River Sounds 2026

River Sounds 2026 Returns Bigger, Louder & Four Stages Strong

River Sounds Festival is officially returning in 2026, with the beloved event set to take over the Bellingen Showgrounds on May 15-16, 2026. 

Now firmly established as one of regional NSW’s must-attend contemporary music festivals, River Sounds 2026 will be bigger than ever, expanding to four stages and delivering a diverse, high-energy lineup that celebrates Australian music, international talent, and local voices.

Leading the charge are Australian hip-hop royalty Thundamentals, psychedelic low-fi rockers Babe Rainbow, and UK rhythm & blues legends Kitty, Daisy & Lewis. The lineup also features ’90s icons Skunkhour, Gumbaynggirr rapper Tasman Keith, bass music heavyweights Little Fritter and Mood Swing & Chevy Bass, plus a stacked undercard of local, emerging and electronic artists.

Festival Director Ben Lewis said River Sounds continues to grow while staying true to its community roots:
“River Sounds is all about bringing world-class music to a beautiful regional setting, while supporting local artists, crews and businesses. Expanding to four stages in 2026 allows us to showcase more artists, more genres, and more experiences — without losing the laid-back, community feel that makes River Sounds special.”

River Sounds is a celebration of Bellingen itself, embodying the town’s creative energy, strong community spirit and relaxed coastal-hinterland lifestyle — with visitors invited to soak up the true Bello vibes.

With its riverside setting, carefully curated lineup and reputation for quality production, River Sounds has quickly become a standout event on the NSW festival calendar.

Tickets go on sale Friday 30 January.

TICKETING INFO:

Early Bird Release: Early Bird tickets are on sale between Friday January 30, 2026 and Friday February 20, 2025 *unless sold out our prior

2nd Release: 2nd release tickets are on sale between Saturday February 21, 2026 and Friday March 20, 2026 *unless sold out prior

Final release: Final release tickets go on sale from Sunday March 20, 2026 *limited capacity – River Sounds is likely sell out prior to the festival date

FRIDAY LINEUP:

TOUCH SENSITIVE | MAGIC DIRT | WILLIAM CRIGHTON | GOOD PASH | BLIND PRETTY | PHIL SMART | JASON LEWIS | THE NIKKIS | THE STOPS + MORE TBA

SATURDAY LINEUP:

THUNDAMENTALS | BABE RAINBOW | KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS (UK) | SKUNKOUR | LITTLE FRITTER | TASMAN KEITH | BANANAGUN | MOOD SWING & CHEVY BASS | DOPPEL | LEMONISE | SOPHDEXX | PHIL SMART’S ‘AMBIENT SOUND BATH | BIZ | APOCALYPSE JOE & THE COYOTE | BLIND PRETTY | TANUKI | REAR WHEEL DRIVE | THEMZY | DAVE FORWARD | AUGUST CROWHURST | PHOENIX | DANGERWAVES | MADSPIN BABY | INSECT | MISSKISS