Brisbane’s premier heavy music and dark arts event, the Dead of Winter Festival, is officially rising from the ashes. Dubbed The Resurrection, the festival is locked in for Saturday, 27 June 2026, marking its first return since 2019. Originally launched in 2009, the iconic gathering was forced into a multi-year hiatus following the pandemic.
For its grand comeback, the festival is shifting away from its former home at the Jubilee Hotel to a brand-new venue: the Mansfield Tavern in Brisbane’s southern suburbs. The highly anticipated 2026 edition promises a massive celebration of alternative culture, packing 34 live acts across multiple stages alongside performance art, horror cosplay, visual installations, and dark market stalls. Organisers have unleashed a diverse, genre-spanning lineup headlined by dance-punk and noise-rock heroes DZ Deathrays, alongside heavy hitters like Mammal, Toe To Toe, Beanflipper, and Slim Krusty. Tickets are available now via Oztix and the official Dead of Winter Festival Website.
With the festival fast approaching, HEAVY sent out some questions to all of the bands in order to get to know them better. Today, we chat with DAD FIGHT.
Brisbane pub-punk wrecking crew DAD FIGHT are the absolute definition of chaotic Australian larrikinism. Born out of backyard shed lockdowns back in early 2020, these five local boys do not just gently sit in the background of the local music scene. They grab you right by the throat, demand you slam a lukewarm beer, and push you straight into a sweaty, full-contact mosh pit.
If you like your heavy music loud, loose, and completely unhinged, frontman Buddy and his band of absolute delinquents deliver a blistering bar-room brawl of a sonic sound. It is like The Chats and Clowns trading blows while Private Function holds the jacket. Built on heavy grooves, massive mullets, and a healthy dose of consensual violence, anthems like I Can’t See Straight hit harder than a club to the back of the head.
Q & A
HEAVY: DEAD OF WINTER FESTIVAL returns in 2026 after a seven-year hiatus. Why do you think DOW just HAD to return?
DAD FIGHT: The local scene has been getting pretty grim lately, many venues are struggling or closing their doors, and long-standing festivals have been dropping like flies, all quoting rising insurance and rent costs, taxes, cost of living increases and decreasing numbers of ticket buyers and attendees. DOW returning is an exciting breath of fresh air for live music statewide and gives both bands and punters alike a flicker of hope and something to look forward to.
H: What does it mean to your band to be playing DOW?
We can’t wait to tear it up on June 27th. DOW was such an iconic festival for so many years, to see it go and now return is truly incredible and we’re so stoked to now be a part of it and join the insane list of DOW alumni.
H: Have you ever been to DOW as a punter or playing?
A few of us have been!
H: If so, best memories of the day.
One year there was this hectic Viking metal band, I think they were called Valhalla, first time I’d ever seen anything like it. Thinking about it maybe we should switch things up and do a Viking metal release.
H: It’s a long day of music. What will you be doing to make sure you will still be standing come your set time?
A healthy amount of vodka red bulls mixed with legal speed.
H: Give me your Top 3 Festival survival tips.
Well we just gave you our top 2 in the previous question, number 3 gotta be plenty of water to balance out numbers 1 and 2.
H: Which band – other than yourself – do you think will get up to the most mischief on the day?
There’s only one other act that can truly match our freak and that’s Slim Krusty.
H: Run us through your typical live show and what punters can expect.
There is no typical live show. All DAD FIGHT shows are one-of-one experiences, and this one shall be no different. We can’t tell you what to expect because we don’t even know what to expect yet.
H: If you could get one band on the line-up to cover one of your songs, who would it be and what song would they cover?
Slim Krusty to cover Zinger Box. I seen the bloke crush shitloads of chook on tour so it only seems right.
H: What’s your latest release?
We ain’t released shit in ages but got a new track out soon called “Reality Check” on a split 7″ with The Meanies.
H: Finally, what plans does your band have for the rest of 2026 into 2027?
Gonna be touring our next release, the aforementioned split 7″ with The Meanies, and then putting the finishing touches on our debut album.
