BIGSOUND’s first Conference announcement drops today, 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 Conference Programmers

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). 

Beese describes his A&R process and in particular his 2020 signings of Remi Wolf and Sabrina Carpenter as a zag against the zig strategy, “When I went to America, TikTok and data signings were blowing up. I had to choose to find artists by thinking in terms of development rather than data.”  

Ahead of his appearance at BIGSOUND, Beese shares his thoughts on the state of the industry. 

 “The landscape is tougher. The industry seems to be re-setting itself. But music still matters, people still experience profound moments through music, they still buy tickets for shows, so the future is healthy, we just don’t know exactly what shape it will be. So, I’m excited to head down to BIGSOUND to talk about this and to check out potential new acts for DAP.”

Spotlight Key International Guests at BIGSOUND 2025:  

• Darcus Beese OBE is the first Black President of a UK major label, Island Records UK, and the only Black British CEO of one of the world’s biggest and most influential record companies, Island Records US. The son of Darcus Howe and Barbara Beese, members of the Mangrove Nine and two of Britain’s most important and powerful political activists, Darcus’s personal journey is every bit as interesting as his work life.  
• Anne Booty has been in the music industry for over 20 years, with experience in both sides of the business – as an artist, syncing upcoming talent and then advertising and film music supervision at SixtyFour.  She has worked with many brands including Aldi, Jaguar, Adidas and Nike and on the film side, and worked with Yorgos Lanthimos’ Films on ‘Poor Things’, ‘Kinds of Kindness’ and upcoming ‘Bugonia’. 
• Ariana Morgenstern is the Executive Producer and Music Curator at KCRW. Ariana works with the Music Team to book artists for Live Music Sessions, is the co-curator of Summer Nights, curates Today’s Top Tune, and leads other special projects within the music department.  
• Deb Grant is a Dublin-born DJ, broadcaster and writer who now lives and works in Manchester. She has spent over 20 years hunting for records around the world and is known for her eclectic live sets, her monthly music column for the Big Issue and her daily radio show on BBC Radio 6 Music, New Music Fix Daily, which spotlights the best in new underground music of every genre. 

BIGSOUND 2025

2 – 5 September Fortitude Valley Brisbane, QLD 

EARLYBIRD ALL-ACCESS DELEGATE PASSES ON SALE FRIDAY 16 MAY, 9AM
www.bigsound.org.au 

This is your ticket to access the full conference, three-nights of showcase events, networking events, parties and workshops. Festival-only tickets will go on sale in June. 

Early Bird Offer
General: $659 / QMusic Members: $559 / Students $399 

For more information for BIGSOUND 2025 visit 
www.bigsound.org.au 

BIGSOUND 2025 SPEAKERS & BUYERS – FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: 

Adam Ryan – The Great Escape (UK)  
Anne Booty – SixtyFour Music (UK) 
Ariana Morgenstern – KCRW (USA) 
Boaz Saidman – Wasserman (USA) 
Boyan Pinter – Believe (BGR) 
Calhoun Rawlings – Creative Artists Agency (USA) 
Camille Augarde – Third Man Records (UK) 
Darcus Beese – Darco Artist Partnerships (UK)  
Deb Grant – BBC Radio 6 (UK) 
Eve Thomas – Communion ONE (UK) 
Jana Recmanikova – Festival Republic (UK) 
Josh Stern – Ground Control Touring (USA) 
Lau Frías – Secretly Group (USA) 
Lucy Pitkethly – Eat Your Own Ears (UK) 
Mario Stresow – FKP Scorpio (GER) 
Rachel Cragg – Nettwerk Music Group (CAN) 
Rachel Lloyd – AEG Presents / Country to Country / C2C Festival (UK) 
Sean Goulding – One Fiinix Live (UK)