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 RORONOAH.
RORONOAH is a rising five-piece deathcore and technical death metal band forged in the underground heavy music scene of Brisbane, Australia. Formed in 2024, the group is rapidly making a name for itself by delivering a relentless, aggressive blend of crushing breakdowns, intricate riffs, and cinematic, atmospheric soundscapes.
Much of their early songwriting follows an overarching, horror-movie-inspired narrative. Tracks like Let The Cleaver Swing, Deathrow Manifesto, and Judgement explicitly detail the psychological descent and ultimate fate of a fictional serial killer.
Q & A
HEAVY: DEAD OF WINTER FESTIVAL returns in 2026 after a seven-year hiatus. Why do you think DOW just HAD to return?
RORONOAH: The Australian music scene needs more festivals right now, especially ones that have such a rich history like DOW. The return of DOW is perfect timing, as I expect it will inject much-needed life into the festival scene.
H: What does it mean to your band to be playing DOW?
It’s a huge honour to be a part of a line up like this. It’s so cool that we will be able to add “DOW Artists” to our resume in the future.
H: Have you ever been to DOW as a punter or playing?
This will be our first time! The last time DOW was on, most of our band members would of been in High school. So stoked to be a part of the next generation of DOW.
H: If so, best memories of the day.
N/A
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?
Lots of Water and red frogs is the key.
H: Give me your Top 3 Festival survival tips.
Water. Lollies. Hearing Protection
H: Which band – other than yourself – do you think will get up to the most mischief on the day?
Nicholas Cage Fighter, we’ve heard great things about those fellas. Can’t wait to catch their set
H: Run us through your typical live show and what punters can expect.
Our set isn’t built for just spectating, it’s made for punters that want to be involved in the action. Expect to be pulled into the pit and never let go!
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?
We would love to see Brace cover one of our earlier tracks, like LET THE CLEAVER SWING.
H: What’s your latest release?
Our newest EP – Shores of Desolation is a 4 track EP containing our heaviest, brutal and most technical work yet.
H: Finally, what plans does your band have for the rest of 2026 into 2027?
New music is on the horizon, very soon in fact. Expect plenty of new releases and tours!
