End of Summer concert turns up the heat with all-star Aussie lineup

Some of the biggest names in Australian music are joining forces to send out summer on a high as the End of Summer concert takes over Ascot Racecourse on Sunday, April 12.

The event was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 29, but was moved to a new date due to poor weather conditions expected over the weekend.

Leading the bill is iconic Australian singer/songwriter and ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Daryl Braithwaite. As the frontman and vocalist for 1970s band Sherbet, Braithwaite rode a wave of local and international success with songs such as Howzat and Summer Love propelling the band to superstar status. Braithwaite went on to embark on a highly successful solo career which included a #1 ARIA Album Chart for his album Edge (1988) featuring the hit singles As The Days Go By and One Summer. Braithwaite’s 1990 follow-up album, Rise, included the single The Horses, which reached #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart and to this day remains an anthem for generations of Australians.

Baby Animals came blazing out of the radio with the aptly titled Early Warning, heralding the arrival of one of Australia’s most-loved bands. Their self-titled debut—which also featured Rush You, Painless, One Word and Ain’t Gonna Get—is one of the biggest debuts and greatest rock records in Australian music history. It spent six weeks at #1, went eight times platinum and won three ARIA Awards, including Best Album.

Mark Lizotte, aka DIESEL, formed the band Johnny Diesel & The Injectors in 1986 before embarking on a solo career in 1991. With over thirty-five singles, sixteen albums, six ARIA awards and record sales edging one million, DIESEL is a journeyman of music with hits like Love Junk, Come To Me, Tip Of My Tongue, Man Alive and One More Time.

After over a decade of making music, Thirsty Merc are still as thirsty as ever. They’ve released an indie EP, which garnered triple J airplay back in 2003, three critically acclaimed studio albums, an acoustic fan favourites record entitled AAA: Acoustic Anniversary Album and a swag of classic tracks such as 20 Good Reasons, Emancipate Myself, Someday Someday, Mousetrap Heart and In The Summertime.

Wendy Matthews‘ musical career has been an unhurried journey of clean melodies, infectious energy and simple grace with hits such as The Day You Went Away, Token Angels, Let’s Kiss, I Don’t Want to Be With Nobody But You and Friday’s Child.

Blending alternative country, Americana, and rock influences, Jason Ayres draws from the storytelling mastery of John Mayer, emotional depth of Ryan Adams, and textural tones of Keith Urban, transforming raw life experiences into anthems that resonate.

In a bonus for X-Press readers, we have secured a limited allocation of discounted tickets to the End of Summer Concert at Ascot Racecourse—but they won’t last long! Normally priced at over $140, you can grab yours for just $100 + booking fee. Just head to the ticket link and put in the Access Code XPRESS to claim your discount. But hurry, once these tickets are gone, they’re gone!

End of Summer concert takes over Ascot Racecourse on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Tickets are on sale now from oztix.com.au