Long Listen Festival Returns. Brave. Bold. Brilliant.
Brisbane based world folk jazz band, Estampa performed to a delighted audience at last year’s Long Listen Festival. Pic by Barry Alsop.
The Long Listen Festival is back over the long weekend 3-6 October 2025, bringing four unforgettable days of music, art, book events and cultural experiences to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Palmwoods and Mapleton will come alive with bold performances, festival conversations, and small hall and pub concerts designed to surprise, delight, and inspire.
This year’s festival features an eclectic line-up of 56 artists, 14 events, and 11 genres, from chamber music to world, blues, folk, and experimental sounds.
Headliners include Véronique Serret & Band with didgeridoo master William Barton (Opening Night), Classical Artists Ensemble Q, Emily Granger (QSO Principal harp) Courtenay Cleary & Alex Raineri, plus a world premiere by Queensland composer Nicole Murphy in Appalachian Spring Gala for our Festival Chamber Orchestra, World music with Gosti, and Blues on the Range with State of Appalachia and Hat Fitz & Cara, cultural immersions and sound baths with Didge Didirri and Morning Meditations.
Audiences can expect spellbinding concerts, genre-bending collaborations, and a warm community atmosphere, from sipping tea in the hall kitchen before a morning concert to connecting with artists at our festival lounge.
Long Listen is a celebration of eclectic music, a platform for bold Australian artistry, and a chance to experience world-class performances right here in the heart of the Sunshine Coast. It is an artist-driven, musician-led boutique festival that celebrates the power of music to connect and inspire.
Each year, community spaces in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland are transformed into vibrant hubs of creativity, presenting an eclectic mix of classical crossover, world, folk, experimental and original music.
At its heart, Long Listen is about inclusivity, creating memorable audience experiences while giving artists a platform to experiment, collaborate, and make new work deeply embedded in our community.
Festival Founder and Artistic Director, Louise King, says “Long Listen is a space for discovery and community. We’re bringing adventurous music-making into intimate venues and celebrating the spirit of connection through art and storytelling. Brave. Bold. Brilliant.”
Tickets are now on sale with single events from $15–$45 +bf. Festival Weekend passes are available.
Book via Humanitix https://collections.humanitix.com/long-listen-festival-2025 or go to https://linktr.ee/longlistenfestival for the full program