Leaps and Bounds Festival 2026

Overview

The weather might be chilly, and sometimes a little drizzly, but since 2013, Leaps and Bounds Festival has been tempting punters out into the winter night. Taking place across the City of Yarra, the event has long championed the venues, artists, DJs, promoters and collectives that make this part of inner-city Melbourne one of Australia's most important live music communities.

And in 2026, Leaps and Bounds is going big, returning to its original ten-day format from Thursday, July 16–Sunday, July 26. Spanning a jam-packed program, expect several all-day venue takeovers, including IN MOTION, part of HIGH GROUND, taking over The Night Cat, The Evelyn Hotel and Punters Club with Public Figures, Skeleten and more.

You'll also get the chance to explore Collingwood's new train carriage venue Trainscendence, which hosts an all-ages weekend of music, arts and culture. Then, nearby at The Gem, Stone Fest is a free Sunday session featuring Girlatones, Daisy Kilbourne and Hannah Kate. Meanwhile, over in Richmond, The Leadbeater Hotel hosts Equaliser: A Disability Pride Party.

The program is also brimming with global sounds, storytelling and cultural exchange. Think Stani Goma's To Bina: A Night of Soukous Vibrations Powered by El Gran Mono at Abbots Yard, Diversity Funk at The Horn, and Akwaaba at Old Plates — a celebration of West African music, culture and food headlined by Immy Owusu and Sensible J.

At the Builders Arms Hotel on Gertrude Street, The Yalinguth Archive presents a special night of yidaki, songs and stories, all designed to reflect on Fitzroy's meeting places and the Aboriginal community that helped shape them. Plus, The Old Bar is putting on a zine fair soundtracked by loud DIY punk, while Baxter's on Brunswick Street showcases some of the city's best emerging artists.

The much-loved Leaps and Bounds Record Fair also returns to Collingwood Town Hall, just as PBS continues its festival tradition with a live broadcast from the Yorkshire Stingo Hotel in Abbotsford. Alongside heaps more community celebrations, there's even the chance to celebrate the launch of a soon-to-be-announced secret venue.

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Images: Supplied.