Formed in Byron Bay in 2003, Parkway Drive have risen from teenage metal underdogs to global heavy music icons. In 2026, they return home for a defining moment, delivering their first ever hometown performance since their Byron Bay high school shows in 2014 – and their first ever Byron Bay festival performance at Australia’s most awarded music festival.

Fronted by Winston McCall alongside guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick, bassist Jia O’Connor, and drummer Ben Gordon, Parkway Drive have spent more than two decades redefining the sound, scale and spectacle of modern heavy music. Their eight studio albums released through Epitaph Records have delivered international chart success, including multiple top positions across Europe, the UK and the US. Darker Still became the band’s third consecutive number one album on the ARIA Chart and earned the 2023 ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album.

Across their career, Parkway Drive have amassed six ARIA Gold albums, four number one ARIA albums, two Platinum DVDs, three ARIA Music Awards, and the 2024 APRA Award for Most Performed Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Work. Renowned for their explosive, theatrical live shows, the band have headlined the world’s biggest festivals, toured with Metallica, Slipknot and Lamb of God, completed sold out arena tours across Australia and Europe, and in 2025 performed with a full symphony orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. Their Bluesfest appearance marks a historic homecoming for one of Australia’s most successful global bands.