LIVE REVIEW: BIGSOUND 2026 Day 1

For the 25th year in a row, BIGSOUND is taking over Meanjin/Magandjin’s Fortitude Valley, and best believe here at LivewireAU we are beyond excited for some incredible live music! Each day, resident journos Pipin, Hazel Mei and Tessa Fleur are going to highlight their fave showcases - welcome to our day one recap! 

Tessa:

Blue Diner were the first band to play on the Black Bear Lodge stage for the 25th BIGSOUND. I arrived at the beginning of their second song, "Mezzanine”, weaving my way through a densely packed crowd of industry personnel and eager punters, all with their eyes glued and heads bopping to Brisbane's very own up-and-coming dreamgaze band. The swirly layered vocals and dreamy wall of sound already won the room over as it blended into "Trucks” where Rosa's airy vocals floated beautifully above the dense, heavy guitar layers. The room grew so hot and packed that Jack eventually peeled off his jumper mid-set. They droned into "Disc 2" next, a beautiful downtempo shift built on the call-and-response between Jarren and Rosa's vocals, Jack tearing into his red Strat as the song broke open into a full wall of sound and sent the crowd into cheers, before Rosa let the crowd know they were giving away free badges and the band moved into "Sea Anemone" leaning on gorgeous dynamic contrast between minimal verses and lush, guitar-heavy choruses. After a short break they launched into "Heavy Handed," effortless and locked in even as a glass shattered somewhere in the crowd and the band let out a giggle without missing a beat, before Rosa announced their last song and asked the crowd to stick around for Local The Neighbour, closing the set with "Morningside", a hard rocker with heavy accents that the band nailed each time. The crowd were applauding through the track itself before the band let fully loose for the songs outro, ending on an enormous final round of applause for a seamless performance. 

Pipin:

My favourite band of the evening, Lover, kicked off BIGSOUND with a whopping 4 show day! Beginning with a set at So What Stereo (vinyl cafe - it’s cool - check it out!), before a sideshow at Junk Bar, followed by their first official showcase at Wonderland Downstairs and finishing with Cohort Party in the Quivr Sound Room. Oh my golly goodness, I bet those two slept well last night!! 

The two-piece created captivating soundscapes filled with reverb, warped guitars, layered production and floating vocals run through impressively stacked pedal boards designed to enthrall us in a wall of sound. I found Will and Johnny’s stage interactions mesmerising as they moved together and apart from each other, visually symbolising the intensity and space that was created sonically. I was a big fan of the drum sounds on track and the way that everything was balanced, creating so much interest and movement, even with only two musicians on stage. 

My favourite track was Dirt and you can bet I’ll be front and centre for their final showcase on Thursday at The Brightside Indoors between 7.30-8.00.

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Photos by: Lachie Neil

Hazel Mei:

Dugong Jr is like the kind of artist you stumble upon after your friend says, “trust, I know a place.” Tonight, Magandjin’s Prince Consort Garden was that place, where halcyon textures, house beats and artful curation intersect. A collage of guitars, synths and pedals adorned the stage as guest vocalists Wild Gloriosa and Jordan Dennis brought their magic. I was already a fan of Wild Gloriosa after seeing her at Woodford Folk Festival 2025. Her voice is distinct and soulful (something I recommend checking out at her own BIGSOUND showcase on Thursday 3/9 8:15pm at Blutes.) Jordan Dennis brought the bars, hype and joy we all needed on an (personally) sleepy start to Bigsound. The set felt intentional, authentic and made for the dance floor, and I was so glad to have a boogie. 

Catch Dugong Jr’s next Bigsound set Thursday 3/9 11:30pm at La La Land.