Get ready for a rockin’ SOUNDS BY THE RIVER for 2027 which will bring together a stellar Aussie line-up. It will be headlined by the iconic Jimmy Barnes and supported by other crowd favourites Jon Stevens (The Noiseworks/INXS Collection), Birds Of Toyko, Eskimo Joe, Baby Animals, Chocolate Starfish & Sarah McLeod. This renowned outdoor show, that continues to sell out year after year, will take place at Mannum Golf Club. The much-loved festival will give South Australian music fans a dose of colossal songs that will ensure a huge day out.
Jimmy Barnes, is the heart and soul of Australian rock and roll. He has 22 #1 albums, more than The Beatles, and he has sold more records in Australia than any other local artist. For over 40 years he has delivered some of our most intense and iconic live performances both as a solo performer and as front man for the legendary Cold Chisel, leading him to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of fame … twice. He is truly in a league of his own.
In addition to his phenomenal music career, Jimmy has written four #1 bestselling books – his acclaimed memoirs Working Class Boy and Working Class Man (which won back to back ABIA Awards in 2017 and 2018), his 2020 collection of short stories, Killing Time and Highways and Byways: Tall Tales and Short Stories from the Long Way Round in 2024. His ever expanding oeuvre also includes two children’s books – Och Aye the Gnu and Rosie the Rhinoceros – and a cookbook with his wife Jane titled Where the River Bends.
Jimmy returned to the top of the charts in June 2025 with his 21st studio album, DEFIANT, and released a 2nd cookbook with Jane, Seasons Where the River Bends, in November 2025.
Never one to slow down, 2025 also saw “Barnesy” celebrating the 40th Anniversary of his landmark album, For the Working Class Man with the release of a new documentary as well as a series of major outdoor shows in 2025 and 2026 including special Vinyl editions of the album.
Back by popular demand, Jon Stevens – The Noiseworks & INXS Collection. Jon is back performing hits from the legendary bands that catapulted him into Aussie Rock Royalty.
Jon Stevens | The Noiseworks & INXS Collection Tour bring hits Take Me Back, New Sensation, Touch, Don’t Change, Hot Chilli Woman, Never Tear Us Apart, No Lies and much more.
The show is an assault of the senses, with nothing but relentless hits! A visceral charge of emotion that will transport your back to 1987 and beyond showcasing the Noiseworks and INXS songs that were such a huge part of the soundtrack to our lives.
Miss it and you’re mad!
Formed in Perth in the early 2000’s, Birds of Tokyo have grown from independent roots to become one of Australia’s most popular contemporary rock bands.
Since their 2008 breakthrough Universes, all five of the group’s albums have reached the ARIA top 3 including two #1 hits: March Fires (2013) and Human Design (2021). Classic songs like “Good Lord”, “Plans”, “Lanterns”, “Two Of Us”, “Brace” and “Unbreakable” have all been top 10 airplay hits and more than seventy of their tracks have featured on Triple J, making them one of the National Youth Broadcaster’s three most played artists of this millennium. The band has also won the APRA Award for “Most Performed Rock/Alternative Work” on a record setting six separate occasions.
Epic live shows have always been at the core of their appeal. Birds Of Tokyo have played major festivals from Splendour In The Grass & Falls to Red Hot Summer and they have appeared as special guests for superstars like Muse, Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, Incubus and Bon Jovi. In recent years the band has toured across Australia with the country’s most prestigious Symphony Orchestras drawing unanimous critical acclaim and selling out three nights each at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Hamer Hall.
As Eskimo Joe enter their 29th year, there are no signs of slowing down.
With their latest single ‘Miracle Cure’ gaining huge radio support nation-wide and the band continuing to remain one of Australia’s favourite live bands, Eskimo Joe are still as vital as ever.
Their countless worldwide shows, 6 studio albums, 35 ARIA nominations for 8 wins and nearing 1 million records sold are among the plethora of achievements that the band continues to add to. Their songs have become staples of Australian radio, and their live performances, from packed festival stages to intimate theatre shows, continue to captivate audiences with their power, precision, and emotional honesty.
Three decades on, Eskimo Joe remain one of Australia’s most loved and enduring bands; a testament to the staying power of great songs, true friendship, and the undeniable magic of music.
It has been 35 years since one of Australia’s most revered rock bands, Baby Animals, burst onto the scene with the release of their 8x Platinum, ARIA Award winning, self-titled debut album, featuring iconic hits ‘Rush You’, ‘Early Warning’, ‘Painless’ and ‘One Word’. The band was touring with Van Halen in the US when they heard the album had topped the charts, ‘Baby Animals’ spending six weeks at number one in Australia and keeping Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ out of top spot. The album went eight times platinum and won three ARIA Awards – Best Album, Best Debut Album and Best Debut Single. It was also declared one of the Top 25 albums of 1992 in UK rock bible Kerrang!, and Baby Animals performed ‘Painless’ on Late Night With David Letterman. They later appeared in The 100 Best Australian Albums, and Suze DeMarchi was also featured in the book Rock Chicks, The Hottest Female Rockers from the 1960s tor now.
Chocolate Starfish are masters of live spectacle, delivering a high-octane mix of rock, theatre and pure crowd-shaking fun. Known for hits like “Mountain” and their explosive cover of “You’re So Vain,” they’ve built a reputation as one of Australia’s most unpredictable and entertaining festival acts. Their return to Sounds By The River promises another full-throttle ride!
Sarah McLeod is a founding member of the 3-time Aria award winning band the Superjesus.
With a successful career spanning over two decades, Sarah is an inductee into the South Australian Music Hall Of Fame. She has released four studio albums (two of which are certified platinum) and one live album with The Superjesus. Her solo career has also consisted of 3 studio albums, one live album and a handful of singles.
Mick Skelton, throughout the course of his career has played drums, recorded and collaborated with the who’s who of the Australian and international music scenes.
After a long time collaborating on multiple projects, Sarah & Mick have now joined forces and formed their own powerful new rock duo. Two heavyweights together on stage, Sarah McLeod & Mick Skelton.
SOUNDS BY THE RIVER 2027:
Saturday 9th January
Mannum Golf Club, Mannum SA
General Public on-sale: Friday 7th August 10.00am local time
Tickets are available at: www.ticketmaster.com.au
For further information, please visit: www.soundsbytheriver.com.au
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