Spilt Milk Festival Reveals 2026 Lineup Headlined by Lewis Capaldi and Raye, Moves to New Geelong Home

Australia's Spilt Milk festival has unveiled its full 2026 lineup, headlined by British artists Lewis Capaldi and Raye, marking Capaldi's return to touring following a multiyear hiatus and confirming a significant relocation for the festival's Victorian leg from Ballarat to Geelong.

Organizers revealed the complete artist bill this week following weeks of teaser announcements, with the festival set to run across four Australian cities in December.

Who's on the bill

Lewis Capaldi and Raye will headline this year's edition, with both artists appearing at Spilt Milk exclusively, meaning festival-goers will not be able to catch either performer at any other Australian tour stop this year. The pair are joined further down the bill by KETTAMA, Baby Keem, Maisie Peters, Remi Wolf and DMA'S, alongside a broader supporting lineup that includes Aleksiah, Borderline, F3MIII, Harry Hayes, Jigitz, Leyla Ebrahami, Miss Kaninna, Becca Hatch, Fat Papi, Pash, Samara Cyn, STÜM, The Moving Stills, The Terrys, TOBIAHS and Yes Boone.

This year's lineup marks a notable shift in tone from 2025's edition, which was headlined by Kendrick Lamar and Doechii. Last year's festival drew strong reviews for its performances, with Rolling Stone Australia/New Zealand's live review of the final Ballarat edition describing Lamar's set as commanding even in a more relaxed mode, writing that "Kendrick in cruise control, however, is still Kendrick."

Where and when

Spilt Milk 2026 will take place across four cities on consecutive weekends in December:

Saturday, Dec. 12, at Exhibition Park in Canberra; Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Gold Coast Sports Precinct; Saturday, Dec. 19, at Kardinia Park Stadium and Precinct in Geelong; and Sunday, Dec. 20, at Claremont Showground in Perth.

Presale and general ticket sales will be available through the festival's official website, spilt-milk.com.au, with organizers indicating further ticketing details will be announced in the coming days.

A major relocation for the Victorian leg

The most significant change to this year's festival is its new home in Victoria. After four editions held in Ballarat, Spilt Milk is relocating its Victorian stop to Kardinia Park Stadium and Precinct in Geelong, where it will remain based for at least the next five years, through 2030, according to the venue. The move is backed by Visit Victoria and the City of Greater Geelong.

Kicks Entertainment director and festival co-founder Ryan Sabet framed the relocation as a vote of confidence in the festival's ability to bring major live music experiences outside of Australia's capital cities. "Geelong is the perfect stage for the festival's next five years," Sabet said. "We want to thank Visit Victoria and the City of Greater Geelong for backing what Spilt Milk can do, their support means we can keep proving that a world-class festival doesn't need to be in a capital city."

Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj highlighted the anticipated economic benefits of hosting the festival, pointing to the influx of visitors it is expected to bring to the city each summer. "They'll fill our hotels, our restaurants and our waterfront, while plenty of them will discover a city worth coming back to," Kontelj said.

State Member for Geelong Christine Couzens also welcomed the move, emphasizing the value the festival could bring to young people in the region. "Bringing Spilt Milk to Geelong is a fantastic opportunity for our region, most importantly, for our young people," Couzens said. "These kinds of experiences give them the chance to connect with friends, create lasting memories, and enjoy world-class music close to home. I'm proud that Geelong is attracting these major events."

A festival with growing economic impact

According to figures released by Spilt Milk, the festival has contributed more than $46.7 million to the Victorian economy since 2019. Its 2025 edition alone generated an estimated $17.2 million, with roughly 34,100 attendees traveling in from outside the region. Overall festival attendance has grown substantially over the years, climbing from 28,602 attendees in 2019 to 38,729 in 2025.

A track record of major names

Since launching in 2016, Spilt Milk has built a reputation as one of Australia's most closely watched regional touring festivals, having previously hosted artists including Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, Post Malone, Lorde, Childish Gambino, Flume, Steve Lacy, Dom Dolla, Latto and Khalid. The festival has also become known for consistently selling out across its host cities, with all four stops on its 2025 tour, Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast, selling out.

The festival has additionally maintained a strong focus on supporting Australian artists throughout its lineups. Of the 43 acts that performed at last year's festival, 33 were Australian, including 15 performers from Victoria and five artists based within 100 kilometers of the festival site.

A break from expectations

Ahead of this week's official reveal, fans and festival watchers had spent weeks trying to predict the 2026 lineup based on cryptic teasers from organizers. While some predictions, including appearances from KETTAMA and Remi Wolf, proved accurate, much of the final bill, including the Capaldi and Raye headline slots, came as a surprise to those closely following the festival's promotional campaign.

With the full lineup now confirmed and Geelong locked in as the festival's new long-term Victorian home, attention now turns to ticket sales, expected to open through Spilt Milk's official website in the coming days. Given the festival's recent history of selling out multiple stops well ahead of their scheduled dates, organizers and fans alike are likely to be watching closely to see how quickly this year's tickets move, particularly for the newly relocated Geelong show and the exclusive Australian appearances by both Capaldi and Raye.