Derek Pellicci

Australian music will take a prominent place in the Melbourne International Film Festival's first reveal for 2026, with the world premiere of Jebediah: Are We OK? and the Australian screening of The Best Summer emerging as two of the standout music titles in the festival's opening announcement. The films revisit pivotal moments in alternative music culture, one through the story of a Perth band that survived three decades together, the other through newly discovered footage from one of Australia's most significant music festivals of the 1990s.

Victorian metalcore band Ocean Sleeper have announced their second album Peace When I'm Dead, due on 21 August, alongside the release of the album's title track and a major Australian headline tour.

Australian singer-songwriter Holly Throsby has announced her sixth studio album, Normal Magic, due for release on 4 September, while also sharing the new single Hold Please, a collaboration with acclaimed Melbourne artist Laura Jean.

The Johnnys are preparing a retrospective release built around previously unheard Mushroom Records era recordings while also developing new material, according to founding member Graham Hood.

The Huxton Creepers have marked the 40th anniversary of their landmark debut album 12 Days To Paris with a vinyl reissue, the album's first digital release and a national tour that will see the band perform the record in full for the first time.

Don Walker has unveiled ‘Breakfast In Paris', the latest track from his forthcoming album Love Songs, with Noise11 presenting the world premiere ahead of the record's August release and national tour.

The City of Yarra has confirmed that Leaps And Bounds Music Festival will return to its full ten-day format in 2026, with venues across Fitzroy, Collingwood, Abbotsford and Richmond hosting a broad program of live music, record fairs, broadcasts and community events from 16 to 26 July. The annual winter festival, presented by Yarra City Council in partnership with local venues and promoters, will once again focus on supporting the live music ecosystem that has helped establish Yarra as one of Australia's most significant music precincts.