International DnB star Luude’s wild summer homecoming
As one of the highest-selling D&B artists of the last decade, Tasmanian electronic dance producer Luude has attained global drum and bass fame. His back-to-back multi-platinum hits include Down Under and Big City Life, followed by the charting singles TMO with Bru-C and Oh My. The ARIA Award winner is set to perform at Wildlands Festival at Arena Joondalup on Saturday, January 3, 2026, with tickets on sale now. SARA LEOPARD sat down with Luude to find out more about securing a slot at Wildlands Festival, moving to WA and touring across the world’s biggest stages.
Wildlands is going full 360° this year, with raised decks, lights, and chaos everywhere. The 360-degree setup feels like the festival world’s answer to Boiler Room. With the full exposure, total connection. What’s your take on that kind of performance environment?
It’s obviously getting done a lot more around the world at the moment, and for good reason. There’s a good energy having people on stage and everywhere, and it changes things from us just being up there as the sole focus and makes the party feel a bit rowdier and more inclusive.
You’re sharing the lineup with some absolute heavyweights this year. If you could jump up and share the stage with any other Wildlands artist for one wild crossover moment, who are you picking?
Really different worlds, but I’d love to do something with Chris Stussy. He’s making fresh records. I’ve been getting a bit of inspiration from that sound design in a bit of what I’ve been writing.
You’ve spoken before about how your sound was shaped by the places you’ve lived, from Tassie to Perth. How did the move to WA change things for you, and who were the key players that made a big difference on your music journey?
Obviously DnB is so ingrained in Perth. People overseas always say it’s the DnB capital of Australia, so I learnt a lot living there, and the influences got into my production quite a lot. Now I’m in Bali a lot and travelling through Asia heaps, so I think people will start to see some different sounds coming through.
And what have been the highlights or most surreal moments of your music career to date?
There’s honestly been so many. Even just having a career in this business is surreal, and moments happen in the weirdest ways, with random songs going viral, and then all of a sudden I’m playing shows all around the world on stages like Tomorrowland and Creamfields. It’s hard to comprehend sometimes.
How does it feel to be playing to a home crowd at this scale, and what can fans look forward to from your set?
The hometown crowd is something else. Coming back for the summer has got to be one of the best things ever, since firstly everyone is rearing to go, and it’s just generally the silly season, so the energy is great. In terms of the set, I’m looking forward to getting in a lot of this new material. There’s a bit more 140, UKG and, I suppose, generally bass-leaning stuff in the mix of a lot more drum and bass, so the set is feeling more rounded.
Once the decks power down and you step off stage after a set like Wildlands, are you the kind to hit the afterparty or disappear somewhere quiet to reset?
I’ll definitely hit an afterparty, and I won’t try and say I wouldn’t because I’ll get called out for it by everyone I know.
What’s next? Any more new music or tour plans in the works that we can keep an eye out for?
By the time this festival rolls around I should have a new record out and a few more very nearly on the way. It was a hard year for me this year with my dad passing, but I’ve been taking the time to get back on track and really want to be highly active on the releases and touring next year.
Luude plays Wildlands Festival at Arena Joondalup on Saturday, January 3, 2026. Tickets are on sale now from wildlandsfestival.com
