There's a particular kind of magic that happens at Party In The Paddock, surrounded by strangers who've become mates over the course of a few beers and a shared love for whoever's on stage.
Party in the Paddock delivers that intrinsic festival feeling better than most, and its 13th edition is shaping up to be the biggest yet.
Party in the Paddock returns to Quercus Park in Carrick from 5 to 8 February, bringing 180 artists across six stages to what organisers proudly call “the country’s biggest little music and arts festival.” What started over a decade ago as a few hundred punters gathered around local bands and a hay bale stage has grown into Tasmania’s largest multi-day camping festival, drawing devotees from across Australia for their annual pilgrimage south.
Party in the Paddock 2026
- Quercus Park, Carrick, lutruwita/Tasmania
- 5 to 8 February
- 180 artists across six stages
- Ticket info here
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
The headliners bringing star power to the paddock
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The 2026 lineup delivers everything from psychedelic rock royalty to disco revival queens, with enough variety to keep even the most indecisive festival-goer occupied across four packed days. Northern Beaches six-piece Ocean Alley will bring their sun-drenched grooves to the Paddock Stage, riding high off their fifth studio album Love Balloon and over one billion career streams. Their 2018 track Confidence took out the number one spot in Triple J’s Hottest 100 that year and has since achieved 6x platinum certification in Australia, while the band has sold more than 80,000 tickets across their Australian headline shows in 2023 and 2024 alone.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor joins the bill fresh from one of pop music’s most unexpected comebacks. Her 2001 track Murder on the Dancefloor experienced a massive resurgence after featuring in the final scene of Saltburn, where Barry Keoghan dances nude through a manor to its disco-pop strains. The song re-entered the UK charts more than two decades after its original release, hitting number two and marking her first appearance on the US Billboard Hot 100. She performed the track at the 2024 BAFTAs in celebration of its cinematic second life.
Brisbane twin duo The Veronicas round out the headliners, armed with two decades of hits including Untouched, Hook Me Up and You Ruin Me. The pair have nine Australian top 10 singles including three number ones, double platinum status in the USA, and over half a billion streams across their career. They released their sixth album Gothic Summer in 2024, their first international release in ten years, and have been touring extensively since.
US dance duo SOFI TUKKER will complete their own Australian tour while in the country, promising high-energy sets built on tracks like Drinkee and Swing. Meanwhile, Ball Park Music arrive fresh from supporting Oasis on their Australian dates, and Peking Duk’s Adam Hyde pulls double duty appearing both as the electronic duo and under his solo moniker Keli Holiday.
Award winners and rising stars fill out the bill
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Ghanaian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu brings his genre-defying sound to the festival. The Canberra-raised performer won four ARIA Awards in 2021 for his debut album Smiling with No Teeth, including Album of the Year, and followed it up with Struggler in 2023, which also took home Album of the Year at the 2023 ARIAs. He’s won the Australian Music Prize, the J Award, and appeared in the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown 15 times across his career.
The lineup spans heavier territory too, with metalcore outfit In Hearts Wake and Sydney’s RedHook bringing the mosh pit energy. Festival favourites like Dune Rats, The Temper Trap, Bad//Dreems, Mallrat and Flight Facilities round out a diverse roster that touches hip hop through Baker Boy, indie through Blondshell and Billie Marten, and electronic through Harvey Sutherland and Torren Foot.
Beyond the music
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Party in the Paddock spreads its programming across six distinct areas. The main Paddock Stage anchors the action, while the Vibestown Stage hosts everything from pub rock heroes to hip hop acts beneath a giant luminous pink gumtree. The Bigtop dance tent keeps punters moving between headline sets with DJs spinning house, techno and drum and bass until the early hours.
The Silvertongue Stage returns as the festival’s talking space, featuring comedy, live podcasts, artist interviews, slam poetry and meditation sessions. After dark, it transforms for cabaret performances and life drawing classes. The Bullpen celebrates LGBTQI+ community with drag show spectaculars, queer icon singalongs, mechanical bull riding competitions and a doof stick pageant. Newcomer stage Little Island Rising showcases emerging local talent with acoustic sets during breakfast hours.
The festival’s all-ages, community-first approach has earned it cult status among Australian festival devotees. Pre-pitched glamping and tent options are available for those wanting comfort without the setup hassle, while gear hire through Wallaroo Camping makes the camping experience accessible for first-timers.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Party In The Paddock.
