Yours & Owls Festival 2026: Horizon Bank backs emerging South Coast music
Rain, glitter, fairy floss and some seriously good local music. Yours & Owls Festival returned to Wollongong on 3 and 4 October 2026, and this year Horizon Bank was lucky enough to be right in the middle of it.
But beyond all the festival fun, we had something pretty special up our sleeves. The launch of our very own Horizon Rising Stage, giving seven emerging South Coast bands the chance to perform at one of the Illawarra's biggest music events and compete for a $2,000 grant to help take their music to the next level.
Horizon Rising: Giving South Coast artists a bigger stage
Sunday was all about the local music scene as we proudly launched the Horizon Rising Stage, a new addition to Yours & Owls Festival dedicated to showcasing emerging South Coast artists. The idea behind Horizon Rising was simple. Give local musicians a bigger platform, get their music in front of new audiences and put some real support behind the talent coming out of our own backyard. Seven local bands took to the stage, each bringing their own sound and competing for a $2,000 music grant from Horizon Bank.
A massive congratulations to the seven Horizon Rising acts:
• YEARN
• Flannelette
• Lightyears
• Silvia Lane
• Loose Surface
• Sega Jade
• Big Modern
From recording new music and booking studio time to purchasing equipment or getting on the road, the grant was designed to give one local band a helping hand with whatever comes next. And festivalgoers had a say in who would take it home, voting for their favourite Horizon Rising performance.
Lightyears takes out the Horizon Rising title!
After seven performances and votes from festivalgoers, Lightyears took out the Horizon Rising title, scoring a $2,000 grant from Horizon Bank to put towards their music journey. For an emerging band, $2,000 could mean more time in the recording studio, new equipment, getting an EP off the ground or helping cover the costs of their next gig. We're stoked to be able to give Lightyears a little extra support as they take their next steps, and we can't wait to see what they do next.
Rain, glitter and a whole lot of fairy floss at Yours & Owls
Of course, our weekend wasn't all about the Horizon Rising Stage.
Saturday brought plenty of rain, but that didn't stop us having all the fun in the Horizon VIP area. Our team spent the day adding a little sparkle to festivalgoers with our glitter station and chatting with locals. By Sunday, we'd swapped glitter for fairy floss, handing out hundreds of serves to festivalgoers. Judging by a few of the faces we saw, a little sugar was very much appreciated after a big Saturday!
One of our favourite parts of the weekend was getting to chat with so many people. About music, banking, life and yes, confirming more than a few times that we really are a local bank.
Why supporting local music matters to Horizon Bank
Being part of Yours & Owls Festival was about more than having our name on a stage. As a customer-owned bank with roots in the Illawarra and South Coast, we're super passionate about supporting the people, organisations and events that make our communities thrive. And that includes our local music scene.
There is so much talent coming out of the South Coast, and initiatives like Horizon Rising help create opportunities for emerging artists to be seen, heard and supported. Whether it's through music and the arts, sport, education or community organisations, we're proud to back the people doing great things in the places we call home.
A huge thank you to the Yours & Owls team, the seven Horizon Rising artists and everyone who stopped by to say hello, grab some fairy floss, get glittered or vote for their favourite band.
Want to know more about how we're giving back? Check out our community initiatives and see how Horizon Bank is supporting local people and organisations across the Illawarra and South Coast.
