The beloved Dashville bush festival returns over the ANZAC long weekend with around 40 acts
The Gum Ball Music & Arts Festival is gearing up for its 21st birthday with another dozen acts just announced.
Christine Anu leads the fresh additions to The Gum Ball, set to bring her unmistakable voice to the Dashville bushland on opening night. She’s joined by Pinky Beecroft of Machine Gun Fellatio fame, who’ll be showcasing new material, alongside Sydney folk-jazz multi-instrumentalist Little Green and the psychedelic zamrock sounds of Immy Owusu.
Newcastle country folk act Bob Corbett & The Roo Grass Band make their long-awaited Dashville debut, with Central Coast troubadour Joel Leggett and Sydney disco rockers Jay Squire & The Loveliners also joining the bill. Returning favourites Burger Joint, Marvell and Holiday Mystics are back in the fold, while Gleny Rae & The Country Ace Soul Band, Col Ray Price & The Nundle Five, Apocalypse Joe & The Coyote, Ungus Ungus Ungus, Kev Sev and Izzy Maeve & The Wizards round things out.
The Gum Ball Music & Arts Festival 2026
- 24, 25 & 26 April, Dashville, Lower Belford NSW (Wonnarua Country)
- Optional warm-up concert on 23 April featuring Jordie Lane Band, Emily Lubitz and Norwood
- Tickets available here
- Second release on sale now (early bird sold out)
- BYO festival with onsite camping included
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The new names join a previously announced bill headlined by King Stingray, Don Walker, Meg Washington, Kingswood, These New South Whales, William Crighton, The Vasco Era and Jazz Party. With around 40 acts spanning folk, rock, country, psychedelia and everything in between, the 2026 edition is keeping things entirely Australian.
King Stingray’s headline slot carries a full-circle moment for the festival. The Yolŋu surf rockers first turned heads at The Gum Ball in 2022 as relative unknowns before going on to collect five ARIA nominations, the Breakthrough Artist Award and the Australian Music Prize off the back of their self-titled debut. Their return to the intimate Dashville stage is a nod to the grassroots community that backed them early.
Cold Chisel founding member Don Walker brings decades of Australian songwriting pedigree to the Hunter Valley bushland. Meg Washington arrives fresh off a Best Original Soundtrack win at the 2025 ARIAs for How to Make Gravy, with her fifth studio album GEM also out earlier this year. Christine Anu, with 17 ARIA nominations and the enduring My Island Home to her name, adds another tier of Australian music royalty to the bill.
The festival has also cooked up a special ANZAC morning Diggers tribute led by balladeer William Alexander, while the Dashville Progress Society will make a return with a one-off performance. Beyond the music, attendees can look forward to food trucks, markets, workshops, live art, a silent disco and a dedicated kids zone.
Held on the same family-run property for over two decades, The Gum Ball has quietly grown into one of Australia’s most cherished boutique camping festivals. Last year’s 20th anniversary pulled the biggest crowd Lower Belford has ever seen, and with a bill like this, the 21st is shaping up nicely.
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