-TOPIA reveals 90-artist lineup for third and biggest edition yet at Abbotsford Convent
The immersive music and arts festival returns to the heritage grounds on October 10.
Tessellate, a much-loved Naarm/Melbourne outsider art and music series, revealed the full lineup for -TOPIA 2026 yesterday, the third instalment of its takeover at the Abbotsford Convent, slated for its biggest year yet.
90 artists from a variety of disciplines will descend on the venue on Saturday, October 10, for a day and night of performances across three stages dedicated to its city and to a similar spirit across the globe.
READ: Many hands make lighter work at Tessellate-topia
Following two sold-out previous editions, -TOPIA is once again transforming the historic grounds of the Abbotsford Convent into an 11-hour event, increasing its size by 50% to a total of 1,500 punters.
While growth of that kind may in other events signify a move into more ‘commercial’ territories, -TOPIA has extended its commitment to the community around which it grows by creating 141 paid opportunities for this edition alone, with the intent to turn attendees from passive spectators into active creators and contributors.
Spanning across its three stages are a variety of local and internationally recognised names, showcasing the curatorial trust placed in the festival by its fans.
Headlining names include DJ Fettburger b2b Telephones, JNETT b2b Lauren Hansom, Amaliah, Cousin, Gut Health and Cutting Room, with further support from Snuff Puppets, Georgia Boseley, Bad Goblin, Casey Hare, Yiling & Yuchen and Danielle Harmshaw, with more names set to be announced.
Festival Director James "Benji" Benjamin says the booking team set out to represent the full breadth of Melbourne's creative underground.
"Our booking team has worked to create an even split of emerging, local and established artists from across several creative scenes, scenes that we are infatuated with or have been a part of for some time.
We are a large team, and a lot of us are artists, musicians and creatives. The skills shared and differences in visual and aural interests play into the bigger picture. I believe the spread of sound and vision in its diversity is what sets us apart."
That philosophy extends to how Benjamin wants the day to feel for those attending. "I'd describe -TOPIA as an experience rather than a festival," he says. "We want people to immerse themselves in the creative ecosystem we've built and experience everything collectively at once, rather than moving from one act to the next."
Tickets for -TOPIA’s 2026 edition are available now.
