Hiatus Kaiyote – Open Season 2026

Melbourne’s Hiatus Kaiyote are celebrating 15 years of making music that refuses to be filed anywhere neatly, and the world has been better for it. Built around the extraordinary guitar and vocals of Nai Palm, the four-piece has earned two Grammy nominations, the devoted admiration of Erykah Badu, Questlove and Prince, and a place in the crates of hip-hop producers worldwide. They call their sound “wondercore.” It fits as well as anything else.

Their album Mood Valiant (Brainfeeder/Ninja Tune) arrived from the other side of considerable upheaval: a cancer diagnosis and recovery for Nai, a global pandemic, and a revelatory trip to Rio de Janeiro to work with legendary Brazilian arranger Arthur Verocai, whose strings bookend the finished record. The result is sunlit, beguiling and masterful, a record that makes the genuinely complex sound effortless. As Nai puts it: “My only wish is to live and offer my experience of time and beauty.”

Hiatus Kaiyote play The Tivoli for Open Season. For anyone ready to be genuinely moved.

Open Season is The Tivoli Group’s annual program of music, art and cultural events, transforming Brisbane into a winter playground for live performance each year. Open Season is independently owned and operated, and has funding assistance through the Live Music Office of the Australian Government and Arts Queensland.