City of Yarra’s beloved winter music festival Leaps and Bounds is returning in 2026 with a packed ten-day program celebrating the venues, artists and communities that help make Melbourne’s inner north one of the country’s live music capitals.
Running from Thursday 16 to Sunday 26 July, the festival will spread across Fitzroy, Collingwood, Abbotsford and Richmond, transforming pubs, bars, DIY spaces and local venues into hubs for live music, pop-ups, broadcasts, record fairs and one-off collaborations. Best of all, every event will either be free or low cost.
“Live music is a fundamental part of Yarra’s identity,” Yarra City Council Mayor, Stephen Jolly said.
“Leaps and Bounds is about backing that culture by supporting the local artists, bookers, promoters and venue operators who make us one of the most important music communities if not the most in Australia. And with ten days of free and low-cost events, we’re making sure that more people can experience it.”
This year’s program includes massive venue takeovers, including IN MOTION as part of HIGH GROUND, which will span The Night Cat, The Evelyn Hotel and Punters Club with sets from Public Figures, Skeleten and more.
New Collingwood venue Trainscendence will host Loco Motion, a weekend celebrating music, arts and creative culture for all ages, while The Gem presents Stone Fest, a free Sunday session featuring Girlatones, Daisy Kilbourne and Hannah Kate.
Across the festival there’ll also be disability pride parties, West African music celebrations, zine fairs soundtracked by punk bands, immersive AV club nights and performances from emerging local artists. Venues including The Tote, Lulie Tavern, The Old Bar, Glamorama and The Grace Darling are all set to host special events.
The popular Leaps and Bounds Record Fair will also return to Collingwood Town Hall alongside PBS’s annual live broadcast from the Yorkshire Stingo Hotel.
Check out the full festival program at https://leapsandboundsmusicfestival.com/
