The Something Fest Story

The birth of Something Fest was wonderfully serendipitous. It began with five people sharing a glass of wine and a shared belief that Queensland’s innovation economy had the potential to be so much stronger.

From that moment, a festival took shape. Built by Queenslanders for Queenslanders. Created from the ground up by organisations already doing the work, already supporting the ecosystem and already driving change.

Something Fest officially launched in February 2022 with three simple goals:

• Strengthen capabilities across organisations big and small

• Boost collaboration between government, industry and emerging tech

• Showcase the incredible innovations being created right here in our backyard

Designed as a five day experience and led by the teams at Something Digital and River City Labs, the festival set out to blend digital innovation with emerging technology in a way Queensland had never seen before.

The Queensland Government soon joined as a collaborative partner, completing the picture and enabling Something Fest to grow into a uniquely Queensland offering with a depth and breadth of content that resonates across Australia.

Today, Something Fest delivers something for everyone – small businesses and startups, large enterprises, institutions and all levels of government. It speaks to people across industries and roles, whether you’re early in your career or leading a multinational organisation.

As we bring all the “Somethings” to life in 2026 and beyond, we invite you to be part of the next chapter.

For more info on 2026, head to our Festival Overview page.