BLOG: A DISCO & FUNK head’s guide to SUBSONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL 2025 + SET TIMES

We’re beyond excited to be heading up and being part of Subsonic Music Festival 2025 this year!

📅 Dates: Friday Dec 5 – Sunday Dec 7
📍 Location: Riverwood Downs Resort, Monkerai Valley (Worimi Country) – ~3.5 hrs north of Sydney
🍷 BYO Festival: Set across 750 acres of lush wilderness, with riverfront, mountain views, and plenty of space to swim, dance, and connect.

Subsonic is packed with over 120 acts, spanning Afro-Latin, Disco-Funk, House, Electronica, Drum & Bass, Reggae Roots, live bands, and more. Beyond music, the festival offers:\

There is 1,2, & full 3 day tickets on sale. We also have some industry discount links for friends and family, we’d love to see you there and share the experience. If you’re thinking about heading down, ticket link is above or feel free to to touch bases with us at soulofsydney@gmail.com.

We looked over a massive line & here is a guide we put together to some of the live acts & performs we recommended catching while you are there.

SUBSONIC SET TIMES:

A vibrant promotional poster for the Subsonic Music Festival 2025, showcasing set times and a colorful genre key, incorporating a grid background and psychedelic elements.
A vibrant festival scene at Subsonic Music Festival 2025 featuring music performances under lush green trees.
A colorful festival lineup schedule for Subsonic Music Festival 2025, featuring various artists and performance times across multiple stages.
A vibrant festival lineup schedule detailing performances, workshops, and stages for Subsonic Music Festival 2025.


OUR GUIDE TO MUSIC FOR FUNK SOUL & DISCO HEADS

A diverse group of musicians from the Bare Necessities Collective posing together in a cozy setting, with a brass instrument visible in the background.

🎶 LIVE ACTS / COLLECTIVES / DJs TIPS

Bare Necessities Collective

Listen here
Two DJs, three trumpets, three saxophones, two congas, a djembe, and a global crate of dancefloor gems — Bare Necessities Collective bring unstoppable energy. Phenomenal Sydney musicians and creative forces, we’re super keen to see them on Saturday.

A live band performance featuring Oyobi, with three musicians playing keyboards, guitar, and electronic equipment on a rocky surface in a dimly lit space.

Oyobi (Live)

Link
Deep roots, tribal grooves, and organic house crafted by our good friends Oyobi. Catch them peak-time Saturday night, right after Soul of Sydney founder Phil Toke.

Led by Vincent Sebastian, Adam Ventoura and Planeface, Oyobi blend electronica, house, jazz, Latin, and broken beat into raw, improvisational journeys. With releases on Atjazz, Defected, Ocha and collaborations from Los Amigos Invisibles to Milan Ring, Oyobi continue to push soulful, spiritual, forward-thinking electronic music into bold new territory.

A performer singing energetically on stage, dressed in vibrant traditional attire with a colorful headband and jewelry, under stage lights.

Afro Moses (Live)

Link
Afro Moses headlines the Sunday Soul of Sydney showcase, bringing Reggae, Roots, and Afro-Funk with story, spirit, and big dancefloor energy.

A collage of three portraits featuring artists Mirrah, MK-1, and Phil Toke, each with unique expressions and styles, against contrasting backgrounds.

Multi-instrumentalist from Ghana, he plays 14 instruments, has appeared on ABC TV, and performed at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Expect vibrant, feel-good rhythms perfect for Sunday afternoon at Subsonic.

Two male performers pose for a promotional photo, one wearing a bright yellow hoodie and the other in a yellow t-shirt and a cap, signifying their music collaboration.

Chris Munky & P.Smurf

Link
Inner-west heavyweights bringing Dub, Reggae Roots, Breaks, and Aussie Hip Hop. Munky (Bristol-born, founder of Banana Bombs Records) delivers UK sound system pressure, while P.Smurf’s funky, versatile MC flow lifts the crowd.

Together, they’ve rocked Esoteric, Earth Frequency, Wide Open Spaces and more — bass-heavy bars built for big rigs and festival vibes.

Gang of Brothers (Live Funk Powerhouse)

Link
Closing out the weekend, this Chilean-born groove machine blends funk, rock, soul, and high-energy originals, featuring the Martinez brothers and Buddy Siolo.

Expect big energy, deep groove, and raw musicianship — a perfect finale to wrap the festival.

Jaspar Gubbay (Live)

Link
Sydney-born Jaspar Gubbay fuses funk, blues, hip hop, and occasional country twists. Singing and playing guitar, he brings tribal four-to-the-floor energy and a big party attitude, driving his three-piece band into full dancefloor mode.

Thunder Fox (Live)

Link
Genre-bending Australian act fusing pop, rock, funk, and hip hop. With two albums, European tours, and sold-out shows nationwide, they’re known for playful energy and tight performances, delivering high-impact, crowd-pleasing sets.

A performer with dreadlocks, wearing sunglasses and a black t-shirt, singing into a microphone on stage during a music festival.

Jah Tung (Reggae & Roots)

Link
One of Australia’s most impactful reggae voices, blending roots, dub, and hip-hop. From Soulmaker Sound origins to collaborations with Kabaka Pyramid, Gappy Ranks, and tours across Europe and the Southern Hemisphere, Jah Tung delivers soulful, high-energy performances, mentoring youth and embodying community values.

DJ Oroana performing at a music festival, focused on mixing tracks with a DJ controller while wearing stylish sunglasses and a colorful outfit.

🎧 Local DJs & Scene Highlights:

  • Iresh at Flywaves — Dub, Reggae, Latin, House, Hip Hop & D&B.
  • Soul of Sydney DJs (MK1, Juzzlikedat & Phil Toke) — Rotating Sunday sets mixing disco, funk, brass, roots, and bboy breaks.
  • DJ Oroana — Afro, Caribbean, and South American-rooted sets with global flair.
  • NoMor_EPlastic — Italian disco-inspired, uplifting and fun who get the original disco sound we love.

Check the full lineup and set times here and plan your Subsonic adventure — we’ll be on the dancefloor, so pop in and say hello!

OTHER THINGS WE LOVE:
🌳 The River Stage + Lush Festival Surrounds

They’ve brought back the River Stage, and we’re already dreaming about:

A person wearing a black jacket with white stripes and sunglasses, posing with their arms outstretched, with the text 'FLYWAVES' prominently displayed at the bottom.
  • Dancing under the trees
  • Cooling off beside the water
  • Epic sunsets bouncing off the river
  • The full “Subsonic atmosphere” — lush, green, spacious, and grounded

This is one of those sites where the land itself becomes part of the dancefloor.


💃 Workshops, Movement, Learning & More

Beyond the stages, Subsonic always delivers on community programming:

  • Dance workshops
  • Movement sessions
  • Wellness, art + creative spaces
  • Culture, connection, community

Make sure to explore the full workshop lineup — some of the best moments happen off the dancefloor.


🍻 Fully BYO Festival

A huge one this year: Subsonic is 100% BYO.

Yep — no bars, no lines, no $14 tins.

Bring your own:

  • Drinks
  • Picnic setups
  • Sunset beverages by the river

Just be chill, respectful, and sustainable with it ❤️

(We love this move — it keeps the vibe community-first.)


🎟 Tickets, Discount Links & Day Passes

Subsonic has discounted tickets, weekend passes + day passes on sale now.
Grab yours here:

TICKETS: (15% Artist Discount)

 Tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/1397822297119/?discount=SOULSYD15

There is 1,2, & full 3 day tickets on sale. We also have some industry discount links for friends and family, we’d love to see you there and share the experience. If you’re thinking about heading down, ticket link is above or feel free to to touch bases with us at soulofsydney@gmail.com.

If you’re coming through, pop in and say hello — we’ll have the full SOUL OF SYDNEY crew onsite bringing the good vibes as always.

SET TIMES

A vibrant graphic showcasing the set times and genre key for the Subsonic Music Festival 2025 program.
A vibrant scene from the Subsonic Music Festival showing a colorful festival lineup schedule with various artists and performance time slots.
A colorful flyer for Subsonic Music Festival 2025 featuring performance times and event details.
A vibrant lineup schedule for the Subsonic Music Festival 2025, featuring various artists and performance times across multiple stages including Soluna, Paradiso, River, and Village.

Discover more from SOUL OF SYDNEY: Feel-Good FUNK SOUL DISCO & beyond.

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