The lights dimmed, the crowd settled, and the first chords rang out across the auditorium at our Brisbane campus. On Friday 16 October, six acts stepped into the spotlight for the final round of JMC Academy’s Battle of the Bands. The competition was in partnership with Open Season, The Tivoli Group’s music and cultural phenomenon, which has been putting local acts on some of Brisbane’s biggest stages alongside international artists since 2020.
Reaching the Battle of the Bands final was no small feat. High school bands, duos and solo acts from across Queensland entered the competition, all vying for the chance to win.
On the day of the live event, the finalists were: Grace Alexandra, awkward conversations, Karma Police, Cooper Matthews, Soleil. and Dystopian.
Each act played two songs, bringing their own sound and stage presence to a room that grew louder with every set. Then, as the last notes faded, the judges slipped out during a short intermission to make the toughest call of the event: which three acts would return to the stage for one final song each?
When the judges returned, the room fell quiet. The decision was made; Karma Police, Dystopian, and Soleil. were heading back to the stage for one last song. The judges had already faced a tough call, and the final round only raised the stakes. After three final performances, they stepped away from the crowd one last time to decide who would take home the major prize and the JMC Academy Battle of the Bands 2026 trophy.
...Drum roll please...
The winner of the Battle of the Bands 2026 is... Soleil.!
Thanks to JMC's partnership with open season, the winning act Soleil. has just secured their place as a support act for a major performer playing at the Tivoli or the Princess Theatre. Soleil. is a band from the Sunshine Coast, made up of talented musicians aged 15–16 years old, who are already shaping their own unique sound, blending surf rock, indie, and soul.
After releasing their debut single Sunkissed earlier this year, the band has gone on to record their second original track, Breathe for a Minute, released past September.
Behind the stage
While the bands owned the spotlight, four high school work experience students were busy making the show happen behind the scenes.
Joining us in film and television and audio engineering, they worked side by side with our lecturers and Ambassadors throughout the live event. During soundcheck, the film and television students teamed up with our Film and Television ambassadors to interview each act, sharpening their skills both behind and in front of the camera. Over on the audio side, the students shadowed our audio engineers and helped reset the stage between acts, keeping every changeover smooth and the show running on time.
From the first soundcheck to the final bow, it was a night that showed just how many people it takes to bring a live show to life.
That's a wrap
Congratulations to Soleil., who took home the major prize and the JMC Academy Battle of the Bands 2026 trophy, and to every act who made the final such a memorable event.
A huge thank you to Open Season for partnering with us, to our judges: Ian Smith from Australian Venue Co, Chris Langenberg from the Tivoli Group, Bella Amor and Will Day. Another big thank you to our fantastic lecturers and ambassadors, and to the work experience students who helped keep the show running. Every creative path starts somewhere, and for these young artists and crew, it started on our stage.
If you’d like to get a taste of the industry yourself, keep an eye out for our next workshop.