From Lithe to Miss Kaninna, Here Are the Must-See Local Acts at Listen Out 2024

We all know it’s been a rough few years for music festivals, with long-standing events canceled and international acts pulling out of their Australian tour dates with frustrating regularity. But festival lovers, fear not—Listen Out will be returning this September, touching down in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney—and they’re committed to putting on the festival of the year.

Listen Out has pulled out even more stops this year, returning with an impressive lineup that collates worldwide talent. Headlining the festival are 21 Savage and legendary UK MC Skepta, who hasn't performed in Australia since 2016. Other notable acts include Jesse Reyez, Flo Milli, Teezo Touchdown, and Tyla—all of whom will be performing in Australia for the first time at the festival.

But Listen Out couldn't and wouldn't forget about local talent. There are plenty of local acts on the bill this year to be excited about, and as the festival's official media partner, we've picked three must-see local acts!

If you don't know who Lithe is, don't worry—you likely will very soon. Hailing from Melbourne, Lithe has been dropping music since 2018 but has blown up in the last few months thanks to viral hits that have racked up hundreds of millions of streams. 

There's an air of mystery to everything Lithe does; he often obscures his face in photos and appears only sparingly in his music videos. He's created an air of intrigue around himself and has also chosen to remain independent despite his rapid success—only adding to his under-the-radar persona.  

Lithe's dark, moody, and melodic trap bangers, including "737," "Slide By Me," and "Selfish Game," have all garnered millions of listens, and the viral track "Fall Back" has more than likely ticked over 100 Million plays on Spotify by the time you're reading this. Not stopping there, his collaboration with OVO artist Roy Woods is hopefully a sign of more international link-ups to come. By the time Lisen Out rolls around, Lithe will likely have soared to even greater heights, and his set is one you won't want to miss.

Another local act blessing the Listen Out stage in 2024 is Miss Kaninna. Originally from Lutruwita (Tasmania) and now based in Melbourne, Miss Kaninna is an emerging artist known for her powerful voice, bold lyrics, and dynamic performances. Kaninna is a proud Yorta Yorta, DjaDja Wurrung, Kalkadoon, and Yirendali woman who incorporates neo-soul, R&B, hip-hop, and pop elements into her music. 

Her debut single, "Blak Britney," released last year, is an anti-establishment anthem that celebrates Blak excellence and speaks to the challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Her follow-up, "Pinnacle Bitch," was a bouncy club banger that explored similar themes. Off the success of both of these records, Kaninna was named "Unearthed Artist of The Year" at the 2023 J awards. 

Singles aside, Miss Kaninna has also been impressing audiences with her electric live shows. In the last 12 months, she’s graced several festival and event stages, including Laneway, Beyond the Valley, Meredith, and SXSW Sydney—where, notably, she was the inaugural winner of the Justin Cosby Music Prize for Best Emerging Artist. Her set at Listen Out isn’t one to miss—no doubt she’ll put on a hell of a show.  

Multi-hyphenate and Kurnai, Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri woman, and Listen Out alumna Soju Gang is once again on the line-up this year and will be bringing one of her energetic, eclectic sets to the Listen Out stage.

The DJ, radio host, designer, and model is no newcomer to the scene—she’s played some of the biggest parties and festivals in the country: Boiler Room, Pitch, BIGSOUND, BTV, and Groovin The Moo. Notably, her Boiler Room set racked up 242k views and counting, and includes a tongue-in-cheek moment that went viral.

You can catch Soju mixing hip-hop, garage, R&B, jungle and more on the Listen Out stage—don't lack!

You can cop tickets to Listen Out 2024 here.