The Bali-based music conference and showcase also introduces an expanded songwriting camp and a Southeast Asian hawker-inspired food experience
Fast-emerging Filipino acts ALYSON, PLAYERTWO, and Novocrane are gearing up to represent the Philippines at AXEAN Festival 2026, Southeast Asia’s leading music showcase and conference, set to take place on August 29–30, 2026 at Jimbaran Hub in Bali, Indonesia.
Selected by AXEAN Festival in partnership with its co-founder and official Philippine collaborator, The Rest Is Noise PH, the three artists have secured spots in the festival’s first-wave lineup. They will perform alongside acts from across Asia and other regions, showcasing their music before an audience of international industry professionals, festival organizers, and music enthusiasts from around the globe.
AXEAN Festival and The Rest Is Noise PH co-founder MC Galang emphasizes that beyond the roster’s individual achievements, their inclusion reflects the depth, diversity, and global potential of the Filipino music community today. “As co-founders of both AXEAN Festival and The Rest Is Noise PH, it’s especially meaningful for us to continue creating opportunities that connect Filipino artists with international audiences, industry professionals, and new markets. Over the years, our work has been centered on building bridges between Southeast Asia and the rest of the world, and seeing more Filipino artists take their place on global stages is a reminder of why that work matters.”
Galang explains that the global push for homegrown artists builds upon The Rest Is Noise PH’s longstanding commitment to music export and international development. “Earlier this year, The Rest Is Noise PH expanded this mission through the launch of our music consultancy and management arm, beginning with AXEAN Festival 2025 alumni ONE CLICK STRAIGHT for global management representation and bookings. For us, these efforts all stem from the same belief: that Filipino artists deserve sustained support, meaningful opportunities, and a place in conversations happening far beyond our borders. We’re excited for what lies ahead—not just for these artists, but also for the next generation of Filipino musicians ready to connect with the world.”
Regional and international artists join the celebration
Also leading the first wave announcement is an esteemed pool of Indonesian artists that reflects the country’s vibrant and eclectic music scene. Among the names confirmed for the maiden batch are top-streamed singer-songwriter Ndarboy Genk, experimental music quartet Basajan, Yogyakarta-based band LOR, Tropical Dessert trio Babon, Jakarta alt-rock band Satu Per Empat, rising singer-songwriter Jo Soegono, jazz rock trio Emptyyy, and R&B/soul star Noni.
This year’s lineup also gets an extra boost from emerging and seasoned acts in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia’s very own indie pop outfit Masdo, alt-rock veterans Pitahati, and genre-defying artists Lil Asian Thiccie x dj magn3sium. Singapore contributes a strong contingent with acclaimed indie rock band Subsonic Eye and experimental collective sub:shaman. Thailand’s thriving independent scene arrives in force through Yellow Fang, INSPIRATIVE, SLOWWVES, and Cupnoodle, while Macau’s Scamper and France’s Treaks heighten the festival’s increasingly global outlook.
Explaining the festival’s curation philosophy, AXEAN Festival co-founder Piyapong Muenprasertdee shares, “Professionalism, live performance excellence, and a clear artistic vision genuinely drive most of our selections—those are the qualities we’re looking for first. However, not every artist meets all the criteria, and this approach is intentional: we also prioritize representing less-heard music scenes. Alongside the most polished, export-ready acts, we make room for artists from locales the wider industry rarely hears from. And the value there is long-term—when those artists showcase at AXEAN, they take the experience and the learnings home, where they help nurture the next generation from their scene, who may go on to reach the global stage further than the artists who came before them.”
AXEAN Festival co-founder David Siow echoes Py’s statements but emphasizes that this year’s edition promises a stronger lineup with global potential. “For audiences, our curation of artists has been geared towards artists with great live sets and who are ripe for export. You can see artists who are about to blow up, artists who will blow your minds, and artists whose future moves will blow you away.”
New program elements
Standing up for its commitment to community-building and innovation, AXEAN Festival 2026 will introduce several new elements in the program designed to strengthen its engagement among artists, delegates, partners, and audiences.
The conference and festival platform will also continue its highly regarded Songwriting Camp, which has become a cornerstone of AXEAN’s artist development initiative since its introduction in 2024.
Siow explains, “The songwriting camp introduced in 2024 (and optimized in 2025) was also born out of our drive to do things right for artists; hence, when we designed the camp, it was something that was only meant for collaborations. We take pride in creating a relaxed and casual environment that fosters creativity and friendships, as we believe the atmosphere contributes to the high quality of the final song outputs. Of course, being in Bali helps, because we can conduct the camp in villas with pools and great vibes.”
The AXEAN Festival team, including Philippine co-founders Ian Urrutia (far left) and MC Galang (fourth from the left)
Further improving the festival experience is a brand-new food and beverage concept inspired by Southeast Asia’s iconic hawker centers and food courts. The initiative will bring together dishes and culinary traditions from across Southeast Asia, giving attendees the opportunity to explore the region’s rich cultural diversity through food.
Py adds, “Few things represent Southeast Asian culture better than its food, so we’re curating regional vendors into the festival canteen. There’s a saying that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach. Also, I personally think, and have seen, that people connect more genuinely over food and drinks, so we’d rather create the conditions for that than over-program things.”
Apart from the carefully curated lineup of performances and new offerings, this year’s AXEAN Festival will continue its focus on industry development programming through panel discussions, business matchmaking, and structured networking sessions.
Early bird tickets
Early bird tickets are now on sale through www.loket.com/o/axeanfestival, with more artist announcements, conference speakers, and program updates expected in the coming months.
AXEAN Festival 2026 is presented in collaboration with Jimbaran Hub as the venue partner and TuneCore as the main stage sponsor. The festival is also supported by EMPIRE as a stage sponsor; the Embassy of France in Indonesia & Institut Français Indonesia, Embassy of France in Singapour, Centre National de la Musique, and Institut Français as festival partners; The Orchard as the VIP partner; MADVERSE as the primary sponsor of the songwriting camp; KSR and Musicway as secondary songwriting camp sponsors; Sounds Australia as the music exchange partner; and DEBEAT Sunset Road and Millers Records as equipment partners.
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