Moonee Valley's homegrown celebration of live music is back with a packed program spanning two weekends, running from Thursday 25 June through to Sunday 5 July.
Presented by Moonee Valley City Council, Valley Sounds has cemented itself as a genuine community institution: a festival built on the belief that great live music should be accessible, local, and deeply embedded in the places where people already love to gather.
That spirit is front and centre again this year, with performances taking place not in purpose-built festival grounds, but in the neighbourhood pubs, bars, and venues that make up the fabric of the municipality.
Valley Sounds 2026 – Moonee Valley
- Weekend one: Thursday 25 June to Sunday 28 June
- Weekend two: Thursday 3 July to Sunday 5 July
- Across multiple venues in Moonee Valley
- All events are free
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
A festival that starts with a bang
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The 2026 edition kicks off on Thursday 25 June with an opening night at the Clocktower Centre from 7pm.
Hosted by local comedian Ben Sorensen, the launch event features a special in-conversation moment with ARIA Award-winning artist Clare Bowditch, a pairing that balances warmth, wit, and world-class musicianship. DJ Greg Bracey and the vintage sounds of CJ Cummerford & the Supertones round out the night.
Weekend one in Moonee Valley
Friday 26 June gets things moving across multiple venues simultaneously.
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Peter Morrison heads up an evening at Golden Pour (6-10pm), while Rusty Brown, a musician with more than three decades planted firmly in the industry, takes Edward Abbotts Wine Bar (6-9pm). The Union Hotel joins the party too, hosting an indie pop set from 6-8pm.
Saturday 27 June is the first full day of the festival and it delivers. Shelby Lim, a powerhouse vocalist and guitarist whose performances are known to command a room from the first note, takes to Deluxe Bar from 2-7pm.
The Swordfish Band set up at Boxcar Barbers for an afternoon session (4-6pm), the Ryley Duncan Trio bring their sound to Pin Oak Beer and Wine (6-7pm), and the Union Hotel wraps the day with a soul and jazz set from 6-9pm.
Sunday 28 June rounds out the first weekend with a full slate. Farren Jones, Melbourne-based producer and singer-songwriter with hundreds of corporate and public performances under his belt, plays Edward Abbotts Wine Bar from 2-5pm. Folk music fills the Union Hotel from 2-5pm, while Demie Bagnato takes the stage at Penny Young from 3-6pm.
DJ Box Pleat brings a DJ set to Pin Oak Beer and Wine (4-7pm), and Melbourne harpist Emily Rosner closes out the day at Studio 3 (5-6:30pm), pushing her instrument well beyond its classical boundaries.
Valley Sounds – weekend two
The second weekend opens on Thursday 2 July with folk and rock at the Union Hotel (6-8pm), followed by Dom Bagnato and Sam Tabone at Saros Bar and Dining (7-9pm), an acoustic duo working through jazz, swing, and timeless standards with smooth vocals and masterful guitar.
Friday 3 July keeps the momentum going with blues, folk, and country at the Union Hotel from 6-8pm.
Saturday 4 July is the biggest day of the festival. Simon Ross, a well-travelled figure on the international jazz festival circuit, holds court at Deluxe Bar from 2-7pm. The Ships Piano Band take Boxcar Barbers from 4-6pm, Namesake play Pin Oak Beer and Wine from 6-7pm, and the Union Hotel hosts a pop and rock set from 6-9pm. Andrew Sill brings his show to Golden Pour from 6-10pm.
Then the night shifts gear entirely: Break Stuff, Australia’s leading nu metal tribute act, bring anthems from Korn, Slipknot, Linkin Park and more to Deluxe Bar from 9pm through to 1am, while Goanna frontman Shane Howard takes the stage at the Doutta Galla Hotel from 9-11pm.
Sunday 5 July closes the festival with indie folk and rock at the Union Hotel (2-5pm) and a DJ set from BIGFATCRUSH at Pin Oak Beer and Wine (4-7pm), sending the festival out on a high.
Where the music lives
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Venues across the festival include the Clocktower Centre, Deluxe Bar, Holmes Hall, Saros Bar and Dining, Edward Abbotts Wine Bar, Pin Oak Beer and Wine, Boxcar Barbers, Doutta Galla Hotel, the Union Hotel, Golden Pour, Penny Young, and Studio 3, a deliberately local list that keeps the spotlight on the area’s existing hospitality scene.
Events are offered entirely free of charge, keeping the festival open to as many people as possible.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with City of Moonee Valley.
