Rising Aussie indie rock outfit Vacations — Campbell Burns (vocals, guitar), Jake Johnson (bass), Nate Delizzoti (guitar) and Joseph Van Lier (drums) — formed back in 2015 in Newcastle, Australia. The band’s recorded output, 2015’s Days EP, 2016’s Vibes EP, their full-length debut, 2018’s Changes, along with 2018’s Forever in Bloom and last year’s No Place Like Home have seen them firmly establish a sound they’ve described as “woozy guitar pop,” which combines elements of indie pop with jangle pop and lo-fi.
2026 looks to be a big year for the Aussie quartet: They plan to release new material next year. Following the inaugural MATES Festival, which took place in Newcastle, Australia back in 2022, te festival has evolved into a traveling international hub for underground indie-pop and indie rock artists. And they’ll bring the third installation of their MATES Festival to Knockdown Center on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
The all-day, full-building, multi-stage event will take place all over the the venue’s Main Hall and Ruins, and will feature sets from Vacations, grentperez, girlpuppy, Mamalarky, Alex Lahey, Horse Jumper of Love, Thelma Plum and Winter.
““I moved from LA to NYC earlier this year and have fallen in love with the city and the community here,” Vacations’ Campbell Burns says. “For this installment of MATES, I wanted to bring over some of the best Australian acts to the Big Apple and also invite local acts, and beyond, that have become some of my favorite artists this year. I want MATES to continue to bridge the gap between Australia and the USA, with a focus of putting Australian artists front and centre to international audiences.”
The public on-sale began yesterday. You can purchase tickets here y’all.
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