Promise of the Real

Raul Malo, the Miami-born vocalist who reshaped modern country and Americana through his work with The Mavericks, has died in Houston at age 60. Malo passed away on 8 December 2025 after a prolonged battle with colon cancer. His death brings to a close a career that spanned more than three decades and produced one of the most distinctive voices in American music.

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.

Garbage's appearance at Good Things Melbourne has become the most discussed moment of the festival, with Shirley Manson's outburst at a longtime fan sparking widespread debate across the band's community. The confrontation, which unfolded in front of thousands, has divided supporters in a way not seen around the group since their breakthrough years in the mid-90s.

Foy Vance has opened a new chapter with the release of his latest single, I Think I Preferred The Question, out now through Rounder Records. The track finds the Northern Ireland-born, Scotland-based songwriter leaning into uncertainty, using that tension as creative fuel. Produced by Brit Award winner Ethan Johns, whose credits span Paul McCartney to Ray LaMontagne, the single reflects Vance's continuing pursuit of candour, truth and human complexity.

Multi award-winning singer and songwriter Kutcha Edwards will honour six decades of music, memory, and cultural truth when he presents 60 Cycles Around The Sun Celebrating A Lifetime Of Song And Stories at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Friday 17 April 2026. The one-night event brings together long-time collaborators, musical allies, and emerging voices who hold deep connections to the respected Mutti Mutti, Yort Yorta and Nari Nari Songman.

Mumford & Sons will return to Australia and New Zealand in April and May 2026 for a three-date arena run in support of their forthcoming sixth album Prizefighter. The tour marks the band's first full-scale shows in the region since the global success surrounding Rushmere in 2025, and follows their sold-out one-night-only return at the Sydney Opera House earlier this year.

Joe Jackson will launch a major new chapter in 2026, as he prepares to release his first rock album since 2019, Hope And Fury, and embark on an 80-show international tour. The album will arrive on 10 April 2026. The release marks a return to the sharp, melodic and uncompromising style that first defined Jackson in the late 1970s, when he emerged as one of the most distinctive voices in the new wave era.