Laneway Festival just snagged a shiny new trophy, and not just any trophy. They are the very first winners of the ARIA Award for Best Music Festival. It is huge. It is historic. It is frankly well deserved.
This win could not have hit at a better time. In February, Laneway turns 21, the milestone birthday where most of us have a panic about getting older, but Laneway is out here doing victory laps instead.
A Festival That Believed in the Future Before Anyone Else Did
Laneway did not start as a mega-touring event headlined by future icons. It started as an actual laneway party in Melbourne, tiny, loud, a little unhinged. But the ethos was clear from day one: find the new, the weird, the exciting, the next big thing.
Fast forward two decades and they have done exactly that. Billie Eilish, Lorde, Florence + The Machine, Mitski, Charli XCX, Fred again.., Clairo, Tame Impala, so many superstars graced Laneway stages when they were still on the cusp of global domination.
That instinct, that commitment to championing artists early, is the beating heart of the festival.
Co-founder Danny Rogers said they only ever wanted to throw “a party for music we loved.” It just became a juggernaut. Jerome Borazio summed it up simply: people connected with it. And they never stopped.
Why This Win Matters
ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd called festivals like Laneway essential to the music ecosystem, the place where artists cut their teeth, build their audience, and have those “oh wow, this could be real” moments.
We have seen it happen. We have screamed about it online. We have bragged “I saw them before they were big.” Festivals like Laneway make those bragging rights possible.
This award is not just a pat on the back. It is proof thaindie-mindededartist-drivenen festivals can thrive even as the industry shifts and reshuffles.
Laneway 2026: Already Locked and Loaded
If you thought they were slowing down after 21 years, absolutely not.
Next year’s lineup is ridiculous in the best way:
- Chappell Roan (a full 90-minute headline set, yes please)
- Role Model
- PinkPantheress
- Wolf Alice
- Lucy Dacus
- Alex G
- Yung Lean and Bladee
- A stack more
Sydney and Melbourne are already gone. Sold out. The FOMO is real.
There are still tickets left for Auckland, Gold Coast, Perth and Adelaide, but probably not for long. Get yours here: https://www.lanewayfestival.com
Final Thoughts From a Perth Local Who Loves This Festival a Normal Amount
Laneway winning the first ever ARIA for Best Music Festival just feels right. It is recognition of what the festival has built over 21 years. Community, discovery, and some of the most unhinged dance floor memories any of us will ever cherish.
Whether you have been there since the early laneway days or you joined somewhere around the “Billie Eilish screaming Bad Guy in Fremantle” era, we can all raise a toast to the glow up.
Happy birthday, Laneway. And congratulations. You absolutely earned this.
Stay unruly.
