What started in Sydney’s warehouse scene is now heading straight into Melbourne as SANDBOX announces its first national festival series, bringing its high-energy hard dance movement to PICA this September.
Born as an underground event series, SANDBOX has quickly evolved into one of Australia’s most talked-about electronic music communities, known for its intense production, emotional atmosphere and crowd-first approach that places connection at the centre of the experience.
After four years of sold-out shows, the project is stepping onto a much bigger stage, with a touring festival format set to hit Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth across September. For Melbourne, the event lands at PICA on the city’s west side, transforming the industrial space into a full-scale rave environment built for hard bounce, hard techno and schranz.
Organisers say the expansion reflects a growing demand for experiences that go beyond club nights, with SANDBOX designed to feel more like a shared journey than a standard festival bill.
“This first edition is about creating something Australia can truly be proud of,” organisers said.
“For us, SANDBOX Festival represents everything we’ve been building toward over the last four years. What started as a vision within Sydney club culture has evolved into a national movement built around music, connection and experience.”
The inaugural line-up brings together international and local names across the harder styles of electronic music, including Malaysia’s Jovynn, US act Beauz, Russia’s Zapravka, Germany’s NEGITIV and Sydney’s HIJCKD, alongside a stack of emerging talent.
Melbourne’s edition at PICA will also feature the festival’s signature production approach, with world-class sound systems and immersive staging designed to push the warehouse experience into something more cinematic and physical.
Following Brisbane on 18 September and Sydney at White Bay Power Station, the Melbourne stop is expected to be one of the standout moments of the run before the series wraps in Perth on 27 September.
Tickets go on pre-sale from 9 June, with general release opening 15 June. For Melbourne’s electronic music scene, SANDBOX is shaping up as one of the biggest new arrivals of the year.
