AGP Executive Report

Legal Fallout: Yung Filly (Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos) has been convicted of assault occasioning bodily harm after a Perth trial, but acquitted of rape charges; the jury couldn’t reach a verdict on three rape counts, leaving open the possibility of retrial and next steps at a court return on Aug. 21. Chart Watch: Charli XCX’s Music, Fashion, Film debuts at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, pushing Amy Shark to No. 2 and Olivia Rodrigo to No. 3. Tour & Tickets: System Of A Down announce a New Zealand stadium run with Faith No More, with the only NZ date set for Waitangi weekend (Wellington’s Hnry Stadium) and tickets on sale July 31. Live Music Buzz: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds stage a surprise rooftop gig at a Brighton record shop, covering T Rex’s “Cosmic Dancer” and playing fan favourites. Streaming/Tech: Spotify rolls out “Running Mode” and “User Notes” features, aiming to tailor listening to workouts and improve discovery.

AIR Awards: Ninajirachi dominated the 2026 AIR Awards in Adelaide Town Hall, taking five wins including independent album/producer and best independent electronic album/EP for I Love My Computer, plus “iPod Touch” for best independent electronic single and independent song. Live Rock (NZ/AU): System Of A Down will headline a Waitangi weekend stadium show in Wellington on Sunday 7 Feb 2027, with Faith No More as special guests, following an Australian run. Spotify Features: Spotify rolled out “User Notes” (personal captions on tracks in select regions) and “Running Mode” on iOS for Premium subscribers, aiming to match music to workout pace. Australian Music Loss: Tributes are pouring in for Glenn A. Baker, the influential Australian rock journalist and broadcaster, who died aged 74. Local Live Music: Baby Animals announced a Richmond Regent Theatre stop on their Keep It Together Tour (Sat 19 Sept). Industry/Policy: Questions are raised over whether government grants can save Sydney live music spaces after Erskineville venue MoshPit Bar announced it will close in November. Legal/Controversy: Yung Filly was found not guilty of rape charges in Perth but convicted of two assault counts; the jury was hung on three penetration charges.

AI Chart Rules: IFPI has started rolling out new generative AI eligibility rules across its official music charts, requiring authorised AI use, “substantially human-made” tracks, and no chart/streaming manipulation concerns—next step is extending the framework to more than 20 chart programs including Australia’s ARIA Charts. Streaming & Fitness: Spotify launched Running Mode on iOS for Premium users in Australia and other markets, building custom playlists from 25 presets using your preferred workout type, duration, BPM and genre, with optional English audio cues. New Music (Local Interest): King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard shared the title track “Alien Metal” ahead of their upcoming album, and confirmed Australian dates in October. Tour Update: Bailey Zimmerman has cancelled his UK/Europe summer shows to focus on family, while keeping North American dates. Screen-to-Stream: Mubi acquired Spain’s religious drama series La Mesías, streaming exclusively from 3 September in Australia and other territories. Australian Screen Release: The BBC will premiere Australian drama He Had It Coming on 8 August via iPlayer, then BBC Three the following week.

Festival Lineup Drop: Wildlands Festival has announced its 2027 New Year’s Day lineup, with John Summit, Skepta, KI/KI and Disco Lines leading the bill, plus Overmono, Nia Archives, Frost Children and more across Brisbane and Perth. Anniversary Tour Watch: Ash are gearing up for a world tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of 1977, with dates including Asia stops before returning to Europe/UK. Local Live & Community Music: Canberra’s Australian National Eisteddfod Choirs event is set for Aug 8, bringing 30+ choirs to Snow Concert Hall for a full day of choral competition. Jazz Festival Program: Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival (Oct 22–31) has revealed its full 2026 program, including Dee Dee Bridgewater’s return to Australia. Industry Support for New Talent: American Apparel and Spilt Milk have reopened the StAArt Up Fund applications, offering four winners $10k in custom merch and a shot at playing Spilt Milk Gold Coast 2026. AI Policy Pressure: The Greens are calling for a moratorium on new AI data centre approvals until federal rules are tightened and Parliament scrutinises the rollout.

Faith No More x System Of A Down: The bands have announced a joint Australian run for January–February 2027, kicking off in Sydney (Accor Stadium) on Jan 22 and hitting Melbourne, Brisbane and more before finishing in Wellington. Spilt Milk 2026: Lewis Capaldi and RAYE will headline Australia’s biggest single-day festival this December, with Kettama, Baby Keem, Maisie Peters and DMA’s also on the bill across Canberra, Gold Coast, Geelong and Perth. New music from homegrown heavyweights: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have dropped “Alien Metal” as the lead single from their upcoming album, with more live dates to follow. Tech-meets-music: Spotify is rolling out an adaptive running mode for Premium users, using run phases to tailor track picks and audio cues. Loss: Oscar-winning Irish musician Glen Hansard (Once, The Frames) has died at 56 following a motorcycle crash in Dublin. Global tour news: Jimmy Eat World and The Format will co-headline Hollywood Bowl in November to celebrate landmark album anniversaries, with Australian dates planned for December.

Brisbane Nightlife Pushback: Queensland’s Moonside report aimed at reviving the live music scene has been met with a government response that rejects 21 proposals, including extended retail trading and replacing ID checks with facial recognition. Emerging Artist Support: Melbourne manager Tall Poppy MGMT has launched Community Garden, a searchable hub bundling grants, competitions, festivals, mentoring and career pathways for Australian emerging musicians. Live Music Disruption: Country star Megan Moroney’s Denver show at Ball Arena was cut short after she fell ill mid-set, with updates promised as her Cloud 9 Tour continues. Dance Culture Win: NSW dancer ROME won the 2026 Red Bull Dance Your Style Australian title at Hordern Pavilion and will represent Australia at the world final in Zurich. Streaming Tech Trouble: Spotify suffered a major outage twice on Monday, hitting streaming, login and account features for many users. Global Pop Milestone: BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s “Dracula” (with Tame Impala) hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart in the US. New Work for Australian Stages: Australian Ballet’s Bodytorque returns in September with six new gravity-themed works, following a sold-out 2024 season.

Court Update: British YouTuber/rapper Yung Filly’s Perth rape and assault trial moves to jury deliberations after closing statements, with the jury expected to consider verdicts Wednesday; Filly denies rape and choking but admits “love bites” during testimony. Australian Releases & Charts: Gracie Abrams’ Daughter From Hell debuts at No.1 on the Australian albums chart, pushing Olivia Dean down to No.2. Touring & Tickets: Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” era continues with an Aussie singer event at Wax & Beans (Sept 4) tied to her new album Algorithm, including signing and meet-and-greet. Live Music News: Electric Callboy drops Tanzneid single “The Way You Are,” a boyband-ballad-to-deathcore twist, with the album out Aug 7 and Australia dates in September. Festival Buzz: Beyond the Valley locks in a big 2026 New Year’s Eve lineup headlined by John Summit and Black Eyed Peas (plus Skepta), with tickets and dates teased. Local Support: Rabobank’s Rural Community Hub Program offers 10 grants of $10,000 for rural halls and community hubs to fund improvements.

Faith No More x System of a Down (AU/NZ): The iconic rock duo are reuniting for stadium co-headline dates in early 2027, with shows set for Sydney (Jan 22), Melbourne (Jan 27), Brisbane (Feb 1) and Wellington (Feb 17). Festival Big News (Victoria): Beyond the Valley has locked in its 11th edition for Dec 28–Jan 1, led by John Summit (New Year’s Eve countdown) and an Australian-exclusive Black Eyed Peas set, plus KI/KI, Skepta, Ocean Alley, Overmono, The Veronicas and more. Live Music Spotlight (Tamworth): CMAA’s Junior Academy of Country Music has helped emerging artist Pippa J level up in songwriting, stagecraft and coaching ahead of a send-off concert in Tamworth. New Work for Aussie Stages: The Castle is coming to the stage for a March 2027 Melbourne premiere, with original Working Dog creators returning as writers/producers. Immersive Music/Art: Emmy-winning composer Nainita Desai has created Tessellation for Bruce Munro’s Fiber Optic Symphonic Orchestra in Mildura, blending light and sound in a new immersive score. Community & Safety: eSafety warns parents about AI-fuelled risks from sharing kids’ photos online, after reports of imagery being harvested from school accounts. Industry/Tech: Xerox says it’s returning to A/NZ production printing in early 2027 under the Xerox brand after its Lexmark acquisition.

Australian Live Music: Faith No More have confirmed their first stadium shows in more than a decade, co-headlining with System of a Down across Australia and New Zealand in early 2027, with tickets set to go on sale July 31. Global Artist Moves: UTA has signed Laufey for global representation, following sold-out arena dates worldwide and her Grammy-winning run behind A Matter of Time (including Australian stops at Rod Laver Arena and Afterpay Arena). New Music: The Avalanches have released “Blue Shadows” featuring Karen O, their third single of 2026, with more festival and live dates lined up. Touring & Tickets: Tame Impala’s “Deadbeat Tour” is landing in Boston with two sold-out TD Bank shows, but verified resale options are still showing entry prices around the $160–$200 mark. Industry Watch: UK recorded music exports hit a record £800.3m in 2025, up 0.8% year-on-year, with Australia among the biggest export markets. Local Scene: Womad’s return at its new home Neston Park is being praised for a more intimate, village-style feel and artist-led moments.

Heavy Music: System of a Down and Faith No More have confirmed a joint Australia–New Zealand stadium run for early 2027, with dates in Sydney (Jan 22, Accor Stadium), Melbourne (Jan 27, Marvel Stadium), Brisbane (Feb 1, Suncorp Stadium) and Wellington (Feb 7), and tickets going on sale July 31 after presales from July 28–29. TV Music: The Voice is back with a major shake-up, adding Tones And I to the coaching panel alongside Melanie C, Richard Marx, Ronan Keating and Kate Miller-Heidke, with the season starting 7pm Sunday on Seven and 7plus. New Music Radar: Grace Cummings’ “I’m Not Crazy” is our Song of the Week, from her album Bloodhorse!, while Mixmag spotlights fresh releases including Ahadadream’s “Left/Right” and Djrum’s upcoming EP. Community Music Moments: Cowra has been selected for the ABC’s Pop-Up Piano project, with a free community concert planned for August. Local Live/Stage: Melbourne’s Musical Theatre Development Fund will back homegrown musicals, with half the money aimed at Aussie stories. Theatre Casting: Leeton actor Jake Speer lands the lead in Mrs Doubtfire the Musical at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre from Nov 25.

ARIA-linked marketing: AdNews Agency of the Year 2026 entries are now open, with new categories including Best Use of Music (presented by ARIA), plus Holdco and Specialist agency awards—good news for Aussie campaigns that lean on local artists. Touring shake-ups: Country star Kacey Musgraves has cancelled three Middle of Nowhere tour dates (Chicago, Boston and Brooklyn) with refunds via Ticketmaster, but no public reason yet. Australian live music spotlight: Bangarra Dance Theatre becomes the first Australian company to win the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Dance at Biennale Danza 2026 in Venice. New music/industry services: NICE Marketing Corp announces an expanded global digital music promotion network across 15+ markets, using AI matching to boost plays and audience growth. Local scene buzz: Greek punk trio Frenzee wraps Europe and heads back to Australia after a run that included a stop at AN Club.

Spilt Milk backlash: Festivalgoers have slammed Spilt Milk’s 2026 lineup as “deadest” after Lewis Capaldi and Raye were named headliners, with fans comparing it unfavourably to last year’s bigger stars and taking to social media to vent. International K-pop momentum: Jennie’s new single “Less than a Lover” has surged to No.1 on iTunes in 27 countries, while her earlier “Dracula” with Tame Impala holds at No.5 on the US Billboard Hot 100. New music export: MONSTA X’s Kihyun drops an English version of “So Good”, expanding his BORDERLINE era internationally. Live jazz draw: Laufey kicked off her A Matter of Time tour in Perth, packing RAC Arena and bringing a big Gen Z crowd to jazz-pop crossover. Indie/online success: Hindley Street Country Club (HSCC) lands its Mayo Performing Arts Center debut after racking up massive YouTube and social followings. Cultural showcase: Youth Mill Performing Arts Foundation announces Stories of Our Land, premiering at Brisbane’s Princess Theatre on 9–10 September with young Cape and Torres Strait performers.

Afterpay Arena Rebrand: Sydney’s former Qudos Bank Arena has officially reopened as Afterpay Arena after a major overhaul, with new fan payment options (including Afterpay Pay in 4) and venue-wide tech upgrades. Australian Tour Buzz: Alt-metal heavyweights System of a Down and Faith No More have been spotted running coordinated promo in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, fueling talk of an Australian tour announcement. New Music EP Drop: Avenged Sevenfold has released surprise EP “STATICA” with four new tracks, plus details of an upcoming North American run. Local Pop Spotlight: Melbourne singer Holly Hebe is gearing up to tour with her EP “Mood Ring,” building a whole world around the release (including mood-ring merch and colour-coded tracks). Festival Line-up: Spilt Milk Festival has locked in its 2026 Perth date and lineup, headlined by RAYE and Lewis Capaldi. Live Music Incident: Police are investigating a fatal fall at Queensland secret rave “Rhythm of the Wild,” with an altercation reported before the man died.

AI & Copyright: India’s Delhi High Court ruled OpenAI can train on ANI material for “private use and research” under Section 52, after ANI sued over alleged hallucinated quotes and unlicensed training—an interim win for OpenAI that still leaves room for appeal. New Music (AU/NZ): Orville Peck announced intimate comeback album Mule and a tour, with a ticket donation to The Trevor Project. Festival & Live Culture: Sunshine Coast’s Curated Plate festival kicked off with a sold-out Sri Lankan flame-cooking opener, promising a multicultural food lineup across the region. Community & Performance: Tiwi Cultural Festival returns with MRF-D Marines adopted by the Mantiyupwi community after a 2023 crash, helping set up stages and musical performances. Emergency Alerts: Australia’s first AusAlert national test is set for 27 July, with dementia advocates warning the loud siren could distress older people. Big Aussie Music Industry Pressure: MEAA says rising touring and production costs are pricing audiences out of musicals, warning of a worsening live entertainment crisis. Possible Major Rock Tour: Fans spotted System of a Down and Faith No More logos/murals and projections across Australia, fueling speculation about an upcoming East Coast run.

Tour Updates: Harry Styles has cancelled his Tuesday São Paulo show due to “tour illness,” with tickets being redirected to Friday’s performance (limited inventory, refunds once sold out). New Music (Australia): Natalie Imbruglia shares “Just Drive,” the third single from upcoming album Algorithm (out Sept 4), and will play festivals including Replay in Perth. Album/EP Buzz: Avenged Sevenfold drops surprise EP STATICA with four brand-new tracks, and heads to Australia later this year. Festival Watch: Spilt Milk 2026 is locked in with Lewis Capaldi and RAYE headlining across Canberra, Gold Coast, Geelong and Perth this December. ARIA/Charts: Gracie Abrams hits No.1 in Australia with “Daughter From Hell.” Loss: Greek-Australian music legend John Tikis has died, with his daughters announcing the passing. Local Live/Industry: Robbie Williams adds a second Thomond Park Stadium Limerick date for July 7, 2027 after demand.

New Album Drop: Amy Shark has released Pressure, recorded in a converted church in Wales with Dann Hume, leaning into “soft pop” shaped by isolation and strict deadlines. Festival Move: Spilt Milk is relocating to Geelong/Djilang for 2026, locking a five-year home at Kardinia Park (until 2030) with Lewis Capaldi and RAYE headlining alongside KETTAMA, Baby Keem, Maisie Peters, Remi Wolf and DMA’S. Touring Duo: Dave Graney and Clare Moore are bringing Laburnum of the Mind to Eudlo Hall on Aug 1, with the mistLY lineup and a set spanning decades of work. New Single: Keith Z drops high-energy pop-punk Osaka Girl (180 BPM, Blink-style hooks, double-kick drums) as a satirical snapshot of contemporary culture. Community Music: Light Up Lyneham returns with Newbery Brass, spotlighting intergenerational performers from kids to retirees. Film/Concert Screenings: Sia’s Nostalgic for the Present concert film is in select Australian/NZ cinemas, keeping her face hidden as part of the mystery.