A season-long electronic music takeover with Maribou State, Folamour, DJ Seinfeld and a frankly absurd number of legendary DJs. All for free.
I love a good free event. I love a free electronic event even more. And Brisbane has apparently decided to gift the entire country a sweaty, sparkling, sun-drenched summer by launching Southwave: Summer Electronic Series, a run of completely free outdoor shows taking over South Bank’s Rainforest Green from 2 January to 21 February 2026.
Nine nights. International heavy-hitters. Local heroes. A riverside dancefloor tucked inside the rainforest. I’m not saying Brisbane is showing off, but Brisbane is absolutely showing off.
A Summer Series, Not a Festival
Think less “muddy multi-stage festival sprint” and more “perfectly soundtracked summer nights with enough room to breathe and dance and not lose your mates in a crowd of 40,000”.
Southwave is turning Rainforest Green into an open-air club with a distinctly Queensland energy. It’s warm, friendly, slightly loopy in the best way, and definitely full of people who are wearing sunglasses long after the sun is down.
Curator Dave Sleswick from The Tivoli Group calls it a celebration of accessibility, diversity and possibility. Translation: this is music for everyone, not just people who can survive a three-day camping festival on nothing but Powerade and vibes.
The Line-up Is Ridiculous
Southwave is pulling in a frankly wild range of performers, blending global names and local talent into one long, dreamy series. Headliners include:
- Maribou State (DJ) – warm, melodic, sun-soaked electronic bliss
- Folamour – disco, funk, soul, afrobeat and pure serotonin
- Rose Gray – glamorous 90s rave energy with powerhouse vocals
- DJ Seinfeld – emotional house, breaks, and the kind of set you accidentally cry to
- Jimi Jules – jazz-trained Swiss-Caribbean grooves
- Bimini (DJ) – fashion icon turned club-floor slayer
- ABSOLUTE. – unapologetically huge, high-octane UK energy
Plus a massive line-up of Australian favourites and rising names: Big Wett, Sampology, Aliens In Love, Squidgenini, Wax’o Paradiso, Natural Steps, A Love Supreme DJs, Laura Vizer, Jussam, Melanin Mami, Gumm, Phil Smart, macloud, Samantha Loveridge and what feels like half the country’s underground scene in one place.
You could literally just show up at random and land on a killer set.
The Vibe: Sunshine, Bass, and a Whole Lot of Greenery
Rainforest Green is already one of Brisbane’s prettiest spaces, but Southwave is turning it into a proper dance oasis. Think shady trees, glowing twilight, a soft breeze off the river, and a crowd that’s equal parts dance music nerds, curious locals, queer club kids, and tourists who were not emotionally prepared for this level of free entertainment.
There’ll be pop-up bars, food, riverside ambience, and the kind of summer air that makes you start dancing before you even realise it.
The Schedule:
Here’s the full run (all free — you just need to register):
Friday 2 January – 3pm–late
Maribou State (DJ), Paris B2B Juno Mamba, Kuzco, Phil Smart
Saturday 3 January – 3pm–late
Folamour, Aldonna, Wax’o Paradiso, Celine Boudelot, A Love Supreme DJs
Friday 23 January – 5pm–10pm
DJ Seinfeld, DJ JNETT, Sampology
Saturday 24 January – 3pm–10pm
NOT WITHOUT FRIENDS: Luke Alessi, Jordan Brando, William Kiss, macloud B2B Caramel Funk, Laura Vizer
Sunday 25 January – 3pm–10pm
Jimi Jules, Amaliah, Gumm B2B Samantha Loveridge, Aliens In Love
Sunday 1 February – 2pm–8pm (at Streets Beach)
Natural Steps Takeover: Chau, Squidgenini, Felix, DJ Windom Earle, Deejay Hotline, Natural Steps
Friday 20 February – 5pm–late
Rose Gray, Big Wett, Bimini, Absolute, Tullio
Saturday 21 February – 3pm–10pm
Family Tree Takeover: Jussam, Melanin Mami, Orosa, Shaq, Vaman, Family Tree
Why This Matters (Beyond “free party go brr”)
Southwave sits alongside the brand-new On the Banks concert series, meaning Brisbane’s entire summer is being treated like one long open-air cultural reset.
South Bank’s team is leaning hard into making music accessible and community-centred, while The Tivoli Group is on itsera of transforming public spaces into places where young people, locals, and visitors can actually gather without needing to drop hundreds of dollars.
Honestly, it’s refreshing. No gatekeeping. No exclusivity. Just good music in a beautiful space.
TL;DR
- Southwave is a free electronic music series at Rainforest Green, Brisbane
- Runs 2 January – 21 February 2026
- Featuring Maribou State, Folamour, Rose Gray, DJ Seinfeld, Jimi Jules, Bimini, ABSOLUTE. and loads more
- Open-air dancefloor with bars and food
- Registration required. Doesn’t guarantee entry, but keeps you updated
- Weekend and twilight sets across nine nights
- A celebration of Brisbane’s music culture, community energy and creative future
- Visit southwave.live to register now
Stay unruly.
