While the move is frustrating for Brisbane music fans, the city isn’t exactly flush with other options. The RNA can hold about 22,000 people, while other outdoor venues, such as The Sporting Fields at Victoria Park, don’t have the capacity to accommodate such a large crowd, or the numerous stages that Laneway is known for.
The organisers said in a TikTok comment that Laneway’s new home, the Southport Sharks, “will be able to fit just as many people as Brisbane could”, on the venue’s AFL fields and nearby green spaces.
Music lovers attend Laneway Festival last year. Credit: Daniel Boud Crowd
In my experience, the RNA was by far the most convenient location for Brisbanites – just a 15-minute walk from Fortitude Valley station, or an Uber to Gregory Terrace.
The RNA experience always felt seamless, unlike the nightmare that is Doug Jennings Park at Main Beach, where I attended the Souled Out Festival in 2024.
After being confronted with what felt like endless queues for coaches after the headline set, my friend and I decided to walk to a main road to find a tram. Trekking down Seaworld Drive with blistered feet and a dwindling game of “I Spy” to keep us entertained, I vowed to never subject myself to that experience again.
But it wasn’t long before my resolve dissolved and I bought tickets to Spilt Milk for this coming December to endure the entire ordeal all over again. Sometimes the headliners outweigh the blisters (hello Kendrick Lamar and Doechii).
While Laneway 2026 isn’t being taken hostage by Doug Jennings Park, its move away from the familiar and convenient RNA Showgrounds fills me with apprehension.
Yes, accommodation options abound on the Gold Coast, but there’s something so comforting about ending the night in my own bed.
Even though I love a festival, I’m not willing to abandon my entire routine for one night of fun – I’m not 18 any more.
All other Laneway locations are in capital cities, so it feels embarrassing that Brisbane has slipped off the radar. Will RNB festival Fridayz Live, punk festival Good Things, and New Year’s rave Wildlands all decamp to our southern neighbours too?
As Brisbane prepares for the 2032 Olympics, let’s hope not.
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