Well that really snuck up on us…

1. PASH
Tuesday, September 1st, 7:00pm @ BIGSOUND Mall Stage

One of the first acts out of the gates on Tuesday night, PASH gets the handy 7pm slot on the Mall Stage. A good place to start the BIGSOUND crawl before things inevitably become significantly less organised later in the evening.

2. LADYHAWKE
Tuesday, September 1st, 10:15pm @ Crowbar Thursday | September 3rd, 9:00pm @ The Brightside Outdoors

Hard to explain how much of a breath of fresh air Ladyhawke was on the indie scene when she first broke through. Seeing her in an intimate(ish) setting is not to be missed. You’ve got two cracks at it, but that outdoor Brightside set on Thursday feels like the one.

3. CALIFORNIA LANE CD & RECORD FAIR
Wednesday, September 2nd + Thursday, September 3rd, 9:30am–3:30pm @ California Lane 

A daytime palate cleanser for anyone who’s had enough networking. There’ll be vinyl, CDs and collectables from independent sellers, plus Glitter Records is unloading more than 4,000 CDs in a $5 rummage sale. Be warned: go too hard and you’ll be stitched up with extra baggage on your flight home… This one’s free and open to the public.

4. DEVA MAHAL
Wednesday, September 2nd, 8:00pm @ BIGSOUND Mall Stage | Thursday, September 3rd, 7:00pm @ Garden Stage

The daughter of blues legend Taj Mahal has carved out a pretty formidable soul/R&B career of her own. She’s playing twice across BIGSOUND, so there’s really no excuse for missing both.

5. SAM FISCHER
Wednesday, September 2nd, 9:00pm @ Garden Stage | Thursday, September 3rd, 8:15pm @ Crowbar

One of the bigger Australian names on the showcase lineup, with billions of streams and songwriting credits/collabs well beyond these shores.

6. NGAIIRE
Wednesday, September 2nd, 10:15pm @ Crowbar | Thursday, September 3rd, 8:00pm @ BIGSOUND Mall Stage

Ngaiire has been one of Australia’s most interesting voices for years, so it’s almost cheating calling her a BIGSOUND artist to “discover”. Catch the late Crowbar set Wednesday or take the more civilised route with the Mall Stage at 8pm Thursday.

7. CATPISS
Tuesday, September 1st, 11:15pm @ Ric’s Backyard | Thursday, September 3rd, 8:30pm @ The Brightside Indoors

Never seen these Newy lads play before? You’re in for a treat! Isn’t blindly wandering in to see a band called CATPISS at 11:15pm basically what BIGSOUND is for?

8. PRETTY BLEAK
Wednesday, September 2nd, 9:30pm @ Wonderland Downstairs | Thursday, September 3rd, 11:15pm @ Blute’s

Pretty keen to catch this Cure-inspired trio. They’ve got two late-night showcases, with the 11:15pm Thursday Blute’s slot looking particularly suited to a band called PRETTY BLEAK.

9. LIVE NATION ONES TO WATCH
Thursday, September 3, 5:00pm @ The Outpost

Wanna kill (enjoy) multiple crows (artists) with one stone (stage)? Live Nation’s Ones To Watch showcase lands just before the final night of official showcases kicks off, making it an easy bridge between afternoon beers and the evening program.

10. OFFICIAL BIGSOUND 25TH BIRTHDAY CLOSING PARTY
Thursday, September 3rd, 11:00pm @ The Prince Consort Hotel

BIGSOUND turns 25 this year, so naturally they’re finishing the whole thing with a birthday party. It kicks off at 11pm Thursday, right when everyone should be making sensible decisions and preparing themselves for Friday morning.