In Photos: 10 Years of Australia’s Beyond the Valley

What began as an ambitious idea has grown into a multi-day event that’s become one of Victoria’s core summer music fixtures. 

This year, Beyond the Valley returns to its Barunah Plains home from 28 Dec–1 Jan to welcome in 2026.

The independent festival’s tenth year stands out as a meaningful milestone amid an era when many large-scale events have struggled. BTV has weathered industry-wide uncertainty, from the impacts of the pandemic to the rising costs of staging festivals, and even the increasingly unpredictable local climate. But despite the pressures facing the wider landscape, it continues to perform strongly: the 2025 edition sold out in under an hour, setting a new record for pre-sale sign-ups.

Part of the enduring draw has been the line-ups. Across the decade, BTV has hosted a wide spectrum of pop and electronic acts, while weaving in indie bands, rap, and more. Alongside both rising and mainstream Australian artists, UK sounds and global names have featured consistently over the past few years, including Central Cee, Overmono, Ghetts, Shygirl and Flowdan & Neffa-T, as well as Yung Lean, Ice Spice, Tinashe, Kaytranada and Yung Lean. 

Alongside the big names, platforming rising artists remains central. “Music discovery is one of the core values BTV was built on. We want people to leave the festival not just having seen their favourite acts, but having fallen in love with artists they didn’t know they’d connect with,” says Christian Serrao, the co-founder and Managing Partner of the independently-owned music and events company Untitled Group. “That mix of nostalgia, current favourites, and future sounds is what gives the festival its energy year after year.”

“Headline decisions always start with culture and community,” he continues. “We look at who’s genuinely shaping conversations, who feels meaningful to our audience in that moment, and which artists can elevate the festival experience beyond just a performance. Of course, logistics matter, but we put a lot of time into understanding where artists are in their trajectory, whether we can help create a milestone moment for them, and how they contribute to the story we want each edition of BTV to tell.”

This year, that story is shaped partly by two artists who made our top albums and tracks of the year lists. “Addison Rae and Turnstile represent two very different but equally exciting cultural movements. Together, they reflect the breadth of BTV being a festival that celebrates both cult heroes and boundary-pushing pop,” Serrao says of the headliners, who are joined by returning favourite Dom Dolla and Kid Cudi. Highlights on the wider line-up include I Hate Models, 070 Shake, VTSS and Fcukers. As always, the programme extends beyond music, too – attendees can expect food, comedy, a run club co-organised with Salomon, and live conversations from authors, podcasters and local creatives. 

Ahead of this year’s edition, look back at the stages and crowds over the past ten years in the photos below.