Petting Zoo: A New Day Party Bringing World-Class Music to Sydney

Petting Zoo, a brand-new day party is coming to Sydney on Saturday 10 January 2026.

Petting Zoo will be a chaotic, hyper-colour house day party series built to flip the culture on its head. It’s not about who’s playing, it’s about the world they create. The day party will spotlight global and local talent, featuring international house artists, including exclusive Australian debuts, alongside the country’s strongest emerging names.

The Petting Zoo world has been curated as a playground for music lovers, with a focus on the next generation of talent. The lineup highlights artists who may be new to some audiences but are already making significant swings through international releases, inviting party-goers to saddle up to Petting Zoo’s instinct for discovering what’s next. The focus is on creating meaningful cultural experiences – showcases of talent, creativity, and connection – that resonate deeply with audiences.

Headlining the first Petting Zoo event on Saturday 10 January is Jordan Brando (AU), Locky (UK) & Newtone (NL), Known Artist (FR), Pricila Diaz (BR), Parker (UK), High Visa (BR), Ca Lou (AU), Kenry (UK), Stacie Fields (AU) and Secret Guests to be announced. There will also be a DJ competition where local Sydney DJs can submit a mix for a chance to play a time slot at the festival. Submissions will go via @pettingzoofest.

Petting Zoo continues this mission, bridging the worlds of digital discovery and real-world experience to create an event that reflects Australia’s next wave of cultural energy. In an Australian-first, Petting Zoo will debut a new ticketing model inspired by leading event formats in Europe and the U.S. Rather than a traditional tiered structure (first, second, third release), Petting Zoo introduces an “Arrive By” ticketing system, designed to reward early arrivals and support artists throughout the day.

Guests can secure the lowest-priced tickets by committing to arrive before a specified time, helping maintain energy across the full program and ensuring crowds engage beyond headliners. For those wanting flexibility, Arrive Anytime ticket options will also be available.

– STOP PRESS –

Due to extreme heat and unsafe weather conditions for an outside event, Petting Zoo will move to a new indoor location this coming weekend, Saturday 10 January 2026, with the event now taking place at Plaza Hotel in Sydney CBD (600 George Street, Sydney) – A fully air-conditioned, immersive venue in the heart of Sydney fitted with over $3 million worth of world-class sound systems inside.

The updated event format will see Petting Zoo take over the entire venue for the night, across every floor from basement to theatre, transforming the space with immersive production, confetti moments and playful inflatable installations, while maintaining the same hyper-colour and experiential intent that defines the festival series.

Petting Zoo will now run from 7pm through to 3am, offering an evening experience designed to build progressively from sunset into late night with an epic line up of local and international DJs including Ca Lou [AU], Me1to [AU], High Visa [BR], Jordan Brando [AU], Kenry [UK], Known Artist [FR], Laidlaw [UK], Locky [UK], Mep [AU], Newtone [NL] and Parker [UK] – each who are bringing their own spark to Sydney’s rising electronic scene.

The new venue will host up to 2,000 guests, with artists and DJs commencing back to back from 7pm with the full curated line-up delivering across the venue in multiple areas, and giving artists an extended period of time to play.

All existing ticket holders will be offered a full refund should they prefer not to attend the relocated show, with tickets for the new event available now via the ticketing link. Tickets for sale here.

Petting Zoo has been carefully programmed to build gradually, making early arrival genuinely worth it. Be the first to know event info by following: @pettingzoofest | pettingzoofest.com