Stereolab, Pond, the Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Protomartyr, and the Belair Lip Bombs are among a stacked lineup for Against the Grain, which is returning in 2026 as part of Brisbane’s Open Season program.
In collaboration with The Tivoli Group and The Princess Theatre, Grain are bringing the cult favourite festival back on Saturday, June 20th, 2026, taking over multiple venues across the Clarence Corner Precinct in Woolloongabba.
After an eight-year hiatus, the long-awaited return celebrates the ten-year legacy of Grain, a promoter, online music zine, and creative incubator that has played a defining role in shaping Brisbane’s music scene. Tickets are on sale now here.
Against The Grain will transform this historic pocket of inner-city Brisbane into a multi-stage, one-day festival with a carefully curated collision of live music, art and culture bringing together some of the most vital artists from across Australia and around the world.
Anglo-French avant-pop outfit Stereolab will make their long-awaited return to Brisbane to headline the festival – their first show in the city in 17 years. They’ll be joined by beloved psych rock band Pond, showcasing tracks from their forthcoming 2026 album, alongside the return of the Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever following their recent hiatus, and indie rock outfit on the rise the Belair Lip Bombs.
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International heavyweights, Detroit post-punk stalwarts Protomartyr will return to Brisbane for the first time in nearly a decade, bringing their brooding intensity and razor-sharp lyricism back to local stages. They’ll be joined by the boundary-pushing Canadian outfit, Cola (acronym for Cost-Of-Living Adjustment), one of the most compelling voices in contemporary punk who arrive for their long-awaited Australian debut.
Locals Good Boy are set to reunite for a special one-off performance – their first since 2021 – alongside a full-band set from Pool Shop, as well as Concrete Surfers and Slowrip. Brisbane’s Hatchie will also return for her first performance on home soil since the release of her third album Liquorice in 2025.
Against The Grain will also showcase a new wave of artists set to shape the future of independent music. The lineup includes global risers Way Dynamic, Acopia, Swapmeet, Naarm punks Public Figures, an exclusive dance set from Gut Health, noise outfit Twine, and local acts Selve, Tomorrow’s Forecast, 01 Thurman, and PEACHY, among many more.
“With Against The Grain, we’ve wanted to build something that feels true to the community that surrounds it, something independent, intentional and a little bit unpredictable,” said Chris Langenberg.
“To bring it back after eight years, and to do it at this scale with artists we’ve grown alongside as well as those shaping what comes next, feels like a real marker of where GRAIN has come from and where it’s heading.”
For complete festival and ticket information, see here.
AGAINST THE GRAIN 2026
Saturday, June 20th
Clarence Corner Block Party, Woolloongabba, Magandjin/Brisbane QLD
Lineup:
STEREOLAB, POND, ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER, THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS, PROTOMARTYR
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A-Z: ACOPIA, COLA, CONCRETE SURFERS, GOOD BOY, GUT HEALTH, HATCHIE, MEDIA PUZZLE, PEACHY, POOL SHOP, PUBLIC FIGURES, SELVE, SLOWRIP, SPECIAL FEATURES, SWAPMEET, TOMORROW’S FORECAST, TWINE, WAY DYNAMIC, XIAO XIAO, 01 THURMAN
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DJ’s CURATED BY NATURAL STEPS
A-Z: DEEJAY HOTLINE, KARISHMA, NATURAL STEPS, SACHA, ALEXIOU, SQUIDGENINI, WIL KNOT
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OFFICIAL ATG AFTERPARTY CURATED BY MILO EASTWOOD
MILO EASTWOOD, ADRIANA, JNETT
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More to be announced
