ARIA award winners and emerging figures in Australia's rock scene are among the First Nations names announced this week to headline St Kilda Festival by the beach next month.
Off the back of a bumper year, alt-rock six-piece Selve join 2025 Best Hip Hop-Rap Release ARIA winner BARKAA on stage for First Peoples First on day one of the festival.
Pop icon Jess Mauboy headlines on day two, alongside naughties dance favourites Sneaky Sound System and the reunion of 1980s rock heavyweights Mental as Anything.
St Kilda Festival is set to kiss the sand of Port Phillip Bay on Saturday and Sunday February 14-15, billed as the country's biggest and longest-running free music festival.
The all-ages event estimates 350,000 attendees in 2025 for the music and community events.
First Nations First on the Saturday promises "a showcase of Australia's best established and emerging First Nations artists, and community events, across two stages at South Beach Reserve and O'Donnell Gardens", the festival outlines.
After taking their sound to the UK and Europe in 2024, Selve, fronted by Jabirr Jabirr singer Loki Liddle, continued their momentum last year.
After recording their sophomore album Breaking Into Heaven at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London, the band capped the year with a big string of dates down the east coast in celebration of the release.
BARKAA's continued rise among Australia's best and most-loved performers went up another notch in the previous 12 months.
To go with her ARIA, 2024's Big Tidda also picked up the NSW First Nations Music Prize among a host of nominations last year.
"St Kilda is known and loved for its live music so we're always excited to present this free summer celebration which has something for everyone to enjoy," Port Phillip Council Mayor Louise Crawford said on the Festival's return announcement in August.
