Overview
For one week each September, Brisbane becomes Australia's live music capital — even if a Melbourne survey generally claims otherwise. When BIGSOUND hits the city, it seems like every venue in Fortitude Valley is packed to the rafters with bands, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest the country's music scene has to offer. And given this year's newly announced lineup, expect that to be the case once again.
Unveiling its first 75 acts for 2018, BIGSOUND will play host to a stacked pack of musos, spanning everything from pop, electronic, rock and rap to metal, hip hop and folk. Topping the bill so far are the likes of The Chats, Eliott, Cable Ties, Asha Jefferies and yú yī, plus the return of previous BIGSOUND favourites such as Blank Realm, Olympia, Gabriella Cohen and Oh Pep!
More than 70 other acts will be announced closer to the event; however the current list joins a host of previously revealed speakers — including Virginia Grohl, mother of Dave Grohl, and record label executive turned indie company CEO Mardi Caught.
Previous BIGSOUNDs have showcased everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Tash Sultana and Courtney Barnett to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Methyl Ethel and The Jungle Giants, so their program is usually a very reliable bellwether of current and up-and-coming talent.
Here's the full lineup of music acts so far:
A Swayze & The Ghosts
Adrian Eagle
Alice Skye
ARSE
Arteries
Asha Jefferies
Bin Juice
Blank Realm
Bugs
Butterfingers
Cable Ties
Cast Down
CLYPSO
Cry Club
CXLOE
DEAN FOREVER
Dreller
Eat Your Heart Out
Eilish Gilligan
Eliott
Elizabeth
Ella Hooper
Emma Anglesey
Estère
Gabriella Cohen
Genesis Owusu
Georgia Mulligan
Good Doogs
GRAACE
Gravemind
Greta Stanley
Hachiku
Hazlett
Hobsons Bay Coast Guard
Imogen Clark
James Wright Trio
JEFFE
KAIIT
Kaitlin Keegan
Kian
Kota Banks
Kult Kyss
Kwame
MANE
Miss June
Moaning Lisa
MOOKHI
Oh Pep!
Olympia
Paces
Pink Matter
Pool Shop
Rachel Maria Cox
RAT!hammock
Riley Pearce
Ruby Gilbert
Samsaruh
Sleep Talk
Slowly Slowly
Stevie Jean
Sumner
Sunscreen
sweater curse
SŸDE
T$oko
Tape/Off
The Chats
The Merindas
TOTTY
Triple One
Two People
Tyne-James Organ
Voiid
Wax Chattels
yú yī
BIGSOUND 2018 runs from September 4–7 at various venues around Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For further details or to buy tickets, visit bigsound.org.au. To discover what to do, see, eat and drink while visiting Brissie for the annual event, check out our weekender's guide to Brisbane during BIGSOUND.