New stars join Kendrick Lamar for Australia’s summer run

Australia’s touring Spilt Milk festival has bolstered its already packed 2025 lineup by adding genre-bending artist Genesis Owusu and rising singer-songwriter Lotte Gallagher. The December festival, which will hit Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast, was already drawing attention thanks to a bill topped by Kendrick Lamar and featuring acts like Doechii, Dominic Fike and Schoolboy Q. The late additions deepen the mix of local and international names, and signal that organisers want to keep live hip-hop and alternative pop at the centre of Australia’s summer circuit.

Genesis Owusu arrives at Spilt Milk with a reputation as one of the country’s most inventive performers. His debut album “Smiling with No Teeth” topped critics’ lists for its free-wheeling blend of rap, funk, jazz and soul, while follow-up “Struggler” confirmed his status as a festival head-turner. Recent intimate residency shows in Sydney and Melbourne sold out quickly and drew raves for his tightly choreographed, theatrical sets. Dropping him into a large-scale outdoor festival gives organisers a bankable local draw alongside international heavyweights, and offers fans a rare chance to see a homegrown act command the same stage.

Lotte Gallagher, by contrast, is closer to a breakout story. The singer’s guitar-driven indie pop has been slowly building an audience through streaming platforms and support slots, and Spilt Milk will expose her to much larger crowds. Programming emerging voices like Gallagher alongside global stars has become a trademark of the festival, which markets itself as a place to “discover your next favourite artist” between blockbuster sets. Promoters say the approach helps future-proof the event as tastes shift across TikTok-led pop, R&B, electronic music and rap.

Beyond the lineup itself, the 2025 edition underscores how important regional festivals have become for both fans and local economies. Spilt Milk’s stops outside Australia’s biggest cities bring headline acts to audiences who might otherwise have to travel long distances or miss out entirely. Hotels, restaurants and small venues in host cities report a surge in bookings whenever the festival comes through. In the wake of the pandemic and a cost-of-living squeeze, that extra spending has become vital for many regional businesses trying to stay afloat.

For international observers, the festival offers another snapshot of how global and local scenes now mesh. A bill that pairs Kendrick Lamar with an Australian artist like Genesis Owusu reflects how rap and R&B have become deeply woven into the country’s musical identity, while still leaving room for indie pop, dance and heavier club sounds. With set times due to drop shortly and only limited tickets remaining for some dates, organisers are betting that a combination of star power, discovery appeal and regional reach will keep Spilt Milk near the top of Australia’s crowded festival calendar.