‘We Don’t Aspire to Be Other Festivals’: QMusic CEO Kristy Ellis Reflects on BIGSOUND 2026

QMusic CEO Kristy Ellis says BIGSOUND won’t chase the model of other major festivals as the organisation begins planning for 2027 and beyond. 

Speaking to The Music Network at her first BIGSOUND as permanent CEO, Ellis said QMusic wants to continue evolving the annual Brisbane industry gathering without losing sight of its original purpose. “We’re innovating, which is really exciting, but not losing the integrity of what BIGSOUND is,” she said.

“BIGSOUND was born to be where the music industry in Australia meets and just making sure we never lose sight of that. We’re not focused on becoming something that we were never born to be. We don’t aspire to be some of those other festivals.”

Ellis said BIGSOUND’s connection to Brisbane and Fortitude Valley remains a key part of that identity.

“We’re very unique and it’s very Australian. It’s very Brisbane,” she said, describing the Valley as “the best live music precinct in Australia, if not in the world”. 

“You’re literally walking past someone from a major label and an emerging artist all in the same five seconds. That’s why it’s so important that we keep that. I just don’t think it could be anywhere else.”

That doesn’t mean the event will stand still. Ellis said feedback gathered throughout BIGSOUND 2026 will inform next year’s programming, with AI emerging as one of the biggest industry conversations this year.

“We had a program pretty set and then the AI conversation really blew up a few months ago, so we knew we had to talk about it,” she said. “It’s an ever-changing world. I think next year we’ll be looking at a cross-section between what it looks like to collaborate with other sectors, especially around tourism.”

Ellis also pointed to broadcast, gaming and sport as areas BIGSOUND could explore, particularly as Brisbane prepares for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Artist support will also remain part of the strategy. This year, QMusic introduced travel contributions for all BIGSOUND 100 artists and doubled the number of delegate passes available to showcasing acts.

Ellis said the changes followed feedback that artists had traditionally not been paid to showcase at the event. “For me coming from the industry, growing up in the creative arts, that was definitely something we needed to fix,” she said.

Beyond BIGSOUND, Ellis said QMusic will spend the coming months consulting the industry, with a particular focus on regional Queensland, while the pressures facing live music venues remain a priority.

“Our live music venues are really struggling so we really need to unpack that and understand what that looks like because without them our artists don’t play,” she said.