Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
The final line-up for the Airlie Beach Festival of Music 2026 has just been released and Hunters and Collectors frontman Mark Seymour says he is dreaming of escaping the Melbourne winter, wishing he was already on the main stage at November 6-8 event.
Freshly announced with Conrad Sewell, Nathan Cavaleri, and Luke O’Shea, and completing this year’s main stage lineup alongside Xavier Rudd, Mental As Anything, The Whitlams, and more, Seymour is no stranger to what is arguably Australia’s most scenic festival, having performed in its waterfront big-top-tent back in 2014.
“Think sunshine, beach, short trousers, open-toe shoes – it’s incredibly beautiful and a pretty unique part of the world, but my brain immediately goes to the songs that I played and the fact that there’s a lot of people who live there permanently, and you can’t underestimate that,” he said.
“Sure, people travel there for a particular reason, but Airlie Beach is also a township with a very strong local contingent of people who will be looking forward to seeing live Australian music in their area – it’s that colloquial community feeling and you can sense it when you walk on stage.”
With two albums and more than a decade under his belt since that last performance at Queensland’s premier ‘party in paradise’, Seymour is promising a “significantly updated set”.
“But I’m always very cognisant of the songs people want to hear as well,” he said, referencing hits now etched into the musical story of the nation like ‘Talking to a Stranger’, ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’ and ‘The Holy Grail’.
Chart-topper Conrad Sewell is also primed to add some signature tunes to the mix, including his juggernaut Kygo collaboration, ‘Firestone’, and platinum hit ‘Healing Hands’.
Like Seymour, Sewell is a repeat visitor to the Whitsundays, but this will be his first Airlie Beach Festival of Music in a Coral Sea setting he describes as “hard to beat”.
“Music festivals in places like Airlie become more than just gigs – they turn into memories with your mates in incredible locations,” he said.
“Just come ready for a good time and I promise we’ll make it a special night.”
Meanwhile, Nathan Cavaleri, the former child prodigy whose talents became the focus of a bidding war between the record labels of Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince, cites energy, presence, and human connection as qualities he’ll be bringing to the event.
Despite performing with the likes of B.B. King, Etta James and Bonnie Raitt, Cavaleri has remained grounded in his roots, which included childhood visits to the Whitsundays with family and Schoolies celebrations on Hamilton Island.
“I’ve never played Airlie Beach Festival of Music though – I actually feel like everyone I know has played this festival except me, so I definitely had FOMO, and when I got the news that they were keen to have me I was pretty stoked,” he said.
“It’s been a while since I’ve played a tropical summer type festival so I’m very much looking forward to it, and (since I’m usually solo) I’m thrilled that my last full band gig for 2026 is going to be Airlie Beach.
“You can expect we’re going to bring some victorious big stage energy and we’re probably going to enjoy it afterwards in the same way as everybody else! We’re not just going to do our job and walk away – we’re gonna be with you guys the whole way.”
Asked why music lovers should still part with hard-earned cash to travel to festivals and see artists in the flesh – even in these undeniably tough economic times – Cavaleri’s response was that “festivals like this are anchored to what’s important”.
“This goes beyond just entertainment, it’s food for the soul,” he said.
Other new additions to the 2026 line-up include Ben Ransom, Mike Elrington, Nicky Bomba’s ‘Bustamento’, Chris Webbe, Mak and Shar, Dillion James, and more, joining previously announced acts including The Radiators, Adam Harvey, 19-Twenty, Skinny Living (UK), Little Quirks, The Mason Rack Band, The Wayward Suns, Loonaloop, Salt & Steel and the Airlie Beach Festival of Music’s 2025 Passport to Airlie competition winners, Monroe.
In total, the Airlie Beach Festival of Music features 60-plus acts, spread throughout 15 venues and the iconic main stage at the Whitsunday Sailing Club.
Tickets are on sale now at www.airliebeachfestivalofmusic.com.au costing $340 for a three-day pass, or $1,200 for a VIP package, both including entry to the opening and after parties that bookend the main event.
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