Essence Festival 2026 at The Baso - Canberra

Essence is Canberra's premier transgressive music event and is back on 2-4 October 2026 - bigger and bolder than ever! The festival format once again begins with Friday night's Essentia Vermis pre-fest, curated by underground label Gutter Prince Cabal, and continues through Saturday and Sunday. (Monday 5 Oct is a public holiday in ACT, NSW, Qld and SA.) Saturday and Sunday artists: The Amenta (NSW) Suldusk (Vic) Halo of Teeth (WA) Fuxache (NT) Burial Pit (NSW) Darkhorse (NSW) Yanomamo (NSW) Isomer / Chrysalis (SA / Tas) Abre Ojos (NSW) Bentham’s Head (Vic) Lucas ‘Granpa’ Abela (NSW) Real Name (Vic) Tempestuous Fall (Qld) Shipyard (Vic) Your Mothers Disgusting Window (Vic) Chief Whip (Vic) Anocht (Vic) Migret (NSW) Nyctalor (ACT) Empty Vessel (Vic) Blood in the Champagne (Vic) Emaren (NSW) Storm of Steel (ACT) Making Out (ACT/Vic) Udeis (Vic) Rodenticide (ACT) Thought Cabinet (ACT) Friday 2 October - Essentia Vermis pre-fest: Horrisonous (NSW) Graveir (Qld) Stellar Remains (Qld) Reekmind (NSW) Gralloch (Qld) Noting cost-of-living pressures, we have kept our ticket prices consistent with last year. Essence takes place on the unceded lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.