Something Fest 2026

Something Fest 2026 brings you a week long festival celebrating the ultimate convergence of digital, innovation and technology.

About the Event

The ultimate convergence of digital, innovation and technology.

Something Fest returns for our 5th annual festival this August, bringing together the entire digital, innovation and tech ecosystem. From startups and small business to large corporations, government and educational institutions.

The 2026 festival will run from the 25th of August through to the 28th of August. The week will be made up of a series of events and activations that are designed to take attendees on a journey to all corners of our digital, innovation and tech ecosystem.

Full details can be found at https://somethingfest.com.au/

2026 Theme: Shaping the paradox era

In 2025, we asked what it means to reimagine human intelligence - exploring how humans and machines think, create and work together.

As human and machine intelligence begin to blend, a new reality emerges: contradiction. This is what comes next in 2026.

We now find ourselves surrounded by paradoxes that are too critical to ignore. Automation is increasing while human agency is tested; systems are scaling as trust, care and meaning are stretched, and innovation continues to outpace our ability to understand or govern it effectively.

These tensions are no longer theoretical. They are shaping our organisations, our systems and our personal lives.

Shaping the paradox era is a call to move beyond rethinking and into building. It asks us to sit with opposing ideas - even when uncomfortable - long enough to shape a way forward that doesn't require choosing one at the expense of the other.

This is the work of our time - to build a future that can hold complexity and deliver progress without losing agency and humanity.

Who Should Attend

• Something Digital: Anyone working in or on digital innovation & strategies
• Something Tech: Those interested in the startup and emerging tech ecosystems
• Something Q: Those keen to deep dive into the policies & opportunities driving QLD

Our audience is as diverse as the innovation ecosystem itself!

Whether you are the Policy Lead in a government department, the Founder of a startup, the Digital Innovation Manager in a corporate or a Virtual Reality Choreographer in an arts organisation then Something Fest has something for you!

What's Included

• All Access Ticket to Something Digital + Something Tech
• Access to all activations and side events during Something Fest
• The ONLY shareable ticket type
• Masterclass Access
• Food and Caffeine All Day, Every Day
• Access to Something Fest Networking Drinks
  

Ticket Options

• Standard – $999
• Earlybird – $799
• Groups save 10-15%

Event Notes

• Something Digital Networking drinks take place Tuesday evening.
• Something Fest mid-week drinks take place Wednesday evening.
• Something Tech Networking drinks take place Thursday evening on the HSW Lawn
• River Rival will be held Friday evening, 28 August.
• Late ticket buyers are welcome, though early registration is encouraged.
• All updates and schedules will be accessible via the Something Tech and Something Digital Apps.