Darwin’s Mindil Beach came alive on Saturday night (May 16) as BASSINTHEGRASS 2026 delivered another edition of the annual music festival, drawing close to 12,000 attendees to one of Australia’s most distinctive live music settings.
More than 20 international and Australian artists performed across the night, with US rapper Denzel Curry, Swedish electronic duo Galantis, the UK’s Venjent and Morty, US act AYYBO and South Korea’s Oktae joining Australian acts Peking Duk, The Teskey Brothers, The Living End, Ball Park Music and Mallrat for the all-ages event. Tourism and Events NT reported that one in five attendees were visitors to the Territory.
Galantis DJ Christian Karlsson was effusive about the experience. “It’s an absolutely mind-blowing experience,” he said. “I didn’t know anything, but I knew that Australia always, always deliver. I couldn’t even imagine how mind-blowing this would be. Hey, come to Darwin — Darwin is the number one spot.”
Playlunch lead singer Liam Bell was equally enthusiastic about the festival’s unique atmosphere. “It’s been amazing to be on the lineup with all these other amazing acts,” he said. “I’m not even sure we have stuff like this as good in Victoria. We’ve had some laksa, and it’s changed our lives — but also, obviously the people are amazing, the vibes are amazing.”
Tourism and Events NT CEO Suzana Bishop said the festival’s appeal went beyond the music. “Brilliant performances are just part of what makes BASSINTHEGRASS so memorable,” she said. “It’s the combination of world-class live music, Darwin’s natural beauty, warm dry season weather, location on Mindil Beach, incredible food and Top End experiences that makes it unlike any other.”
The festival capped off a massive weekend for Darwin, which also saw just over 11,900 locals and visitors attend the AFL clash between the Gold Coast Suns and Port Adelaide at TIO Stadium. Darwin hotel occupancy across the event weekend reached 70%, around 10 points higher than the previous year.
