froth & fury 2026
- Hot & Heavy
- Feb 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 26
It was a wild weekend away as I flew from newcastle to Adelaide for Froth & Fury 2026, tagging along with Chris and Leah from Darkside Music. From the moment we arrived, it felt like one of those weekends where everything just lines up.
Running into familiar faces and meeting new ones from across the community set the tone early. My first thought when taking in the site was simple. This is perfect. Everything was close together, easy to navigate and thoughtfully set up with plenty of water stations, food options and accessible spaces. After a scorching day prior, the cooler weather was a blessing. Cloud cover, a gentle chill in the air and no brutal sun made it an ideal festival day.
The first band on my must see list was Zuko and I could not have been prouder. This was a huge moment for them. Seeing the love they showed their day one's by pulling out some of their earlier material was genuinely special. The crowd energy was already booming, with a circle pit opening up early in the afternoon under grey skies. A solid ten out of ten set and the perfect way to kick off the day.
Next up was Diesect and this was one I had been waiting for. Incredible vocals, commanding stage presence and a sound that feels dark, heavy and immersive. Watching them live confirmed everything I’d hoped for. These guys are going to be huge.
We ducked out briefly to sit under some shade, grab a drink, and talk through the rest of the day’s plan. ($6 for a bottle of water is criminal) but it hit the spot.
From there, we wandered over to the compound to check out the knight fighting. I am a regular schemgular girl. If there is
anything medieval, I will stop and stare in awe. While the crowd behind me tested my patience a little with their interesting call outs, the experience itself was still incredibly cool.
Froth & Fury’s additional entertainment really sets it apart.
I missed most of the roller derby and wrestling, but everyone I spoke to raved about it, which is exactly what you want from something extra at a festival.
Seeing Ocean Sleeper for the first time was unforgettable. The band looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage. I found myself panning past the barricade, capturing fans singing and dancing along to songs like 'light iin my dark' and ;maybe death is all i need' and honestly, it might be my new favourite thing to film.
Another quick break followed to try the dumplings, which landed at about a six out of ten. Not incredible, but at nearly seven pm and still running on empty, it did the job. Onward we went.
Then came Battlesnake, easily my favourite band of the day. Ethan and Emily had been telling me for ages that I needed to see them live and something had always gotten in the way. Finally witnessing this glorious, unhinged creation felt overdue. The outfits, headpieces, props, backdrop and general presentation were nothing like what you’d expect, leaving you thinking what the hell is going on until the show fully kicks in. What followed was pure fun, chaos and absurdly good stage presence. This was a huge moment for them and I cannot wait to see them again. Trust me when I say you need to attend a Battlesnake show.
In Hearts Wake followed and honestly, these guys are insane and such a great australian band. Everything was perfectly structured, from the outfits to the setlist. Bringing Karl from Ocean Sleeper out for a collaboration was a standout moment and an absolute crowd pleaser.
Next was Private Function and heartbreak doesn’t even begin to cover it. This was sadly my last time seeing them. The set was exactly what you would expect. Total chaos from start to finish. Beer in one hand, a Palestine flag in the other. The knights from earlier returned for an on stage tussle, pushing things even further into madness. Looking around, everyone was laughing their heads off. Thank you, Private Function, for everything you’ve done. You will be deeply missed.
Closing out the night were Polaris and it felt like a full circle moment iykyk. We were warned about the pyro and still managed to singe a couple of eyebrow hairs. Honestly, I needed a trim anyway.
playing some of my favs like 'masochist', 'nightmare' and 'the remedy', Polaris were next level. The love flowing between band and crowd was overwhelming, and it was easily my favourite Polaris set I’ve seen to date.
All up, Froth & Fury now sits firmly in my top three festivals of all time, coming in at number two. A huge thank you to Froth & Fury for allowing us to experience such a special weekend. It has genuinely been one of the biggest highlights of my career so far.
It’s incredible that Adelaide and Perth have a festival like this. No drama, no blistering sun, just a perfectly run day filled with great friends and incredible Australian music. I’m already looking forward to next year’s lineup and if you haven’t experienced Froth & Fury yet, start saving now. You’re going to want to be there.
