AXEAN Festival, Southeast Asia’s premier intra-regional music showcase and conference platform, has announced the first wave of its 2026 lineup.
Leading the first wave announcement is an impressive lineup of Indonesian artistes like top-streamed singer-songwriter Ndarboy Genk, experimental music quartet Basajan, Yogyakarta-based band LOR, Tropical Dessert trio Babon, Jakarta alt-rock band Satu Per Empat, rising singer-songwriter Jo Soegono, jazz rock trio Emptyyy, and R&B/soul star Noni.
This year’s lineup also gets an extra boost from emerging and seasoned acts in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia’s very own indie pop outfit Masdo, alt-rock veterans Pitahati, and genre-defying artistes Lil Asian Thiccie x dj magn3sium.
The Philippines contributes a strong contingent with hip-hop trio PLAYERTWO, city pop quintet ALYSON, and alternative indie rock band Novocrane, while Singapore is represented by acclaimed indie rock band Subsonic Eye and experimental collective sub:shaman. Thailand’s thriving independent scene arrives in force through Yellow Fang, INSPIRATIVE, SLOWWVES, and Cupnoodle, while Macau’s Scamper and France’s Treaks add to the festival’s increasingly global outlook.
Explaining the festival’s curation philosophy, AXEAN Festival co-founder Piyapong Muenprasertdee shares, “Professionalism, live performance excellence, and a clear artistic vision genuinely drive most of our selections – those are the qualities we’re looking for first. However, not every artiste meets all the criteria, and this approach is intentional: we also prioritise representing less-heard music scenes. Alongside the most polished, export-ready acts, we make room for artistes from locales the wider industry rarely hears from.”
AXEAN Festival 2026 will also introduce several new elements in the programme designed to deepen its engagement among artistes, delegates, partners, and audiences, including its highly regarded Songwriting Camp, which has become a cornerstone of AXEAN’s artiste development initiative since its introduction in 2024.
Siow explains, “The songwriting camp introduced in 2024 (and optimized in 2025) was also born out of our drive to do things right for artistes; hence, when we designed the camp, it was something that was only meant for collaborations. We take pride in creating a relaxed and casual environment that fosters creativity and friendships, as we believe the atmosphere contributes to the high quality of the final song outputs.”
Further improving the festival experience is a brand-new food and beverage concept inspired by Southeast Asia’s iconic hawker centres and food courts. The initiative will bring together dishes and culinary traditions from across Southeast Asia, giving attendees the opportunity to explore the region’s rich cultural diversity through food.
Early bird tickets are now available via loket.com/o/axeanfestival. Additional artist announcements, conference speakers, and program details will be revealed soon.
Returning to Jimbaran Hub, Bali, for its third consecutive year, AXEAN Festival 2026 will take place from 29 to 30 August 2026.