AceShowbiz - The Grammy-nominated artist Post Malone is set to headline Australia’s Strummingbird Festival in 2026, organizers announced this week. The popular country music event will take place over three dates in Ballarat, Newcastle, and the Sunshine Coast, featuring an impressive lineup of both international and Australian country acts.

Post Malone will lead the festival’s lineup, which also includes rising stars like Bailey Zimmerman, Cooper Alan, Cam, and the Australian band Sons of the East. The event, presented by Kicks Entertainment, will be held at Victoria Park in Ballarat on October 10, Newcastle Foreshore on October 17, and Kawana Sports Precinct on the Sunshine Coast on October 18.

Presale tickets for Strummingbird 2026 will become available on Wednesday, May 13, while general admission tickets go on sale Thursday, May 14 via the festival’s official website, strummingbird.com.au.

Post Malone’s headline performance follows the release of his country crossover album F-1 Trillion, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album. This album features collaborations with country legends such as Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, and Jelly Roll. His upcoming Australian shows will mark his return to the country music scene Down Under after recent performances at Coachella and the Stagecoach Festival, and three years since his sold-out appearance at Splendour in the Grass.

Bailey Zimmerman, one of country music’s fastest rising stars, will be the second-billed headliner. Zimmerman has gained momentum with his debut album Religiously. The Album. and his 2025 follow-up, Different Night Same Rodeo, which includes a collaboration with Luke Combs. Earlier this year, his cover of Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” at Stagecoach became a viral sensation, boosting his profile further.

Cooper Alan, a North Carolina singer-songwriter known for tracks like “Plead the Fifth” and “Take Forever (Hally’s Song),” completes the top tier of international acts booked for the festival.

The broader lineup also features LA-based country group Stella Lefty, Texas band Dexter & The Moonrocks, singer-songwriter Cam, Cigarettes @ Sunset, CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2025 alumna Kaitlin Butts, up-and-coming Californian Noah Rinker, and Australian artist Brad Cox.

Australia’s local talent lineup includes Sydney’s Sons of the East, Max Jackson—who is the back-to-back CMAA Female Artist of the Year, Central Queensland’s Mack Geiger, nominated for 2026 Countrytown Breakthrough Artist of the Year Briana Dinsdale from Brisbane, and Sara Berki. Late-night sets will be led by country DJ Willie Pake, with line dancing sessions hosted by Maddison Glover.

Each city’s festival date will showcase hometown performers as well: Lewis Love in Ballarat, Gamilaraay artist Loren Ryan in Newcastle, and Sammy White on the Sunshine Coast.

Post Malone first ventured into country music with F-1 Trillion, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2024. The album produced the Hot 100 top 10 hit “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen, signaling a notable musical pivot for the artist, who previously dominated pop and hip-hop charts with songs like “Sunflower,” “Rockstar,” and “Circles.”

The upcoming Strummingbird Festival promises a blend of established stars and emerging artists from the country music world, making it a standout event for fans across Australia in 2026.