Music

The world would be a far better place if there were more festivals like Ability Fest, but for now, we can relish in the fact that the country’s most inclusive event is making a triumphant return this October, taking over not just Melbourne but making an exciting debut in Brisbane.

To help you start mapping out your next New South Wales adventure, we’ve rounded up a bunch of the most exciting events to mark in your diaries.

Dipping into the decade of nostalgia, Yellowjackets on Paramount+ is back for another nail-biting season.

For artists like Isaac who are drawn to creating, music is undeniably in their blood, so we've teamed up with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to dive a little deeper and uncover the passion for collaboration, live performance and a drive to contribute to the world around him that pump an unmistakable rhythm through his veins. 

We’ve linked up with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to take you on a deep dive into Australian artists with music in their blood, and there’s no better place to start than with LK (her dad is Paul Kelly, and if that doesn’t suggest she was born with music flowing through her veins, we don’t know what does.)

Summer in Sydney is looking the goods. After a successful traffic-stopping inaugural festival in January of this year, it's just been announced ELEVATE Sydney will be returning next month to celebrate summer and the new year. 

Grab your mates and head down for live performances every Friday with some of the industry’s finest musicians at The Star’s vibrant Garden Kitchen & Bar Live On The Lawn, entertainment series.

From grass-stomping day festivals and one-off intimate gigs to globally-revered performances and three-day camp-outs, you’re spoilt for choice; no matter where you are in Australia, we guarantee these music events are well worth the flight, train or road trip convoy with your crew. 

Don your best denim, it's going to be a boot-scootin' good time. 

Nestled in the beating heart of Surfers Paradise, we’ve found the perfect place for the ultimate fun day out. Think: epic games, live sport and a total foodie nirvana. So where can you find this awesome spot? Perched on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Cavill Mall, boasting a 100-metre frontage opposite the world-famous Surfers Paradise Beach, is Paradise Centre. Home to over 90 stores, an alfresco dining precinct and a buzzing entertainment hub, gather your crew and make tracks here stat.

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In 2017, Kiama four-piece indie rock band Pacific Avenue was born, but their history goes way back.

We caught up with CIVIC and spoke to Jim over a couple of Sailor Jerry bevs about good vegan dinners, getting tattooed by Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s Danny Young, and how they’re planning to go ‘all in’ and finally celebrate their album release.

At just 23 years of age, Naarm singer and artist Kaiit (she/they/he) is one of the most exciting talents to grace the Australian music scene and bless our ears with her sweet and honeyed vocals. 

Perth's iconic Ice Cream Factory Summer Festival is once again crossing the WA border to bring a massive night to our eastern shores. 

Save the date for a second round of new music festival, Day For It, which is heading back to Brisbane in October headlined by Flight Facilities. 

Isol-Aid Homegrown is a collaboration providing creative and financial support to emerging acts across Australia and New Zealand.

Amazing news: The Festival Of The Stone is back in Byron Bay on 5 June 2021 and heads up, tickets will sell out real quick.

We sit down with Australian singer-songwriter Thandi Phoenix to uncover what makes a luxe long lunch.

We sit down with Touch Sensitive to chat about the perfect movie night set-up.

Summer Sounds Festival is heading for Brisbane, headlined by Ball Park Music and Violent Soho.

It’s true, our love for hip hop runs deep. We’re big fans of the genre’s boundary-breaking, rebellious attitude (perhaps a love that’s been magnified after living through the insanity that was 2020) and it’s the leading part in the revival of '90s streetwear fashion. 

Ever wanted to hear Avicii's Levels in C Minor with the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra? Yeah, us neither, come to think of it. But it does sound like one awesome mash-up.

Mark the first weekend of March 2021 in your calendar music lovers, because Wildlands music festival is officially coming back to Brisbane this summer 

Welcome to Culture Curve—your go-to guide to what’s on the rise and slide in culture in December 2020.

The Tivoli are making ‘dinner and a show’ cool again, with a series of seated events dubbed Open Season.

Taking over Ovolo The Valley for one epic weekend in October, reimagined music and lifestyle festival REMIX HOTEL will have you jiving to Groove Armada from the comfort of a luxe hotel room.

This month, we're adding bedroom pop to our playlists, a genre spawned from artists getting creative in iso. We investigate a new wave of augmented reality e-commerce that's adding a little creativity to practicality, and we take a deep dive on the mega-force of gaming—no longer just a channel for entertainment and escapism, but the final curtain of pop culture. 

We’ve curated a list of our recent sounds you need to check out, from Gaga’s latest bops to a few Aussie favourites.

COVID-19 might have stolen music festivals from us this year, but praise the music gods because Splendour In The Grass has just dropped tickets for its 2021 reboot and the line-up is positively banging! 

But now, with bars and venues able to re-open in limited capacity, we’re excited by the prospect of finally seeing a live show again—and the first ones to hit the post-iso calendar has finally been announced.

We all knew it was coming and now it's official—Splendour In The Grass has been cancelled for 2020.

It’s time to warm up those vocal cords because Birds of Tokyo are coming to Brisbane next year, to perform with the legendary Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Brisbane's libraries may be closed, but Brisbane City Council's online library catalogue is packed full of ebooks, audio-books, magazines and movies to help you stave off boredom while you’re cooped up at home. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know that the short-form video app, Tik Tok has well and truly taken over the world. 

If you’re an indie pop fan, you’ll probably recognise Amy Sheppard’s last name—she’s one of three siblings who make up the band Sheppard, who’ve been killing it in Australia’s music scene since 2009. Last year’s song, Kiss My Fat Ass, brought our attention to the fact that music isn’t Amy’s only passion—she’s also a massive advocate for body positivity.

Forget about cherry-picking your gigs this month, because Melbourne’s hottest new festival—Can’t Do Tomorrow—is serving up fiery musical acts left and right. Not only is Can’t Do Tomorrow going all out in the street art scene, but the music lineup is not something to be scoffed at. With the likes of Melbourne legends TEYMORI and MzRizk, Triple j favourite Cool Out Sun, Australian dance music powerhouse DJ JNETT and more, Can’t To Tomorrow is about to become your ultimate February gig haven. And because we’ve always got your back, if you use the promo code URBANCDT when you book, you get $10 off your ticket cost.

Is there a better way to spotlight local and regional talent than at an intimately local ceremony? If so, I’m listening.

Yes queens, it’s true. One of the Spice Girls is heading to Brisbane this year to headline The Wickham’s fabulous celebration of all things LGBTQ+, Big Gay Day. 

Fisher has teamed up with Sets on The Beach and Triple J and will be hitting the Riverstage in Brisbane this April.

Find out all the best spots to celebrate Australia Day this weekend.

The epic new musical festival announcements just keep coming, with the news of Greener Pastures hitting the Gold Coast in 2020. 

As always, the Falls Festival lineup is bang on point and the perfect way to wave in 2020.

​We’re long-time fans of Aussie hip hop legend Illy so we’ve been chomping at the bit to hear his new beats. Turns out, the wait was worth with it with singles Then What and newbie Lean On Me tearing up the charts and showing how much the artist has grown in his approach to music. While we’re hanging for his next album (hint: it’s looking like March) and tour, we’re stoked Illy’s hitting the festival circuit hard this summer, bringing his good vibes to regional Australia.

Whether it was Justin Timberlake, Nick Carter, all of the Hanson brothers (but really Zac) or Harry Styles, we’ve all fallen in teenage love with a popstar—and that’s just what the hilarious new musical comedy Fangirls is about.

One Love Festival is one of New Zealand's largest and most iconic music festivals—pulling in around 20,000 revellers each year for almost a decade. Having sold out in NZ for the past four years in a row, organisers have decided to bring the festival to Australia for the first time. 

He’s the guy on everyone’s playlists and now he’s heading down under for an exclusive, intimate show. 

Get ready to circle Friday 18 October in your diary, Brisbane, because hitting your social feeds this morning is news that American rapper TYGA is adding one more stop to his upcoming visit to Australian soil.

While they might not have ever hit the charts or had a music video go viral on YouTube, there’s plenty of movie tunes that you no doubt know every bar to, and it’s these musical numbers that are being brought to life in a live concert from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra this November.

Find out all the best spots to eat strawberry ice cream this public holiday.

For yet another year Brisbane’s own BIGSOUND festival is providing the absolute goods: phenomenal hip-hop, pop and electronic experiences from some of Australia's best and upcoming artists.

For all the music stans out there, listen up. We’re about to dish the dirt on how you can nab backstage tickets at shows, meet your favourite artists, score killer merch and get exclusive VIP treatment at festivals. 

Travis Scott, the rapper on everyone’s playlists right now, has just confirmed he’s headed down under for one show only—and it’s going to be an absolute banger. 

Plus Steve Aoki and Armin van Buuren.

The mammoth line-up has finally dropped so mark your calendars.

Forget nominating a DD to ship you and your crew down to Byron or up to Brisbane so you can catch international superstars perform, because the Gold Coast just scored the most epic music festival ever!

Hans Zimmer, musical genius and composer of almost every epic movie score in existence, will be touring the East Coast of Australia this spring.

If you haven’t heard of Brisbane-based rapper Jesswar, you will soon. Talent like this has a way of getting noticed. 

Listen Out has dropped its 2019 line-up and it’s massive.

As part of Urban List Music Month we're bringing light on the artists that are shaping the music industry from the ground up.

This Barcelona festival is making headlines for its 50/50 talent split including Tame Impala, Miley Cyrus, Charli XCX, Future and Nas.

It’s almost been a whopping four years since her last album, but we’ve finally gotten word that Grimes is coming out with a new LP, so drop everything you’re doing and listen up. A few weeks ago, Grimes took to social media to unveil details about her forthcoming LP titled Miss_Anthropocene, a concept album about the anthropomorphic goddess of climate change.

Dust off your docs and bust out your band tees, because Byron Bay’s iconic Bluesfest is back for its 30th year, and it’s going to be bigger than ever. Held over the entire Easter long weekend, Bluesfest will be bringing good times and good music to the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm. 

His close team of songwriters and musicians have worked to finalise the late DJ’s unfinished album.

This is the moving story behind Beychella.

Bring on April 13.

Cancel Culture is undoubdtedly one of the most powerful digital movements today affecting the music world.

We couldn’t kick off the first week of music month at Urban List without chatting to pop music’s most coveted duo right now. In their first project together, Troye Sivan and Lauv’s I’m So Tired cracked top 10 in the UK—a first for both performers—reached the top 20 on the Billboard charts, has been streamed nearly two million times on Spotify and performed everywhere from Jimmy Kimmel Live to The Late Late Show with James Cordon.

Nothing says the Gold Coast more than epic surf beaches and uber talented local musicians. So, it only stands to reason that both of them should come together to create one seriously rad festival. 

Plus Chance The Rapper, Tame Impala, SZA, Hayden James, Matt Corby and Ziggy Alberts.

An ode to all things friendship, freedom and protecting your own energy.

From festivals and big-time touring artists to appreciation nights, intimate gigs, club nights and underground parties, there is a whole lot of live music to get around in Brisbane this month. See you there.

Tkay Maidza is the ambitious Australian rapper taking up space on everyone’s playlist right now. We caught up with her during recording sessions in Melbourne to dive into her wardrobe and talk creative inspirations, self-discovery, fashion as expression and never (ever) blending in.

Debuted at sacai’s Fall/Winter 2019 runway show in Paris, we now have a release date for the Japanese brands collaboration with Beats by Dre. 

She’s the eclectic pop slash hip-hop sound in everyone’s ears right now and considering she’s just 20, that’s a pretty huge feat.

Cliff top oasis and Bali beach club Ulu Ciffhouse has been redefining beachside nightlife since it opened its doors in 2017. With direct access to the beautiful beaches of Uluwatu, this beach club boasts a 25-metre infinity pool, resort, music recording studio, art space, world class food and drinks, and an oceanside deck that hangs above the waves.

It’s time to raise a glass of liquid gold to the ultimate festival featuring epic eats, beats and beer.

Calling all fans of rad music and extraordinary performance value, because Washington, the patron saint of modern pop herself, is popping up a secret show at Blute’s Bar tonight at 11.30pm. All other plans are now officially off.

The EDM duo remember their years DJ-ing at Kit & Kaboodle and now they’ve dropped their first album, there’s no turning back.

Females dominated the Album Of The Year nominations and the award ceremony made firsts in the world of hip hop. 

Behold, the rise and rise of Billie Eilish.

We’re losing it.

It’s her biggest tour to date and tickets go on sale Thursday.

And what to expect when you hit play? Think glitchy transitions, hip hop vibes, over-sized jackets, all the bisexual lighting and chunky sneakers. In other words, it’s a sure-fire mirror of everything cool right now.

And Bali, you know—in case you’re there.

PNAU are essentially Australian royalty. The guys have been banging out hits since their first album release in 1999. In 2007 they released their fifth studio album, Changa, and it produced some absolute tracks.

Hate deep house music? Maybe you just never listened to it the right way.

The South African-born, Australian-raised DJ has been hitting the decks at festivals like Your Paradise and Coachella.

It was... awesome.

Got an entertainment buff you need to please? From retro arcade games to stylish sound systems, we’ve got something that will have them cancelling all their plans for 2019.

Over the weekend musician slash actor slash creative genius Childish Gambino graced the southern hemisphere with his presence, bringing his highly anticipated PHAROS experience to New Zealand.

2018, we'll let you finish, but Cardi B had one of the greatest albums of all time.

In the middle of Mojo’s national tour, we sat down with her to talk about her latest album aptly named, Native Tongue. What we weren’t prepared for was her searing honesty, her ability to be relentlessly real and how refreshing the truth can be. 

The trio has just dropped a new LP and is set to tour Australia in 2019.

It’s 10 glorious lazy Sunday tunes and we’re already fans.

Did we mention All Saints, Amerie and Yo! Mafia are joining this epic day out? Mic drop. 

With music inspired by Willy-Wonka

Worth the damn wait.

Fluorescent Adolescent is the tune of our teenage years. Period.

The UK group are gearing up to launch their new album 'Toast To Our Differences' early next year.

And we feel just like a rockstar.

And it's set to be pure sonic magic.

Omair Anjum and Mohammad Shah created the House band Fake Shamans from their mutual love of the underground music scene. The only thing about that scene: it's in Pakistan. 

We speak to Aqua's René Dif about pop's greatest era and making Barbie Girl live forever. 

Dark, seductive and cheeky. As it should be.

She’s rocked festivals like BIGSOUND, Strawberry Fields and NYE On The Hill. She’s released a breakthrough single (‘Numb) and opened for Leon Bridges and RnB master, Maxwell. She’s even collab’d with REMI (on ‘My People) and Sampa the Great. And now she’s on her way to America. Hard to believe Thando is still only 25 years-old.

Grime institution Eskimo Dance has just announced they’ll be hitting our side of the globe and we are ready.

You may know Alison Wonderland as an international DJ, or for her ARIA-nominated singles “Run” and “U Don’t Know”, her bold hair decisions, or maybe her IDGAF attitude. But to us, she’s Alex Sholler, an electronic DJ queen that us Aussies love to claim as one of our own (one of us, one of us).

​Want to skip the queues and snag a private dining room at Sydney’s Chin Chin? How about a year’s free yoga in Brisbane? Maybe a private session at Bass & Flinders mixing you own signature gin? Well, they’re all up for grabs.

Later this month, W Hotel is hosting the first of a series of Summer Crush Pool Parties on their rooftop. Held on the same night as Riverfire, the inaugural event is called Fire Starter, and it’s pretty much what it says on the can.

For the past few years, smaller independent festivals have dominated the music scene. It's probably down to the collapse of fan favourites like Big Day Out, Future Music, Soundwave and Stereosonic, who all caved due to poor ticket sales.

All your Sunday inspo wrapped into one handly lil' package.

Australia's most whimsical festival, Let Them Eat Cake, has just dropped its 2019 line-up, and it's looking pretty sweet. This year marks the festival's 7th-anniversary, helping electronic music lovers continue the New Year’s celebrations beyond midnight.

All your Sunday inspo wrapped into one handly lil' package.

We're about to bless the rains down in Australia.

Fresh off the back of sophomore record Awake (and it's juggernaut success), Sydney DJ Alison Wonderland is hitting the road again for a 4-stop Aussie tour. And damn we're excited.

Splendour In The Grass is taking centre stage this weekend in good ol’ Byron Bay, which means some of Australia’s loosest units will be converging in the one crusty paddock for a full weekend of glorious delinquency.

And all nine are jetting down.

You mean you’ve never been?

We have more So Fresh CD’s in Australia than people use Tinder. Onya ‘Straya. So, dust off your low-rise jeans (and your boots with the fur) and get on down. Just to make sure you’re totally prepared: we’re here to rank the Top Ten So Fresh albums. Let's get the ball rolling.