Every year, Laneway teams up with triple j Unearthed to fling a handful of rising artists onto some of the most exciting festival stages in the country. And every year, at least one of those artists ends up being the person you brag about seeing live before everyone else caught on.
This year? We’re spoilt. Five cities. Five fresh acts hand-picked because they’re about to be a problem (in the best way).
Laneway Festival Head of Programming, Travis Banko, put it perfectly:
“Laneway and triple j Unearthed share a genuine love of supporting artists at early, pivotal moments in their careers.”
Translation: these artists aren’t just on the bill. They’re the future headliners warming up.
So, who’s joining Chappell Roan, Role Model, Wolf Alice, PinkPantheress, Lucy Dacus and the rest of that frankly absurd lineup? Let’s roll.
QLD — Mid Drift
★ Gold Coast — Saturday 7 Feb — Southport Sharks
Sun-soaked indie surf rock that smells like sunscreen and nostalgia.
Jangly guitars. Hooks that remind you how it feels to be 19 and barefoot.
Queensland’s next export? Very likely.
NSW — Charli Lucas
★ Sydney — Sunday 8 Feb — Centennial Park (yep… the sold-out one)
Alt-pop with journal-entry sincerity and huge-sky vocals.
The kind of artist you accidentally cry to during night two of your breakup arc.
Expect goosebumps.
VIC — sleepazoid
★ Melbourne — Friday 13 Feb — Flemington Park (also sold out because Melbourne)
Grunge energy + shoegaze haze + post-punk heartbeat.
Self-recorded debut album that already feels cult-favourite coded.
Don’t be surprised if they blow the roof off an outdoor stage.
SA — PASH
★ Adelaide — Saturday 14 Feb — Showgrounds
Punchy pop-rock that’s here for a good time and a louder time.
Choruses the whole park will shout back.
Bring a water bottle — they’re energisers.
WA — Ullah
★ Perth — Sunday 15 Feb — Arena Joondalup (YES, PERTH!)
Soul-rich vocals and deeply felt alt-R&B.
She writes like she’s lived twenty emotional lifetimes.
A “remember where you were” performance incoming on Whadjuk Boodjar.
Why This Matters (besides bragging rights)
Laneway has a spooky track record of spotting tomorrow’s icons today. Think:
- Billie Eilish
- Lorde
- The 1975
- Tame Impala (back when Kev still took naps probably)
Someone on this Unearthed list is about to be that level. And we’re all going to pretend we knew.
Laneway 2026 Dates
| City | Country | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau (18+) | NZ | Western Springs | Thu 5 Feb |
| Gold Coast (16+) | Kombumerri Jagun | Southport Sharks | Sat 7 Feb |
| Sydney (16+) — SOLD OUT | Gadigal & Bidjigal | Centennial Park | Sun 8 Feb |
| Melbourne (16+) — SOLD OUT | Wurundjeri Biik | Flemington Park | Fri 13 Feb |
| Adelaide (16+) | Kaurna Yerta | Showgrounds | Sat 14 Feb |
| Perth (16+) | Whadjuk Boodjar | Arena Joondalup | Sun 15 Feb |
TL;DR
- Triple J Unearthed winners joining Laneway 2026 across all Aussie dates
- Mid Drift, Charli Lucas, sleepazoid, PASH & Ullah = Your next obsessions
- Catch them before TikTok claims discovery rights
We’ll see you in the pit, sunscreened and feral.
Stay unruly.
