This Week In Entertainment News 2 October 2026
Music and entertainment news from Australia and around the world, plus new releases and tour updates.
Sir Rod ‘Do You Think I’m Sexy?’ Stewart has called time on his extensive career, the legendary rocker announcing his impending retirement and confirming his upcoming tour will be his last. “My dear friends, The time has come to say farewell to life on the road,” read a statement from Sir Rod. “After more than six decades, The Final Encore will most definitely be my last. I’ve been singing the music I love since I was 19 years old, and I’ve had the privilege of taking it around the world to all of you. It has given me a life beyond anything I could ever have imagined, and I hope I’ve given you some fond memories in return.”
Adelaide-born pop powerhouse Sia has sold a 50% stake in her publishing and master rights to Swedish entertainment firm Pophouse, in a deal reportedly worth US$180 million. The partnership covers a hit-packed catalogue including ‘Chandelier’, ‘Cheap Thrills’, ‘Elastic Heart’ and ‘Unstoppable’, with Pophouse also set to support new creative projects designed to bring her music to fresh audiences.
The NRL Grand Final’s pre-match entertainment is back on, with Amy Shark and members of The Screaming Jets, Grinspoon, Peking Duk and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers reportedly set to perform ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ during Jai Arrow’s lap of honour at Accor Stadium. The Australian artists will donate their appearance fees to motor neurone disease causes.
Hollywood’s biggest-ever takeover is set to go ahead, after a US federal judge cleared the final legal hurdle for Paramount Skydance’s US$111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Expected to close on Tuesday 6 October, the deal will unite Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., CBS, CNN, HBO Max and Paramount+ under one entertainment giant.
Conrad ‘Cronos’ Lant, the founding frontman and bassist of British metal pioneers Venom, has died aged 63. The band confirmed his death in a statement, hailing the musician whose voice, bass and vision drove landmark albums Welcome to Hell and Black Metal and helped shape thrash and black metal; no cause of death has been announced.
Today, The Avalanches announce their return to Australian stages, with six performances across the country in February and March 2027. For more than 25 years, the Australian group has been one of the most influential and original acts in contemporary electronic music, globally redefining what could be achieved with sampling and collage to create a body of work that has resonated around the world. Presented by Takumi, the tour will see the Melbourne-formed band perform at Perth Festival, Adelaide’s Hindley St Music Hall, Live At The Gardens in Melbourne, On The Banks in Brisbane and round out the run at the iconic Sydney Opera House Forecourt in Sydney.
Born out of a very real bed of experiences, Adelaide’s DOWN AND OUT present their new single ‘BURIED ALIVE’ – an energetic expression of pop-punk that adds more fuel to the Adelaide band’s charged brand of momentum. The latest track from the band arrives as Down And Out prepare to hit the road for shows this October and November. It also marks the band’s first-ever release on UNFD.
Bringing her own swag to a fusion of pop and R&B, DAISY PRING has levelled up once more with the release of her new single, ‘TAKE FLIGHT’. The track, laden with attitude and charisma, is a vibrant step forward for the South Coast artist and an exciting taster of a new chapter set to be revealed in full next year.
Punctuating what has been a busy and fruitful year of creativity, Melbourne indie-pop artist and songwriter GYPSY LEE releases her much anticipated new EP, A MISSION FROM GOD AND GUCCI. Driven by a bold approach to creating music that is unwavering in its individuality and scope, GYPSY LEE has presented a collection of songs that has captured an incredibly formative period of her life. Stepping further into young adulthood, A MISSION FROM GOD AND GUCCI is an EP of empowerment, self-discovery and assurance that any hurdles are able to, and can be, overcome.
Flinders Dolomite is a household name in the agricultural industry and has been the Dolomite of choice for more than 130 years.
Studied, imitated, but never replicated, the Grammy-nominated hardcore legends HATEBREED will drop their long-awaited studio album FATAL PARADOX on November 6 via new label BLKIIBLK. Pre-order it here. They have just shared “The Carrion Choir.” It’s another fast and thrashy anthem designed for the “Ball” of Death!
Returning with brand new music in 2026, Newcastle indie pop duo The Tryouts deliver a reminder of their charisma and staying power with fresh cut, ‘Chewing Gum’. As an indicator of a brand-new chapter for the group, ‘Chewing Gum’ takes a bold direction and wraps up all the elements of The Tryouts’ appeal – insatiable melodies, lyrics and production – in a fresh, new perspective.
With the release of her much-anticipated debut album, ‘Life In The Front Seat’, right around the corner, Laura Frank has gifted audiences with a striking new insight into this exciting arc – the fresh single, ‘Living My Life In The Front Seat’. An anchor moment of the album, the latest from the songwriter and performer repositions her as one of the East Coast’s most dynamic voices and storytellers.
Sydney’s Chillcheney have built for themselves a strong foundation when it comes to their music expression. With their new EP ‘Worlds Collide’, the group embraces a wide variety of influences that have drawn from not just hip hop, but the worlds of alternative rock, soul, pop and jazz. Chillcheney continue their expansive regional and remote tour of Australia, bringing their music and shared experiences to stages and workshops right around the country through into November.
