A Festival Called PANAMA
March 7th, 8th and 9th 2025
Lone Star Valley
lutruwita
The class of 2025 is here, and the river is deep and wide. A smorgasbord of sounds from across the globe.
Sounds like PANAMA.
Magdalena Bay
Miami-based synth-pop duo Magdalena Bay are set to headline PANAMA 2025 with a tempestuous closing set on the mainstage on Sunday, March 9th.
In the country to play a select series of concerts (many of which sold out on the day of release), Magdalena Bay have a sound that blends dreamy soundscapes and punchy pop hooks with wild psychy blowouts.
We welcome the duo de jour to the Class of 2025.
HERMANOS GUTIÉRREZ
Hermanos Gutiérrez are a Swiss-Ecuadorian guitar duo known for their atmospheric, cinematic music that blends Latin rhythms with spaghetti western-inspired soundscapes.
The mesmeric, slow-burning intensity of Hermanos Gutiérrez awaits. We are so proud to be bringing these brothers to Golconda for PANAMA.
BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN
Modern folk supergroup, Bonny Light Horseman, bring their classic songwriting and layered harmonies to PANAMA's hallowed Lone Star Valley. The trio weave timeless stories into each performance, drawing on their personal journeys and shared love of folk’s deep roots.
Expect a set where storytelling takes centre stage - where every note and lyric feels as close and familiar as the forest around you.
MISS KANINNA
A proud Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Kalkadoon and Yirendali woman, Miss Kaninna is a Naarm/Melbourne-based First Nations artist, hailing from Lutruwita/Tasmania. Making waves with her breakout debut single Blak Britney in May 2023, the rapper/singer/songwriter has been on a meteoric rise, emerging as a potent voice of punk and power in so-called Australia.
Raised on the shores of Bruny Island, Miss Kaninna has been commanding stages from a young age, carrying forward the storytelling of her ancestors and fearlessly bringing them into the present. Her art serves as a powerful expression of her experiences as a young Black woman on stolen land, drawing from her rich cultural heritage and paths paved before her by her Matriarchs.
GRACE CUMMINGS
Grace Cummings brings a powerful, otherworldly presence to PANAMA. Her voice is truly commanding - full, gritty, rich, and soulful. With a style that nods to classic 70s songwriting, she moves between raw intimacy and moments of sweeping intensity, drawing listeners into her unique soundscape. Grace’s performance promises to be a festival highlight.
PACHYMAN
PACHYMAN, the creative moniker of Pachy García from San Juan, Puerto Rico, brings his passion for old Jamaican dub to PANAMA this March. With roots in the raw sound of King Tubby and Scientist, his music reflects a deep obsession with distilling reggae to its core. His solo project, The Return of Pachyman, showcases his mastery of bass, drums, and piano, crafted in his basement studio, 333 House. Expect a set rich in groove and authenticity, transporting listeners to the heart of dub.
THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS
Melbourne’s The Belair Lip Bombs bring their debut album, Lush Life, to PANAMA. Led by the magnetic Maisie Everett the band are a true force to be reckoned with, belting out indie rock melodies that delve into themes of longing and self-discovery, their sound intertwines evocative narratives with a post-punk edge.
dust
Newcastle post-punk quintet dust create urgent, mesmeric, and arresting music, offering a contemporary take on Australian post-punk, along with elements of experimental jazz and electronic music.
Catch dust up-late on Saturday night at Hello Darling.
ETRAN DE L’AÏR
Etran de L’Aïr (or “stars of the Aïr region”) welcomes you to Agadez, the capital city of Saharan rock. Playing for over 25 years, Etran has emerged as stars of the local wedding circuit. Beloved for their dynamic repertoire of hypnotic solos and sun-glazed melodies, Etran stakes out a place for Agadez guitar music that invokes the desert metropolis and celebrates the sounds and dynamism of a hometown wedding. PANAMA loves a wedding band.
AUDREY POWNE
UK-based, Naarm/Melbourne-born artist Audrey Powne is making waves with her innovative sound that merges jazz and soul influences. Winning Best Solo Artist at the 2024 Victoria Music Awards and earning a Grammy consideration for Best Alternative Jazz Album with her debut From the Fire, Powne’s acclaim is well deserved. The album showcases her technical prowess and genre-blending creativity, with influences spanning from jazz icons like Herbie Hancock to modern legends like D'Angelo.
YIRRMAL
YIRRMAL brings his unique blend of traditional Yolŋu music to the speakeasy set at PANAMA on Saturday, March 8th. His performances are deeply personal, weaving traditional sounds with contemporary storytelling, creating a rich tapestry. Each song reflects his cultural heritage and personal journey. You will not leave unchanged.
ELEANOR JAWURLNGALI
Eleanor Jawurlngali Dixon is a Mudburra and Garrawa woman from Marlinja in the Northern Territory, a small outback community almost exactly halfway between Alice Springs and Darwin.
She is a member of the highly critically acclaimed Kardajala Kirridarra and the father/daughter duo Rayella.
Her music melds the contemporary with the traditional, singing in both traditional languages and English. Her voice is beautiful and ethereal and together with her collaborators Mick Turner from The Dirty Three and multi-award-winning cellist Stephanie Arnold, they bring the listener on a journey following the spirit of the music grounded in ancient language, deep listening, and imagination.
Eleanor Jawurlngali plays the PANAMA speakeasy set on Sunday March 9th
JACK DAVIES
Well known for his slick finger-picking and rambling poetry, award-winning West Australian songwriter Jack Davies began his days as a busker. Now touring full-time to a dedicated national audience both solo and with his band "The Bush Chooks", Jack is lauded for his sincere, warm, sometimes clumsy stage presence and witty, poignant lyricism. Be sure not to miss this truly unique blend of spoken word, folk picking, blue singing and indi acoustic weirdery.
DR SURE’S UNUSUAL PRACTICE
Music blog WEIRDO WASTELAND said it best when they described DSUP as “Off the wall dystopian robo-punk - a little bit absurd and a little bit surreal, but also a whole lot of fun”.
It’s true. We’ve seen them live. Don’t miss Dr Sure’s, up late at Hello Darling.
QUEENIE
Queenie is a fearless performer who wears her heart on her sleeve. Her live shows shake, shudder and smoulder with fiery charisma and freewheeling stagecraft when she’s performing with her band; a Rogues’ gallery of Melbourne’s finest musicians. Beneath all the sizzle, though, is a unique and powerful voice: tender one moment and visceral the next, Queenie can soar from Emmy-Lou Harris to Mariah Carey at the drop of a hat, launching her deeply emotive songwriting into the stratosphere like a rocket strapped to a Cadillac
WRONG WAY UP
Born out of a deep love for the dancefloor, Wrong Way Up channel vintage Afro disco and psychedelic boogie to bring a new kind of heat.
Paying homage to Frances Bebey, William Onyeabor and Lijadu Sisters, the Melbourne-based Afro-synth duo deliver energetic melodies, deep grooves and addictive chants – led by a less-is-more manifesto. Featuring quirky synthesisers and 1970s drum machines, the result is a sonic landscape that feels fresh and unique, yet somehow familiar.
AYEBATONYE
Ayebatonye is an Australia-based DJ & Producer of Nigerian heritage. Known worldwide for her groove-centred cross-genre sets, she’s become a mainstay in the Australian music scene. Blending house, afro rhythms, deep percussive drum beats and sounds that sit within the realm of global club music, her signature style and refreshing take on her craft is not easily defined by genre.
CATHY DIVER
Like any good backyard chemist, Cathy Diver specialises in cooking the world around her into something fizzy, novel or transcendental. Swimming pool sunny, occasionally harrowing, with a psychedelic bent, Cathy’s songs are electrified by her astrologically compatible band.
JULIAN MUNYARD
Rarely does a project make you stop what you’re doing, spit out your mouthful of spritz and think “what is this?”. You think you know it, but at the same time can’t tell if it’s from today, tomorrow or many yesterday’s ago. Enter Julian Munyard and his eclectic brand of kaleidoscopic pop. The Sunshine Coast native creates a mood, a feeling, a distinct taste more so than just “music”. Full of sweet technicolour, dusty fingerprints and glistening melodies, his craft is reminiscent of finding the perfect piece of fruit on a hot summer’s day.
MILES NAUTU
Miles Nautu's distinctly laid-back hip-hop is elevated by the immense talent of his backing jazz band. With a Kendick Lamar-esque style, the Blak prodigy's effortless confidence carries you through moments of intense keys, walking bass-lines, and in-the-pocket drums.
DAG
Dag is a pub-rock-jangle-pop-country-weirdo ensemble led by songwriter Dusty Anastassiou. The group formed in Brisbane in 2012, taking cues from the many musical heroes that have clamoured up the banks of that fine river city, with an obvious nod to the Go-Betweens, The Apartments and other kindred purveyors of the Striped Sunlight Sound. Often on the verge of falling apart but never losing heart, Dusty's music conjures images of tumbledown shacks, small-town shenanigans, cracked footpaths and the wildflowers that grow in between.
ASHKAN SHAFIEI
Ashkan Shafiei is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and composer whose musical journey began in Iran and has now blossomed in Sydney. Deeply inspired by Iranian folk traditions and the vibrant contemporary sounds of Tehran’s 60s and 70s—a pivotal era silenced after the 1979 revolution—Ashkan blends rich Eastern vocal melodies with a groovy, funk-infused style, coining his unique genre as "Iranian Psycho Funk." His work artfully merges nostalgia with innovation, creating a sound that’s both unique and captivating.
XENOS
Xenos bring you the music of traditional celebrations in the Balkans: sounds of the gaida & tulum (bagpipes), zurna (double reed pipe) and davul (large drum), ancient instruments found in different forms around the globe. Anne and Rob Bester of Hobart have spent decades absorbing the music of Eastern Europe, bringing the ancient and the modern melodies and songs to the Western ear.
KARAI
Nipaulna-based songwriter and composer Karai plays a stripped-back set on Saturday morning on the playground stage. A gifted performer and songwriter who brings his cultural heritage to everything he does, there’s something reminiscent of Jeff Buckely in his voice, and there can be no greater compliment than that.
SHADE
Shade are an experimental alt-pop quartet performing instrumental music defined by thick grooves and sizzling sonic layers. Evoking expansive imagery of unknown landscapes, Shade’s music is non-linear, moving towards ideas and forms that fulfil the imagination of the band.
ZEDNETTA
Zednetta is a singer songwriter who grew up in Nipulana but has made the well-trod transbassian migration to Naarm, Melbourne. Situating herself within Indie-folk, her unique and authentic voice draws from her influences and colours with her distinct flair. With songwriting that works things out with hindsight, Zednetta is still finding herself in musical terms, and otherwise.
Kani tunapri ‘Talking KNowledge’
The Pavilion will once again host Kani Tunapri (talking knowledge); an opportunity for a deeper engagement with Palawa philosophy, identity and culture.
The 2025 speaker will be announced soon.
PANAMA BOOK CLUB PRESENTS:
THE ISLANDS WHERE WE LEFT OUR ANCESTORS
The Islands Where We Left Our Ancestors: The beautifully hand-drawn memoir of Joshua Santospirito’s visit to the Aeolian Islands of Italy with his parents to seek out past connections and family roots.
Joshua is a multimedia artist and musician based in Nipaluna/Hobart in his veggie patch. He is most well-known as an award-winning comics creator; with much of his writing focused on modern Australian identities. His previous two books are The Long Weekend in Alice Springs (2013) and Swallows(2015).
Jane Rawson (writer, environmentalist, editor @islandmagtas) will host Josh at the Pavilion on the Sunday arvo to delve into the book and its themes - art, islands, migration, volcanoes, and the standing of graphic novels in literature.
The Book Club will take place on Sunday afternoon at 3 pm. To take part, pick up a copy of the book at some point before the event and read it. It takes probably 2 hours to read. Then, come along to be a part of the conversation. Questions welcome.
In Lutruwita, Fullers, Petrarchs, Area 52, The Hobart Book Shop, Red Parka, Dymocks Hobart, Cracked and Spineless and Black Swan Bookshop all stock it, or you can order direct from the publisher here
SMALL WONDERS - A ROOKE CABARET
It is said that PANAMA was built on the bones of the circus. A curious collection of small wonders for your pleasure. Some old favourites, some new. Expect the strange and the beautiful.