Support the Sound of Change
Welcome to Long Listen, a festival of brave, bold, and brilliant listening experiences.
After three transformative festivals in Eudlo, Palmwoods, and Mapleton, Long Listen returns 2–5 October 2026, offering four days of concerts, conversations, and cultural experiences across the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
More than a festival, Long Listen is a playground for artistic curiosity, a celebration of connection, and a platform for daring new work. Founded by Louise King, each annual program champions Australian art music, eclectic genres, and dynamic artists, from world-class chamber ensembles to world music, blues, folk, and experimental sounds in concert and conversation.
Our venues range from historic small halls to bookshops, cafés, and pubs, creating intimate and immersive experiences. Highlights from past festivals include Véronique Serret & Band with William Barton, Ensemble Q with Emily Granger (QSO harp), Tim Munro (QCGU flute), Courtenay Cleary (violin), Alex Raineri (piano), and emerging artists like Cerulean Collective, alongside world music international luminaries Qais Essar (rabab), Snehesh Nag (sitar), and Australian festival favourites, Estampa, PanAlchemy, State of Appalachia and Hat Fitz & Cara.
Multi-disciplinary collaborations, experimental performances, and young audience programs, including the Mad Hatter kids’ classics concert, bring audiences of all ages into the joy of music-making.
2025 marked exciting firsts: our inaugural RADF and Arts QLD QASP funded program, Festival Conversations with Ed Le Brocq, Dr Hope O’Chin, Emily Winter and Gillian Wills, a world premiere and festival commission by Queensland composer Nicole Murphy with a 13-piece chamber orchestra, and our first Chamber Music Gala uniting three generations of musicians in a side-by-side mentoring project.
As an artist-led festival, we are committed to fair pay, intercultural and interdisciplinary collaboration, mentoring, and expanding opportunities for local, national, and international artists. Your support helps ensure these transformative experiences continue, nurturing creativity, community, and the next generation of Australian musicians.
Why Your Support Matters
In just three years, Long Listen has emerged as a cultural force on the Sunshine Coast, shaping how audiences experience music and fostering connections across generations, cultures, and artistic disciplines. Rising costs, ambitious programming, and a geographically wide-reaching audience make your support essential, enabling us to dream bold and brave projects and deliver transformative festival experiences.
In 2026, your generosity will help bring to life our second festival commission for the annual gala, expand our side-by-side mentoring program for emerging musicians, and deepen community engagement with local schools, aged care centres, music groups, and next-generation artists. With your support, we can nurture creativity, amplify diverse voices, and grow a vibrant, inclusive musical ecosystem that resonates far beyond our festival stages.
Your Gift Directly Supports
- Festival 2026 – delivering professional production, unforgettable performances, and meaningful community engagement across the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
- Fair pay for artists and crew – sustaining a thriving, professional creative ecosystem and nurturing local, national, and international talent.
- A new commission and a world premiere – collaborating with bold creative voices who are shaping Australia’s cultural landscape.
- Creative collaboration and mentorship – commissioning and presenting new works by Queensland-based composers while inspiring the next generation of musicians through workshops, education, and side-by-side mentoring programs.
Your support ensures that Long Listen continues to push artistic boundaries, amplify diverse voices, and foster a vibrant, inclusive musical community.
Join Us
Every gift matters. Your generosity nurtures artists, enables daring new work, and ensures extraordinary music thrives in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Donate today to power Long Listen and invest in the future of music, culture, and connection.
Brave. Bold. Brilliant.
Louise King, Artistic Director
How to Donate:
Choose your amount using the details below, and we’ll take care of everything else!