Friday Beats

Music in Exile supports musicians with lived experience of displacement and diaspora, helping artists build sustainable careers on their own terms. Through an artist-first approach, they champion diverse voices and a more inclusive Australian music industry.

Black Town Band brings together the rich sounds of African Highlife, Afro Fusion, Funk and Gospel. Built on unity, culture and performance, the band is headed by Ghanaian-born musician Yaw Mensah, and along with Jorello, Obed & Saucy Shreds, they create energetic and unforgettable experiences

RIAH is an R&B singer-songwriter from southwest Sydney whose music blends her Tongan, Fijian, Italian and Kamilaroi heritage with a love of 90s R&B. Winner of Triple J’s 2024 Unearthed High Indigenous Initiative, she has supported artists including Budjerah, Electric Fields, BARKAA and Kobie Dee.

Ausecuma Beats are a nine-piece ensemble led by master djembe player Boubacar Gaye, bringing together musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds to create a vibrant, globally inspired sound. Blending traditions, stories and rhythms from around the world, they celebrate the power of community through music.

Hailing from the remote community of Papunya, northwest of Alice Springs, Luritja singer-songwriter Keanu Nelson crafts soulful, deeply personal songs shaped by his guitar, voice and storytelling. Presented in partnership with Prop Records.

Kisses are a Naarm / Melbourne five-piece crafting dreamy, guitar-led songs layered with grungy violin, rich harmonies and deep grooves. Their music finds beauty in love, loss and everything in between, inviting listeners into a world of reflection and connection.

Sevilles are a Gadigal / Sydney three-piece blending soft grunge, slowcore, progressive folk and intricate alt-guitar textures. Their evocative and melancholic sound balances tenderness with emotional depth and constant musical evolution.

Sadie creates dreamlike guitar music wrapped in haze, feedback and fuzz, chasing moments of aching sincerity. Drawing from the world of alternative guitar music, their songs build immersive landscapes of echo and emotion.

Team Building are an Eora-based band crafting thoughtful, narrative-driven songs inspired by the rhythms of everyday life. Blending gentle grooves and understated melodies, they uncover creativity and complexity in the seemingly ordinary.

WHISPERS return to Australia, bringing their ferocious Bangkok hardcore sound. Fusing metallic hardcore, crushing riffs and punishing breakdowns, they've risen from Southeast Asia's underground to stages worldwide.

Berzerker are a heavy metallic hardcore band bringing crushing riffs, relentless energy and pure intensity to Parramatta Lanes 2026. Catch them as they take the stage for only their second-ever live performance.

Counterspell are a hardcore band from unceded Dharug and Dharawal land, delivering fast, furious sets packed with energy, aggression and community spirit.

Fresh from the release of their debut album I Can See God, Half Man bring a furious mix of hardcore, powerviolence and death metal. Expect indignant lyrics, relentless d-beats, blast beats and crushing guitars delivered at breakneck speed.

Feel The Pain are a hardcore band from Newcastle making heavy music fun again without sacrificing intensity. After sharing stages with names including Sunami, Drain, Pain of Truth and Big Boy, the five-piece released their debut EP, World In Two, via Last Ride Records in 2025.

Curating the Rooftop line-up, Sydney DJ collective led by Rico & Brandon, are pulling together a night of genre-fluid, day-centric events and content that splice R&B, hip-hop, future-soul and kindred scenes, spotlighting emerging selectors and building a loyal, culture-first community.

Sydney-based DJ JAYG blends R&B, hip-hop, Afrobeats, house and global sounds into high-energy sets built for the dancefloor. 

DREWWW is a Sydney DJ known for seamlessly moving between R&B, hip-hop, dance and left-field sounds with fresh, unpredictable selections.

Australian DMC 2024 Champion DPAK is a Sydney DJ and turntablist known for sharp scratching, creative routines and a strong hip-hop foundation.

New Zealand-born duo MINZ and JUWANNA blend R&B, hip-hop, Afrobeats and club sounds into energetic sets packed with smooth selections and surprises.

MONI is an Eora/Sydney DJ known for mixing baile funk, Jersey club and global club sounds into vibrant, dancefloor-focused sets.

Sydney DJ Ellen Rose brings together R&B, hip-hop, soul and throwback favourites, creating sets rooted in nostalgia and feel-good energy.

Caribbean-Australian DJ Jazmine Nakitta moves effortlessly through amapiano, Afrobeats, dancehall, R&B and house with an energetic, genre-spanning style.

Tsinelas spent the better part of a decade immersed in cumbia, travelling through Latin America to explore the music, cultures and communities that shaped it. Drawing on the rhythms, stories and connections discovered along the way, he brings these influences together through sound.

Sir Bolívar is a Colombian-born collector and selector whose deep crates trace the musical histories of Colombia, the Caribbean and the wider Afro-diasporic world. With a passion for vintage Colombian sounds, cumbia, funk, disco and Caribbean grooves, he unearths records rich in both history and dancefloor energy.

Son Patacore brings the vibrant sounds of Colombia’s Pacific coast to Sydney, blending traditional currulao roots and marimba de chonta with tropical rhythms and salsa classics. Formed by Colombian musicians in 2024, the group delivers energetic performances that celebrate heritage, community and connection.

Brazil-born and Sydney-based, Lu Faria is a DJ and cultural curator known for weaving reggae, dub, Afro-diasporic rhythms and global electronic music into immersive, high-energy sets. Her sound is rooted in sound system culture and dancefloor storytelling.

Etnia Viva is a Sydney-based Colombian dance ensemble showcasing Afro-Colombian, Andean and Caribbean traditions through vibrant performances, traditional costumes and dynamic choreography.