Lismore is set to host the national relaunch of one of Australia’s biggest music festivals, with Groovin The Moo officially returning this May in what Mayor Steve Krieg has described as one of the most exciting announcements in the city’s history.

After a two-year hiatus, the beloved regional touring festival will make its comeback as a one-day, single-stage event at Oakes Oval on Saturday 9 May 2026.

Standing at the announcement, Mayor Krieg said the moment had been years in the making.

“One of the most exciting announcement in Lismore's history, I think so anyway,” he said. “Something that we've been working on and talking about for many, many years. Little thing called the flood got in the way, but here we are to announce that Lismore is a part of a relaunch of one of the nation's biggest and best music festivals, and it's really exciting.”

Groovin The Moo was cancelled the past two years due to poor ticket sales, a decision CEO of Fuzzy, Adelle Robinson, described as deeply difficult. But she said the festival would only return when it could do so sustainably, and Lismore proved the right place to make that happen.

“Groovin The Moo hasn't happened for two years,” Robinson said. “We announced in 2024 that due to poor ticket sales, we were cancelling the event, which was probably one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make last year.”

She said the relaunch would be intentionally scaled back to ensure its long-term future.

“One city, one stage. Keeping it a bit smaller, making it more sustainable, and then looking forward to the future is what we're doing with Groovin The Moo.”

The event is being supported through the Great Southern Nights program, backed by the NSW Government, making the condensed timeline possible.

Robinson said Lismore stood out immediately when exploring regional locations.

“Northern Rivers obviously feels like a real home for music,” she said. “It was honestly the welcome I got when I came here and this venue that made me make the decision that Lismore would be the home.”

The 2026 event will be all ages, with free entry for children 12 and under, $90 youth tickets for ages 13–17, and general admission from $125. Robinson said the aim is to create a family-friendly experience that also helps rebuild live music culture.

“When you do an all ages show, it actually makes the festival a better experience,” she said. “There was a whole generation that missed out on live music due to COVID. Helping to educate younger people about how to attend festivals, how to attend live music, is only going to make festivals stronger moving forward.”

Crowd targets are modest but optimistic, with organisers hoping to attract anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 people in its first year back.

Mayor Krieg said the impact for Lismore could be transformative.

“This is building on what we are trying to achieve in Lismore,” he said. “Why would you not want to invest in Lismore? It's being able to offer experiences like this.”

He said the goal is to draw visitors not only from across the Northern Rivers, but also from southeast Queensland.

“Let's get the people from the Gold Coast and Brisbane coming to Lismore instead of us going there all the time,” he said. “You come for the day and spend the day at Groovin The Moo, but you stay overnight and you explore our national parks and explore our cafes and all of the different offerings that we have around the city.”

Oakes Oval was chosen for its flexibility and event-ready infrastructure.

“This is what it's built for,” Mayor Krieg said. “These sort of events really push us to not only see what we're capable of, but drive us into the future to get better as an organisation and as a city.”

Australian Festival Association CEO Olly Arkins said the return is significant for the wider music sector, particularly in the Northern Rivers following the cancellation of major events in recent years.

“With the cancellation of Splendour and Falls Festival, the Northern Rivers has really been missing a lot of music events,” he said. “It’s going to go a long way to rebuilding our music industry up on the North Coast. It gives stages for local artists to perform on and reinvigorates an industry that had been hit hard over COVID and with the floods.”

For Lismore, the message is clear, we are ready to host big events again! After years defined by recovery, Groovin The Moo’s return signals something else: confidence.

TICKET INFO

General Admission: From $125 + booking fee

Youth Ticket (13–17 years): $90 + booking fee

Under 12: Free when accompanied by a ticket-holding parent or guardian

MobTix (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) and concession tickets available

Presale begins 3 March via the Groovin The Moo website.

Lismore locals will have access to a ‘Homegrown Groovers’ presale by selecting “I’m a Lismore Local” during sign-up.