The man who got inked for his fans is back.
Joey Lightbulb has announced his first headline show of 2026 at The Night Cat on 9 May, a five-hour marathon titled Joey Lightbulb & Friends: By Request.
The Fitzroy fixture has sold out five consecutive Night Cat shows, shifting more than 3,000 tickets across the run. For show number five, Lightbulb promised to get his first ever tattoo if it sold out — and it did, two hours before doors. The Golden Plains Interstitial champion is now upping the stakes with his biggest guest list yet, open DMs for song requests, and a format built around audience participation.
Beat can exclusively reveal a second round of announcements for the 9 May show!
Joey Lightbulb & Friends: By Request
- The Night Cat, 137-141 Johnston St, Fitzroy
- 9 May
- Doors at 9pm, Joey Lightbulb & Friends 10pm-3am
- Tickets from $29.90 here
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
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Wrong Way Up will join the bill for a bespoke performance at 10pm. The Baddie Bunnies are locked in for a choreographed midnight stage invasion of Latin bangers. Fans who send in their best song requests could earn a spot on stage to drop a track alongside Lightbulb. And there’s a screaming competition — the loudest punter walks away with a drink card.
Previously announced guests include Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson and Kylie Auldist performing a one-off duet, Chaz & Penk recreating their Summadayze set, Camp Dad as Master Splinter, The Business of Ferrets, and The Summer Donnas. The Runway Slay™ — part Drag Race, part Soul Train — returns, with the crowd voting for the best dancer on the night.
A reputation for the unexpected
Past editions have featured a Totoro stage invasion, Kylie Auldist covering Nine Inch Nails, Nkechi and Ella Thompson performing Kavinsky and Lovefoxx, and Rob Mills belting out Blaze of Glory. The demographic runs 18 to 80, with Lightbulb describing the events as built on a group assignment philosophy — if you’re dancing, you’re in.
Musically, the five-hour set will weave through funk, UK bass, breaks, disco edits, house, techno and drum’n’bass with tracks spanning everyone from Armand Van Helden and Bicep to Olivia Rodrigo and Flight of the Conchords.
Support comes from Silent G (9-10pm), with The Runway Slay™ kicking off at 10.30pm.
For more information, head here.
