Don Darkoe

Artist Guide

Don Darkoe is one of the clearest examples of the newer Australian jump-up pipeline: fast audience growth, internet-literate edits, bootleg energy and a sound designed to get a visible reaction quickly. That can make purists nervous, but it also means he arrives with a strong understanding of how younger festival crowds actually encounter music right now.

The signature is big distorted riffing, cheeky familiarity and a very direct route to release. In other words, this is not a subtle booking and it is not trying to be. That is useful. A four-day festival should have room for blunt-force fun alongside connoisseur sets. Don Darkoe gives the lineup some modern Australian rowdiness and a tone that feels close to the WA crowd rather than imported from a distant scene centre.

For this trip dashboard specifically, he is one of the funniest and most relevant names on the card because the crew is flying out of Perth and he comes from Perth. That makes him feel almost like a hometown export on foreign soil. He also returned in 2025, so the LOCUS team clearly see value here. If the group wants one set to claim as 'ours' before even leaving WA, Don Darkoe is the obvious candidate.