Aussie Summer Festival Season 2026: Wildlands, Spilt Milk and More!

The biggest lineups, key dates and festival safety tips you need to know.

From locking in your must-see headliners, locking in plans with friends or brushing up on festival safety tips, here's everything you need to know before Australia's festival season kicks off.

Wildlands unveils a massive lineup for its two-city New Year's return.

Wildlands is taking a fresh direction in 2026, unveiling a stacked lineup for Brisbane and Perth. Positioning itself as Australia's premier New Year's dance festival, the event will spread its artists across three curated stages celebrating some of the biggest names in electronic music.

Wildlands will ring in the new year at Brisbane Showgrounds on 31 December 2026 before the festival heads west to Arena Joondalup in Perth on 2 January 2027.

Leading the lineup is Tomorrowland 2026 headliner John Summit, alongside British grime heavyweight Skepta and drum and bass supergroup WORSHIP, featuring Sub Focus, Dimension, Culture Shock and 1991. They're joined by a host of in-demand electronic artists including Overmono, Nia Archives, Hannah Laing, Frost Children and more.

With all tickets and add-ons available during presale, and presale registrations already reaching record numbers, festival-goers are encouraged to get in early.

The Daily Aus presale begins at 12pm local time on Monday 3 August, followed by the official Wildlands presale at 6pm local time on Wednesday 5 August. General ticket sales go live at 6pm local time on Thursday 6 August.

Spilt Milk reveals its highly anticipated 2026 lineup.

Australia’s Spilt Milk festival has unveiled its lineup for 2026, with global stars Lewis Capaldi and RAYE headlining four Aussie dates this December.

Capaldi is making his return to Australia after a successful arena tour, while BRIT Award-winning artist RAYE is set to bring her signature blend of pop, R&B and soul to festival-goers across the country.

Joining the headliners is a stacked mix of international and homegrown talent, including Baby Keem, Remi Wolf, KETTAMA, Maisie Peters, Samara Cyn, F3miii and jigitz. Australian favourites DMA'S, Miss Kaninna and STÜM are also set to perform, alongside a range of emerging artists from across the country.

The festival will kick off in Canberra before heading to the Gold Coast, making its Geelong debut and wrapping up in Perth. Tickets are currently available. Here are the dates to know. 

• Canberra: 12 December
• Gold Coast: 13 December
• Geelong: 19 December
• Perth: 20 December

How to stay safe at music festivals.

With several major festivals now revealing their plans for the season, fans are already mapping out their summer schedules. Before locking in tickets, though, it's worth taking a moment to brush up on festival safety.

Plan ahead. Review the location and the layout, and when you arrive take note of the emergency exits, security points and medical facilities. At every festival there should be designated first aid stations trained to handle a wide range of injuries and health emergencies.

Stick together. If you’re going with a big group, agree to a buddy system so no one is ever left behind. Simply have everyone choose someone to stick with no matter what, and don’t go off on your own.

Agree to a meeting point. Phone reception can be patchy at busy festivals, so pick an easy-to-find meeting place when you arrive. If you can’t find or contact your friends, ask festival staff or security for help.

Stay hydrated. Make sure you keep an eye out for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, drink plenty of water and take breaks in the shade if you need them.

Organise transport. Have a plan for getting to and from the festival. Be aware of road closures and public transport changes, assign a designated driver, take public transport or use a ride-sharing service.

Wear sunscreen and protect your skin. It’s better to be sun-safe than sunburnt, so bring sunscreen with you. Sun protection doesn't have to come at the expense of style. A well-chosen cap or cover-up can look great, so factor them into your outfit planning.

Pack wisely. Carry a small bag that you can wear in front of you, and pack a mini first-aid kit with essentials.

Other Aussie festivals worth adding to your calendar.

Here is a list of the festivals to add to your bucket list.

• Rampage, a huge drum & bass festival is landing in Australia and NZ between 21 August and 29 August.
• Gympie Music Muster, a country music festival  running in Queensland 27 August to 30 August.
• Night at The Parkland is hitting the stage in Brisbane from 11 September to 20 September, headlined with some iconic Aussie artists.
• Modern country music festival Strummingbird is coming to Victoria, NSW and Queensland from 10 October to 18 October.
• Blues at Bridgetown is back in WA from 13 November to 15 November bringing roots, folk, rock and blues artists to the stage.
• Handpicked Festival in South Australia is happening on 14 November, offering a mix of indie, pop, rock and soul.
• Queenscliff Music Festival is heading to Victoria from 27 November to 29 November, with a lineup of folk, roots, rock, blues and indie artists.
• Rolling Sets hit the stage with indie rock, alternative and pop artists in Tweed Heads on 28 November and Newcastle on 5 December.
• The iconic Beyond The Valley is back in Victoria from 28 December to 1 January with a stacked lineup of electronic, dance, indie and hip-hop artists.
• Boutique festival 8th Wonder is heading to New Zealand on 23 January and Brisbane on 30 January focusing on reggae, roots, soul, r&b, dub and more.

Why buying early can support festival organisers.

Australia’s festival industry continues to face rising costs and unpredictable ticket sales. While most of these challenges are outside of your control as festival-goers, buying tickets early can give organisers a clearer idea of demand. Get your crew together, sign up to presales and support your fave festivals early. 

Time to get excited.

As we eagerly await lineups for festivals like Laneway, Australia's summer calendar is already shaping up to be a busy one. Whether you're heading to Wildlands or Spilt Milk, or discovering a new favourite event, now is the perfect time to round up your mates and start planning for festival season.

Raye Photograph: Aaron Parsons Photography/The Guardian

Skepta Photograph: Ollie Millington/Redferns/The Guardian