One of South Australia’s biggest outdoor rock events is returning to Mannum with an all-Australian line-up led by Jimmy Barnes.
Sounds By The River will take over Mannum Golf Club on Saturday, January 9, 2027, bringing together some of the country’s biggest rock acts for a full day of live music.
Jimmy Barnes will headline the festival, joined by Jon Stevens performing The Noiseworks and INXS Collection, Birds of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe, Baby Animals, Chocolate Starfish and Sarah McLeod with Mick Skelton.
The popular regional event has developed a strong history of sell-out shows, drawing thousands of music fans to the banks of the Murray River each year.
The whole line up for Sounds by the River 2027 includes:
- Jimmy Barnes
- Jon Stevens – The Noiseworks & INXS Collection
- Birds of Tokyo
- Eskimo Joe
- Baby Animals
- Chocolate Starfish
- Sarah McLeod & Mick Skelton
Barnes returns to Mannum following another major period in a career spanning more than four decades.
The Cold Chisel frontman and solo artist has achieved 22 number-one albums and is one of the few musicians to have been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame twice.
He returned to the top of the charts in June 2025 with his 21st studio album, Defiant, before marking the 40th anniversary of For the Working Class Man with a documentary, special releases and a series of major outdoor concerts.
Jon Stevens will bring the songs of Noiseworks and INXS back to the stage, with a set expected to include Australian rock staples such as “Take Me Back”, “Touch”, “New Sensation”, “No Lies”, “Never Tear Us Apart” and “Don’t Change”.
Birds of Tokyo will also join the bill, performing from a catalogue that includes “Plans”, “Lanterns”, “Good Lord”, “Unbreakable” and “Two of Us”.
The Perth-formed band has produced five top-three albums and two number-one records, while becoming one of the most-played Australian artists on triple j this century.
Fellow Western Australian band Eskimo Joe will arrive at Sounds By The River as it approaches three decades together.
With six studio albums, eight ARIA Awards and songs including “Black Fingernails, Red Wine”, “From the Sea” and “Foreign Land”, the group remains a regular fixture across Australian festivals and radio.
Baby Animals will bring another collection of Australian rock favourites to Mannum, 35 years after the release of their eight-times-platinum debut album. The record produced “Rush You”, “Early Warning”, “Painless” and “One Word” and spent six weeks at number one in Australia.
Chocolate Starfish will add their theatrical live show and hits including “Mountain” and “You’re So Vain”, while Superjesus founding member and South Australian Music Hall of Fame inductee Sarah McLeod will perform alongside drummer Mick Skelton.
General public tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster at 10am on Friday, August 7.
Sounds By The River 2027
When: Saturday, January 9
Where: Mannum Golf Club
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