Image: [ARIA.Official via Facebook
The ARIA Award for Best Music Festival is ready to return for the second year in 2026, and it is scheduled to take place in November of this year. The entry for the ceremony has already opened for nominees. This unique ceremony is arranged by Music Australia along with support from the Australian Festival Association (AFA).
ARIA Award is designed to recognize the Australian music festivals that offer a great cultural impact and help to support local and emerging music artists through their roster and programming. In order to be eligible for the award, the festivals need to have Australian headlining acts or at least have a lineup that features 50% Australian music artists.
The entrants also have to be members of AFA and submit a $400 entry fee to be part of the categories. However, there is GST, and the discounts will be added to the festivals that are not-for-profit and arranged with a noble cause. The entries for the award will be closing soon on Friday, September 18th at 5 pm AEST.
The Best Music Festival is a newly emerged category that took place for the first time last year and gained much attention from music lovers. The inaugural award for the category was won by Laneway Festival, and the list of fellow nominees included Bluesfest Byron Bay, Ability Fest, Yours and Owls Festival, as well as Beyond The Valley Festival. This showcased the festivals that not only made a profit but also helped to introduce new artists and offered them a platform to embrace their talent.
The CEO for ARIA, Annabelle Herd, has said that this special category returns with an opportunity to recognize the festivals that are deliberately supporting the growth of Australian music artists. She said, “Festivals are where Australian artists meet the audiences that change their careers. Programming Australian talent is a deliberate decision and has a huge impact on the careers of local artists. It is a delight to continue celebrating those who go above and beyond to do this.”
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On the other hand, the chairperson for the Australian Festival Association (AFA), Chair Adelle Robinson, said, “Music festivals are a key part of the music industry’s ecosystem, and we have seen them platform many Australian artists at the beginning of their career. The ARIA Music Festival award recognises the link between Australian music, fans and a unique live experience.”
The ARIA Awards are celebrating the 40th anniversary this year, and the return of the Best Music Festival category is creating a lot of anticipation among the festival-goers and the concert hoppers. The 2026 ARIA Award is all set to take place on Wednesday, November 18th at Hordern Pavilion in Sydney.
The ARIA Award has established by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and it was first held in 1987. The ceremony includes diverse categories emphasizing the aspects of fine arts, entertainment, and Australian culture.
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