Overview
If your idea of a good time is outback camping in North Queensland's tropical Atherton Tablelands, soundtracked to raw, guitar-heavy live performances, then you've probably heard of Savannah in the Round. Every October, folk and country rock fans flock to Mareeba – a rural town just an hour away from Cairns – for the four-day festival.
In its third artist announcement for the 2026 edition, Savannah in the Round announced that internationally acclaimed Missy Higgins will be joining the lineup, alongside six-piece band Furnace and the Fundamentals and emerging country star Bella Mackenzie. Missy Higgins has spent two decades shaping the Aussie music scene with her indie folk melodies and confessional lyrics, after a 2004 debut with multi-platinum album The Sound of the White.
Expect the Melbourne-born powerhouse to take the stage with beloved tracks like 'The Special Two', 'Steer', 'Futon Couch', 'A Complicated Truth', and the ARIA-award-winning folk-pop hit 'Scar'. Missy Higgins' other ARIA wins include her genre-breaking bluesy 2012 album The Ol' Razzle Dazzle and, a decade later, the pared-back The Second Act album. She also received flowers in the Best Female Artist and Best Australian Live Act categories, before entering the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2024.
"Securing internationally recognised artists like Missy Higgins gives music fans another reason to visit the region... Events of this scale do more than deliver great entertainment. They support local jobs, drive visitor spending and provide a valuable boost to businesses across the region," Queensland's Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell MP says.
He estimates that Savannah in the Round 2026 will drive almost $12.7 million into businesses, tourism operators and communities in North Queensland.
So far, over 60 local and international acts are slated to perform at Savannah in the Round. Aussie new-wave rock band ICEHOUSE, American folk legend Don McLean and Nashville-based country singer Tyler Braden will be headlining the festival with Missy Higgins.
Savannah in the Round will return to the Mareeba Rodeo Arena from 8–11 October 2026. Head to the website for tickets and camping packages.
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