists exploring acoustic traditions, layered harmonies, and rustic storytelling. In Australia, Unearthed artists have pushed a new frontier with songs that blend folk roots, indie energy, and classic country instrumentation.

Since 2015, the Melbourne Guitar Show has earned a reputation as the country's most comprehensive gathering for players, builders and enthusiasts. In 2026 the format expands, as the Sydney Guitar Show arrives at Sydney Olympic Park for the first time, taking over Sydney Showground Hall 5 on Saturday 7 March and Sunday 8 March. The two-day event aims to deliver a deep dive into the culture, craft and community that surrounds the world's most played instrument.

The City of Port Phillip has officially opened Seekers Way in St Kilda. The new street name honours The Seekers, the Melbourne group that started more than sixty years ago and went on to win fans around the world. Patrick Donovan and founding member Bruce Woodley spoke at the ceremony, reflecting on the band's roots in the area.

Newton Faulkner will return to Australia in April 2026 for a national headline tour aligned with the release of his new album Octopus, set for 6 March 2026 via Cooking Vinyl Records. Faulkner unveils the new single Gravitational as the latest preview of the album, which continues the experimental production approach that has shaped his current creative period.

For the first time since 2013, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will revive its long-loved tradition of free outdoor concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, with four major events planned for 10 to 14 February 2026. The series, presented by the MSO with ABC Classic, The University of Melbourne and Arts Centre Melbourne, promises a week of symphonic music supported by Australian composers, celebrated soloists and rising talent.

WOMADelaide has expanded its 2026 program with the addition of 20 new artists, reinforcing its long reputation as one of Australia's most adventurous global music gatherings. The festival returns to Botanic Park, Tainmuntilla across the March long weekend, 6 to 9 March 2026, with a lineup that blends iconic names with vital new voices.

A mass of John Farnham fans will unite at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on 13 March 2026 for We Are The Voice, a one night only celebration aiming to set a new world record for the largest crowd singing Farnham songs. Led by long-time Farnham music director Chong Lim and the classic Farnham Band, the event invites thousands of voices to form a single colossal choir, raising funds for Head And Neck Cancer Australia.

ARN Media Limited shareholders have every reason to be worried after the final 2025 radio survey delivered yet another Kyle and Jackie O flop in Melbourne.

Jimmy Cliff, born James Chambers on 30 July 1944, has died at 81. His wife confirmed that he passed away on 24 November 2025 in hospital after complications from pneumonia. His death brings to a close a career unmatched in scope and significance across Jamaican music. At the time of his passing, Cliff was the only living reggae artist to hold the Order of Merit, which remains one of the highest honours granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.

Gary “Mani” Mounfield, the influential bassist of The Stone Roses and long-time Primal Scream member, has died at the age of 63. His brother Greg confirmed the news with a public message stating that it was shared with “the heaviest of hearts”. The announcement has shaken Manchester, a city where Mani's sound shaped generations of musicians. Family members, colleagues, and the wider music community have been expressing their grief since the news broke.

Nashville delivered another milestone in Country Music history as The 59th Annual CMA Awards took over the Bridgestone Arena with a night built on legacy, drive and standout achievement. Country star Lainey Wilson guided the broadcast with a confident presence shaped by years of hard touring and a growing catalogue of acclaimed work. The broadcast reflected a genre still expanding its reach while honouring the players who shaped its past.

Blues On Broadbeach will mark its 25th anniversary in 2026 with four days of live music on the Gold Coast from 14 May to 17 May, as the festival celebrates a quarter of a century of rhythm, soul, community spirit and international recognition. The event's landmark year follows its recent Gold win in the Major Festivals and Events category at the Queensland Tourism Awards, a result that highlights the importance of the festival in the cultural life of the state.

Grammy winner Judith Hill will tour Australia in May 2026 as she brings her latest album, Letters From A Black Widow, to life for local audiences. The shows will showcase her signature mix of soul, funk and gospel, delivered with the emotional depth that has defined her career. Hill released the album in 2024 and marked a new chapter for the Los Angeles artist, who continues to build on a remarkable legacy shaped by collaboration, resilience and reinvention.

James Blundell has entered a new era of his four decade career with Patience Wins, his thirteenth studio album and one of his most significant releases to date. The project arrives with a powerful reception from fans, debuting at #1 on the Australian Country Album Chart, #2 on the Country Album Chart, #4 on the Australian Album Chart, and #25 on the overall ARIA Album Chart. The result highlights Blundell's enduring place in the Australian music story, a journey that began when he first broke through in 1989 with 'James Blundell'.

Deftones will end a near decade long absence from headline arenas in Australia and New Zealand, with a run of shows in May 2026. The Sacramento band bring their immersive, genre-defying live show, with special guests Interpol and Ecca Vandal.

A free all-ages show for Amyl And The Sniffers at Melbourne's Federation Square came to a sudden halt after large sections of the crowd pushed through perimeter fencing, creating an immediate safety risk. The event, announced as a surprise hometown performance during the band's break from supporting AC/DC on the current world tour, drew thousands into the CBD with expectations of a rare cost-free appearance.

Sydney's iconic New Year's Day festival Field Day will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026 with one of its biggest line-ups yet. Returning to The Domain on Gadigal Country on Monday 1 January 2026, Field Day will once again kick off the year with a world-class roster of international and Australian artists, dance floor anthems, and a brand-new stage dedicated to Sydney's vibrant LGBTQIA+ community.

AC/DC's Power Up tour isn't only a celebration of Australia's greatest rock export, it is a masterclass in world-class touring logistics. In this backstage Noise11 interview, Paul Cashmere speaks with AC/DC Production Director Dale Skjerseth, Production Manager Will Keating, and Australian promoter Christo Van Egmond to reveal how a tour of this scale actually happens.