Just one week before the world’s biggest hip-hop festival was set to make its triumphant return to Australian shores, Rolling Loud 2026 has been cancelled. Scheduled for March 7 at Centennial Park in Sydney and March 8 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, the sudden postponement is a massive blow to the local music scene.
The cancelled 2026 festival was set to feature a massive roster of hip-hop heavyweights, led by headliners Gunna, Ken Carson, and Sexyy Red. Fans were gearing up to see huge global names like Tyga, Swae Lee, Lil Tjay, NLE Choppa, and Quavo take the stage, alongside festival mainstays such as Ski Mask the Slump God. The international lineup also boasted an impressive array of talent including Ian, OsamaSon, Rich Amiri, Fimiguerrero, BunnaB, and F1lthy. Furthermore, the event was dedicated to showcasing the local scene with a strong contingent of Australian artists, meaning crowds would have been treated to energetic sets from homegrown acts like Hooligan Hefs, Youngn Lipz, Day1, Amarni, Lil Golo and Cult Shotta, 4ourttune, and Jonny Chopps before the plug was abruptly pulled.
The festival has not taken place in the region since 2019, after their 2022 plans also got cancelled. Australian hip hop fans have horrible luck, with Rolling Loud and other large hip hop acts cancelling frequently over the past few years. Fan have come to expect certain artists to pull out of events, not getting their hopes up.
While the festival has not officially announced the cancellation or a reason as to why, staffing for the event has been notified.
