Maleny Music Festival has taken out the People’s Choice Festival of the Year category at the Queensland Music Awards. Photo: Facebook.

Music Bites is YELO’s quick weekly round-up of Queensland and Australian music news, from awards and tour announcements to venue updates, new releases and scene notes.

This week’s edition takes in a big Queensland Music Awards moment, fresh tour news, Brisbane live reviews, Sunshine Coast open mic updates and a reminder that the local music ecosystem still depends on small rooms as much as big stages.

Updated April 2026. Event details and tour dates can change, so check official venue, artist and ticketing pages before making plans.

Queensland Music Awards puts the state in the spotlight

The 2026 Queensland Music Awards have wrapped at Miami Marketta, with Ball Park Music, Jem Cassar-Daley, FISHER, Hollow Coves, Mallrat, 4ZZZ, Maleny Music Festival, The Tivoli and Miami Marketta among the major names recognised.

Ball Park Music took home Album of the Year and Highest Selling Album, while Jem Cassar-Daley won Song of the Year for “Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving” and also claimed the Pop award.

The people’s choice categories also gave the Sunshine Coast something to cheer about, with Maleny Music Festival named Festival of the Year. Read more at YELO.

4ZZZ honoured for nearly five decades of local music work

Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Queensland Music Awards, recognising almost 50 years of backing local artists, alternative voices and independent music culture.

It is a useful reminder that scene infrastructure is not only venues and festivals. It is also the stations, volunteers, programmers, photographers, writers and community builders who keep music visible between the big announcements.

Mumford & Sons open their tour in Brisbane

Mumford & Sons opened their Prizefighter tour at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, returning to the venue after several years away from Queensland stages.

The show brought one of the bigger international folk-rock names through Brisbane, with the band mixing older crowd favourites with material from their latest album.

Read more via The Music.

DMA’S announce new album and Brisbane show

DMA’S have announced a new self-titled album and a run of exclusive east coast Australian shows, including a Brisbane date at The Fortitude Music Hall on Friday, November 27, 2026.

The run also includes Melbourne and Sydney, with the Brisbane show giving Queensland fans a chance to catch the band as they move into their next album cycle.

Read more via Music Feeds.

Wage War bring heavy touring traffic back to The Tivoli

Florida metalcore band Wage War are returning to Australia in 2026, with a Brisbane show locked in for The Tivoli on Thursday, August 6.

The Australian tour also includes Orthodox and Heavensgate, adding another heavy international show to Brisbane’s 2026 touring calendar.

Read more via Destroy All Lines.

Citizen locks in Brisbane date at The Tivoli

American emo rock band Citizen are heading back to Australia, with a Brisbane show locked in for The Tivoli on Friday, February 26, 2027.

The tour comes around the band’s new album cycle for Halcyon Blues, with Drug Church joining the Australian run as special guests.

Read more via The Music.

Hot Mulligan bring the sweat to Brisbane

Brisbane got a big dose of American emo/pop-punk energy this week, with Hot Mulligan playing The Fortitude Music Hall on April 25 with Saturdays At Your Place.

The ANZAC Day show added to a busy run of international guitar bands moving through Queensland, with Brisbane continuing to pull strong touring traffic across punk, emo and alternative scenes.

Solbar’s closure still hangs over the Sunshine Coast scene

The closure of Solbar continues to sit heavily across the Sunshine Coast music community, especially for emerging artists who used the Maroochydore venue as a starting point.

The venue had long been one of the Coast’s most important live music rooms, hosting touring acts, local bands, open mic nights and comedy before closing after 25 years.

Its absence is a reminder that small and mid-sized venues are not just entertainment spaces. They are where musicians test songs, meet other players, build audiences and become part of a scene.

Sunshine Coast open mic guide gets a 2026 refresh

YELO has also refreshed its Sunshine Coast open mic guide, with current and ongoing nights including Mr Drifter in Noosa, Naamba Folk Club in Nambour, Marshy’s Moonshine Music in Palmwoods, Palmwoods Hotel, In-Sync at The Presynct, Taps, Club Mooloolaba and Maleny Lane.

The update moves the guide away from a fixed “six best” list and into a more flexible evergreen format, because open mic nights move, pause, restart and change hands.

Read the updated guide here: Sunshine Coast open mic nights to know.

Palmwoods Hotel keeps Thursday jam night moving

Palmwoods Hotel is continuing its Thursday Night Jam Night, giving singers, guitarists, bass players, percussionists and curious locals another weekly place to get involved.

The night is pitched as a no-judging open mic space, built around having a go rather than arriving fully polished.

Check the Palmwoods Hotel entertainment page for the latest details.

Got a bite sized news item?

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Contact YELO with the artist, venue, date, location, links and a short note about why it matters.