New Festival Comes to Melbourne

A new festival is coming to Melbourne this New Year’s Eve, lighting up the city’s iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Gardens.

Nestled in Melbourne’s King’s Domain, the festival will transform the space for two spectacular days to close out 2025 and welcome in the new year.

Mike Ross, Promoter of New Year’s at the Bowl said: “We’re excited to launch New Year’s at the Bowl – two days of great music, ranging from a high-energy end to the year, to a relaxing, hopefully sun-drenched kick off for 2026.

“We hope the festival will grow into a celebration that feels unique to Naarm, with a wide-ranging musical program, great local acts and iconic location all coming together to reflect the tastes and spirit of the city, with a few surprises still to be revealed.”

Melbourne has long been home to a rich music and arts culture, but a large-scale, long-term inner city New Year’s celebration has somehow eluded it. New Year’s at the Bowl hopes to change that, providing an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to come together and celebrate the year that’s been, and the one that is to come, in an easily accessible environment.

Arts Centre Melbourne’s Executive Director of Performing Arts, Melanie Smith, said the Sidney Myer Music Bowl has been an essential part of the city’s entertainment scene since 1959.

“Right in the heart of the city surrounded by the beautiful Kings Domain gardens, it is the perfect spot to welcome in the new year. We are thrilled to host this exciting event.”

Punters will have a choice of two-day, single-day, or VIP tickets. Prices start at $149.90 during presale, before being upped to $169.90 with first release.

The lineup spans genres and generations, with global electronic music icons Underworld set to play on New Year’s Eve, while Maribou State and Berlioz will ring in 2026. Joining them is a wide-ranging cast of international and local heavyweights, including Carl Cox, Confidence Man, Joy Crookes, Santigold, Marc Rebillet, Glass Beams, Bradley Zero, Ross From Friends pres. Bubble Love, Tornado Wallace, and Sam Gellaitry.

Joining them are The Preatures, Don West, Good Neighbours, Velvet Trip, INJI, Emma-Jean Thackray, Harvey Sutherland, Roza Terenzi, Kamma & Masalo, Prosumer, Alex Kassian, Aldonna, Bertie, X & IVY, Owelu Dreamhouse Big Wett, Any Young Mechanic, MzRizk, and Shantan Wantan Ichiban.

Across multiple stages, the festival has been programmed to reflect a high-energy celebration on New Year’s Eve and a relaxed, reflective New Year’s Day.

Presented by Live Nation, presale will begin at 12pm on Monday, September 15th and run until 11am the following day. First release will go on sale 12pm Tuesday, September 16th. Sign up for presale here.

New Year’s at the Bowl Lineup:

New Year’s Eve

UNDERWORLD

CARL COX (NYE Countdown)

CONFIDENCE MAN

SAM GELLAITRY

MARC REBILLET

ROSS FROM FRIENDS PRES. BUBBLE LOVE

INJI

ROZA TERENZI

PROSUMER

KAMMA & MASALO

BIG WETT

X & IVY

ALDONNA

SHANTAN WANTAN ICHIBAN

New Year’s Day

MARIBOU STATE

BERLIOZ

SANTIGOLD

JOY CROOKES

GLASS BEAMS

GOOD NEIGHBOURS

DON WEST

BRADLEY ZERO

THE PREATURES

EMMA-JEAN THACKRAY

HARVEY SUTHERLAND

ALEX KASSIAN

TORNADO WALLACE (3 HOUR SET)

VELVET TRIP

OWELU DREAMHOUSE

ANY YOUNG MECHANIC

BERTIE

MZRIZK