The acclaimed festival tour re-enters mightier than ever, this December returning to their beloved stops of Ballarat/Wadawurrung, Perth/Whadjuk, Canberra/Ngunnawal and Gold Coast/Kombumerri. Kicking off the headline bill is none other than US Pulitzer Music Prize-winning, West Coast hip-hop luminary, Kendrick Lamar. It’s no secret that Lamar has had a phenomenal year - from a GRAMMY Awards sweep for ‘Not Like Us’, to his triumphant Superbowl Halftime show. Lamar’s influence in music spans enduring, culture-shaping anthems like ‘King Kunta’ and ‘Humble’, to his most recent album, GNX. Following a mammoth co-headline Grand National Tour with SZA over the northern hemisphere summer, Lamar will make his return to Australia, unleashing the festival set we’ve all been waiting for.

Speaking of waiting for… Florida swamp princess and Billboard Woman of the Year, Doechii will make her first Australian visit since the release of the widely acclaimed, 2024 GRAMMY Best Rap Album-awarded mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal. Heavyweight American DJ, producer and HEKATE record label head, Sara Landry joins the lineup, creating transcendent experiences with the hard techno sounds and boundary-breaking vision that have shaped her global cult following. Often hailed as ‘the High Priestess of Hard Techno’, Landry’s meteoric trajectory has most recently been propelled by her 2024 debut album, Spiritual Driveby.

Singer/songwriter, rapper and actor Dominic Fike’s rise has spanned the cultural multiverse; not only hooking music fans the world over with hits like ‘3 Nights’, ‘Babydoll’ and ‘misses’, but also making his name as an actor, notably starring in HBO series Euphoria. He has collaborated with contemporaries and music legends alike such as Paul McCartney, JENNIE, Brockhampton and more. Prolific American rap legend ScHoolboy Q will also grace Spilt Milk as a very special guest. Another hip-hop visionary who needs little introduction, ScHoolboy Q has collaborated with icons Tyler, The Creator, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla $ign, 21 Savage, SZA, A$AP Rocky and many more, alongside fellow Spilt Milk artist and Black Hippy alumnus, Kendrick Lamar. He has received critical acclaim across his discography, including latest album Blue Lips.

US-based artist d4vd will feature his moody, DIY indie-pop sound that has attracted billions of streams and a mass attendance to his recent 2025 Coachella sets, and burgeoning US pop behemoth Nessa Barrett will also be there, who after landing in multiple high-profile ‘ones to watch’ lists upon her debut has now taken her victory lap with 2024 sophomore album AFTERCARE. Do not miss South Sudanese powerhouse Skin On Skin demonstrating why he’s become a household name in the global techno scene, plus a mesmerising set from New York’s unstoppable, globally charting indie-rock breakout, sombr.

Further stamping this lineup as unmissable will be Perth/Whadjuk-based, Indo-Australian artist and DJ Baby J, Texan artist and producer Chance Peña and Sydney/Eora-based UK speed garage and jungle producer Club Angel; while sultry soul heartthrob Don West will woo the crowds, Sydney/Eora’s Ennaria will perform a dynamic, genre-crossing set, and singer/songwriters turned globally-viral artists Esha Tewari and Lyric will deliver their own performances for the books. Next up is nothing but pop perfection, including the gorgeous stylings of Mia Wray, formidable local hyper-pop pioneer Ninajirachi and electronic-infused pop polymath, Rebecca Black. Rounding out the lineup is alt-rock group Rum Jungle, the spine-tingling pop stylings of Californian-born, Gold Coast/Kombumerri-based artist Sofia Isella, plus local favourites South Summit, folk duo The Dreggs and indie rock darlings, The Rions.

Leveling up year-on-year, Spilt Milk has built its legacy opening Australia’s summer with mind-boggling music lineups, large-scale art exhibitions, delectable food and boutique bar experiences at the heart of their DNA. Festival staples include Guilty Pleasures, a place to belt out iconic singalongs, the Howdy Howdy country bar that gets (respectfully) rowdy and Bus Da Move, the party bus where the riders conduct the tracks. Previous editions have also seen a rave cave from Smirnoff Fresh and a celebration of Columbian picó sound system culture with El Gran Mono.

The festival’s art exhibitions are curated in collaboration with socially conscious art studios. This year they’ll be featuring artists from Studio A, an art studio dedicated to empowering artists with disability, and Victoria Park Arts’ Create Connect Art initiative, which holds open studio sessions that allow artists with disability to explore different visual art mediums and projects. Furthering their art collaborations, the festival's artwork features a piece from Dutch artist and designer, Jerry-Lee Bosmans, renowned for his vibrantly coloured and bold compositions.