This year’s BIGSOUND Conference Program expands to amplify 2025’s key theme of connections that count, in announcing a powerful fusion of artists and industry game changers in contemporary conversations that offer thought-provoking commentary on navigating the music space we all live and create within.
Traversing different career paths brings with it their own unique sets of challenges, accomplishments and lessons learned – bringing these conversations to BIGSOUND is what makes it the must-attend event of its kind on the Australian music industry calendar.
Australian music excellence shines with this latest speaker announcement. Briggs, Yorta Yorta rapper, songwriter, author, actor and founder of Bad Apples Music – celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025 – will be making a rare appearance at BIGSOUND, in conversation with another leading champion of Blak excellence, Gomeroi musician, rapper and actor, Kobie Dee. This key session will traverse two journeys in music and cultural elevation.
Tash Sultana returns in 2025 with the dynamic and career-touchstone Return to the Roots EP, reaching new heights of creative fulfilment in the studio and on the road. The multi-instrumentalist sold out Red Rocks a third time in minutes and over a billion Spotify streams.
Mallrat has made her mark this year with her #1 ARIA album Light Hit My Face Like A Straight Right, showcasing her continued evolution as an artist. BIGSOUND also welcomes musician and inclusion advocate Elly-May Barnes, following her 2024 debut album No Good and widespread attention via the ABC documentary series Headliners.
Best known as drummer for one of the most influential bands of the Britpop era, Blur, Dave Rowntree is a prolific musician and composer whose career has extended into the world of film, television and animation, as well as politics and law. Rowntree’s appearance on the BIGSOUND Conference Program in 2025 coincides with the release of his new photography book, No One You Know (to be released September 9). Featuring hundreds of photos taken by Rowntree himself, the book provides an intimate look at one of the world’s biggest bands at the precipice of fame. With No One You Know, and his BIGSOUND conversation, Rowntree is set to provide casual and longtime fans more than a fly-on-the-wall look at the beginning of such an influential musical journey.
Along with BIGSOUND’s artist-led conversations, the Conference Programming team fleshes its already stacked line-up of international and Australian speakers with representatives from globally recognised festivals, labels and organisations – all ready to immerse themselves in the Southern Hemisphere’s largest platform for music discovery and engagement.
A special focus on Mexico as an export and festival destination for Australian artists takes prominence at BIGSOUND, with the Conference Program set to welcome insights from Cynthia Flores (Asecendente/MUSICMEX) and Malfi Dorantes (MalfiCo/MUSICMEX) in an intricate session on Mexico’s emergence as a new power player within the global music market.
For more information for BIGSOUND 2025 visit www.bigsound.org.au
