With the annual Laneway Festival readying itself to reveal details for its 2027 edition, it’s a mixed bag of emotions, with one city receiving word of new event grounds, and two other cities to miss out next year.
Announcing their news via a message shared on social media this morning, organisers revealed that after a one-off venue change for Queensland fans, the northern edition of the festival will return to familiar grounds early next year.
“After taking Laneway Festival somewhere new in 2026, our Queensland edition is headed to the Brisbane Showgrounds for 2027,” the message reads.
“Thank you to Southport Sharks for welcoming us in 2026 and giving us the opportunity to share Laneway with the Gold Coast’s incredible music community.”
After beginning life in Fortitude Valley for its debut edition in 2007, the Brisbane edition of Laneway was a constant presence there before moving to the Brisbane Showgrounds in 2013.
Last year, the festival’s Queensland venture took a drastic trip down south, heading to the Gold Coast for the first time in its history.
However, while Queensland fans are undeniably more receptive to word of a return to familiar digs, fans in South and Western Australia have been given the “disappointing” news that “in 2027, Laneway will be taking a break in your cities.”
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“For over two decades, we’ve had the pleasure of bringing Laneway to Australia and New Zealand, with stints in Singapore and Detroit too,” organisers explained. “Running so many shows, so close together, across so much ground is a logistical feat we are proud of, but it also asks a lot of our lineup and crew.
“Taking a pause allows us to focus on making the festival the best it can be, while freeing up time for more artists to bring headline shows to cities beyond our festival stops.”
Laneway Festival first began life as a Melbourne-exclusive event in 2005, thanks to its status as something of a spin-off event for The Avalanches. While it would expand outwards to Sydney in 2006, Brisbane in 2007, Adelaide in 2008, and Perth in 2009, it went international in 2010 when it visited Auckland, New Zealand for the first time.
In 2011, a seven-year stint in Singapore would launch, and in 2013, a one-off affair in Detroit would also occur – the festival's sole North American jaunt.
“Adelaide and Perth, we love you!” organisers continued. “We are incredibly grateful to every single person who has shown up for us over the years.
“This isn’t goodbye, just see you soon.”
In closing their message, Laneway organisers promised that further information regarding the 2027 editions of the festival in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland is coming soon. Presumably, this will include the venues and dates, while the full line-up will arrive shortly after.
Earlier this year, Laneway celebrated its 21st birthday, with Chappell Roan headlining the event, joined by international names such as Wet Leg, Wolf Alice, Pinkpantheress, Geese, Lucy Dacus, and more.
