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 GrizzlyShark.
Grizzlyshark (often written as one word) is a dynamic five-piece easycore and post-hardcore punk band hailing from Meanjin/Brisbane, Australia.
Formed in 2017 from the ashes of several local acts, the band is known for injecting a frantic, high-energy edge into the heavy music scene. They seamlessly blend the bouncy, raucous guitar riffs and infectious vocal melodies of mid-2000s pop-punk with aggressive, heavy hardcore breakdowns.
HEAVY: DEAD OF WINTER FESTIVAL returns in 2026 after a seven-year hiatus. Why do you think DOW just HAD to return?
GS: The local scene is missing a mid to large-sized festival that focuses on showcasing local talent, while still driving a strong community, especially with how much the music industry has changed in the last few years. DOW will bridge the gap between local shows and other large-scale music festivals.
H: What does it mean to your band to be playing DOW?
GS: It’s a huge honour to be included in the first DOW back after the hiatus. It feels validating as a musician to be sharing a stage that bands we admire have played.
H: Have you ever been to DOW as a punter or playing?
GS: We’ve only ever been as punters!
H: If so, best memories of the day.
I seem to recall the band Bare Bones and a beer garden. My memory may be foggy, but that sounds like it was a rad combo either way.
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?
GS: I’m pretty sure we’re up first, so we’re chillin’.
H: Give me your Top 3 Festival survival tips.
GS: Lots of water. Lots of food. Finding the time to take breaks.
H: Which band – other than yourself – do you think will get up to the most mischief on the day?
GS: If Goodthings is anything to go off, Boofheads will be ️N A U G H T Y️.
H: Run us through your typical live show and what punters can expect.
GS: High energy, good vibes, plenty of riffs. Note to self: Make sure Andy, our singer, isn’t an injury risk to himself.
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?
GS: Can Slim Krusty please cover Jurassic Narc?
H: What’s your latest release?
GS: DESIRE
H: Finally, what plans does your band have for the rest of 2026 into 2027?
GS: We can’t share ALL the details juuuust yet, but the end of July is looking L A R G E for us. Maybe a li’l road trip + new songs.
