BIGSOUND 2025 ANNOUNCE FIRST WAVE OF GUEST SPEAKERS
BIGSOUND’s first Conference announcement has dropped, with a powerhouse lineup of global buyers and speakers set to descend on Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley from 2–5 September — all with a shared vision, to create connection that counts. This year’s program bolsters BIGSOUND’s status as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier music industry event, with a sharp focus on driving export success. The first announcement welcomes a cohort of international agents and promoters actively investing in Australian talent. Agents from One Finnix Live, Ground Control, Wasserman, and CAA join promoters from C2C Festival (Country to Country), Reading and Leeds Festival, Eat Your Own Ears, and Communion One along with indie record labels Secretly Group, Nettwerk Music Group, Third Man Records and Believe - all heading to Fortitude Valley this September in search of their next big discovery.
“BIGSOUND is about taking stock of where we are and imagining where we want to go next,” said QMusic and BIGSOUND CEO Kris Stewart.
“At a time of rapid transformation in the music sector - across tech, touring, sustainability, and artist income - we want to amplify the value of meaningful connection. Between creators and audiences, between industry peers, and artists and the people who can take their careers to the next level. Whether it’s onstage or over coffee, BIGSOUND is where new ideas and partnerships begin.”
New players to the BIGSOUND team in 2025, Conference Programmers Cathy Oates and Niriko McLure bring their vault of knowledge to expand on this year’s programming mantra.
“We don’t need to tell you that the Australian music industry landscape has shifted and over the last five years, consumer habits have changed forever,” Cathy stated. “The gatekeepers of music may not be as influential, and the old strategies no longer have the same impact on fan building and careers. But on the upside, there are less barriers to entry than ever before, and Australian talent continues to cut through in the new landscape.”
Co-Programmer Niriko continued, “The 2025 BIGSOUND Conference will have two focus areas, to provide as many export opportunities as possible to the showcasing artists and the industry as a whole, and to acknowledge the unique challenges that Australian artists are facing. We want to platform those doing things differently, inviting new voices and perspectives to tell their stories. It’s about what’s working now, and what’s next.”
One of the key voices joining the 2025 program as a speaker is legendary music industry executive, Darcus Beese OBE who recently released his memoir, Rebel With A Cause. Described by Music Week as "one of the great A&R people of his or any other generation", Beese signed Amy Winehouse in his time at Island Records UK, was at the helm of the US label for the signing of Sabrina Carpenter and now runs his own independent company, Darco Artist Partnerships (DAP).
For more information for BIGSOUND 2025 visit
www.bigsound.org.au