Dansonfest 26 at The Baso - Canberra

Belco’s best punk rock party is back at The Baso on June 6, with 15 of Australia’s top DIY bands set to bring the noise at Dansonfest 2026. Headlined by Meanjin/Brisbane’s Flangipanis in their final Canberra appearance, Naarm/Melbourne’s Wolfpack, and Gadigal/Sydney’s Ess-Em, this year’s festival returns to its roots by showcasing the acts you should be hearing more about. Founded in 2014, in memory of local punk icon Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber, Dansonfest began as an annual celebration of the tight-knit community of independent bands between Canberra and Sydney. It made a post-COVID comeback in 2024 and since then has hosted hundreds of live music fans and boasted big names like Bodyjar and Press Club, not to mention DIY bands synonymous with Dansonfest since day one like Ebolagoldfish and Revellers. The 2026 line-up features Dansonfest favs Billy Puntton & The Mental Health Plan, Yoko Oh No, None For One and SUDS, with a stack of bands making their D-Fest debut like A Commoner's Revolt, Back By Unpopular Demand, Night City Psychos, and Stonefish. And it wouldn't be a Dansonfest without a couple of tribute sets, with Nelly Nova (Mel from Box Dye) playing classics from Green Day, Topnovil covering Rancid and Dad Habits doing whatever Dad Habits do.