There are few places in the world where you can watch a world-class act perform against the backdrop of a historic military precinct, settled on a pristine headland, with the Manly night sky overhead. Night At The Barracks is a truly unique experience, enriched with sound, starlight and fresh air. The award-winning concert series returns to North Head Sanctuary this September and October.

Boy & Bear

Supported by Charlie Collins & Kaitlin Keegan
Friday 11 September
Sydney's finest indie folk rock band opens the series. As five-time ARIA Award winners, Boy & Bear are the perfect way to ease into a season of live music.

Aloe Blacc‍

Supported by WILSN and Birren
Saturday 12 September
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc makes his long-awaited return to Sydney as part of his Wake Me Up tour, his first Sydney performance in seven years. Soulful, anthemic and not to be missed.

Long Way to The Top starring Dave Gleeson‍

Supported by  Don't Change: Ultimate INXS
Sunday 13 September
Dave Gleeson premieres his award-winning show, a euphoric sprint through the Australian rock canon featuring songs by AC/DC, INXS, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, Powderfinger and more. Brought to you by Triple M.

The Temper Trap‍

Supported by Lastlings and Summer Rain
Friday 18 September
ARIA Award-winners The Temper Trap return with new music from Sungazer, their first album in nearly a decade, alongside the timeless anthems that made them.

Sneaky Sound System‍

Supported by The Potbelleez and DJ Robbie Lowe
Saturday 19 September
The first of two unseated, dancing-only nights belongs to platinum-selling electro-pop powerhouse Sneaky Sound System, featuring the magnetic Connie Mitchell and DJ Angus McDonald. Clear some space and prepare to move.

PNAU‍

Supported by Alice Ivy
Friday 25 September
ARIA Award-winning electro pop pioneers PNAU bring The Nirvana Tour to North Head, fresh from international chart success with 'Cold Heart' alongside Elton John and Dua Lipa.

Ben Folds‍

Supported by Lindsey Kraft
Saturday 26 September
Emmy-nominated pianist, singer-songwriter and composer Ben Folds delivers hits from Ben Folds Five and his solo work, blending piano-driven anthems with sharp storytelling and over three decades of genre-defining music.

Katie Noonan: Jeff Buckley's Grace‍

Supported by Georgia Field
and Taya Lealani
Sunday 27 September
One of Australia's most versatile artists, Katie Noonan performs her critically acclaimed celebration of Jeff Buckley's iconic album Grace, following a sell-out national tour. Tender and breathtaking.

The Cruel Sea with Magic Dirt

Friday 2 October
A landmark evening as The Cruel Sea celebrate the 30th anniversary of their number one, double-platinum album Three Legged Dog, joined by the legendary Magic Dirt.

JET‍

Supported by Liquid Zoo and Aloe Vera
Saturday 3 October
The series closes with a supernova. JET bring their irresistible rock and roll energy to North Head for an unforgettable finale, with hits 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' and 'Rollover DJ'.

The event runs on 100% renewable energy, with reusable cups, recycled merchandise and 100% electric shuttle buses this year.

Tickets on sale now. Visit nightatthebarracks.com.au.

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Swapping Secrets With Sneaky Sound System

An Interview with Angus McDonald and Connie Mitchell of Sneaky Sound System.

For other artists, dance can be less central to their music-making, but as one of the few unseated acts at Night At The Barracks, dance is clearly at the forefront. Why do you feel it is so important?

Dance music, at its core, is about connection and letting go of your inhibitions. It's one of the few things where a whole crowd can feel the same thing at the same time without needing to overthink it. We've always loved that immediacy – where people let go and simply move; there's no hiding behind it. If we're ever playing to a seated audience, it might be time to move on.

As a band that's been going for so long, you bring plenty of feel-good nostalgia. Can fans expect some novelty as well?

Hopefully a bit of both. We're very aware that certain songs carry memories for people – first festivals, first road trips, all that – and we love leaning into that. But we'd get bored pretty quickly if it was just a museum piece. So there's always little twists, new sounds, maybe a surprise or two – keeps it interesting for us as much as anyone. This show actually coincides with the 20th anniversary of our first album's release, so there could be a bit of a nod to that. To be honest, we always make things up as we go along, so the set will work itself out on the night.

Do you feel that the Australian dance music scene has changed over the years?

Massively. When we started, it felt a bit more underground – you had to go looking for it. Now it's completely woven into the mainstream, which is great, but it also means things move faster. Trends come and go pretty quickly. The upside is, there's so much talent coming through now, particularly home-grown talent, and the level of production, songwriting, performance and penetration into the global scene is crazy.

Sneaky Sound System hasn't always been a duo. Do the two of you feed off each other's energy well, or do you ever feel like you need to reach out for inspiration?

We definitely feed off each other. We were a trio for the first couple of albums and had a touring band of six plus a big crew for a while, but for the last 15 years or so, it has just been the two of us doing our thing. There's a shorthand now after all these years, which makes our partnership pretty fluid. We're always open to outside inspiration, whether it's collaborating, listening to new music, or just being out in the world watching other artists, but we do tend to live very happily in our own little bubble for the most part.

If your songs were the soundtrack to life, which songs would play at each moment?

On a road trip with the girls would be ‘Pictures’. At a massive sporting moment would be ‘Big’. At your wedding, it would be ‘I Love It’. When you're a little blue would be ‘Remember’. Big concert moment is ‘UFO’. Feeling silly is ‘We Love’. On a euro holiday is ‘Summertime Madness’. The end credits would be ‘Maybe’.

Which of your songs means the most to you?

That's always a tough one because they all capture a moment in time. But "I Love It" is probably the one that changed everything for us – it opened the door.
It was the first song we worked on and that moment hearing Connie sing on a song I had written just blew my mind. It transformed it, it transcended it, it set the wheels in motion as to what we could do together. We will always be grateful for that moment.

Do you have any fresh music coming
out in 2026?

We sure do; we've been sitting on a treasure trove of new material that will finally make its way out into the world. Also expect a couple of collaborations and some reworks of a few classics! •

Manly 11 September – 3 October 2026

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