15/09/2026
As part of our Snow Machine Signature Experience, Mountain Club held a live podcast for our VIP Snow Machine Artists Speaker Series, hearing from the artists, DJs and people who make the iconic festival what it is.
Hosted by Danny Clayton, Australian TV and radio presenter and DJ, the conversation brought together multi-Platinum selling artist illy, DJ and media broadcast icon NICKA, and photographer / DJ Pat Stevenson, on his 10th Snow Machine, for a chat on the festival and the wider music scene.
An unfiltered conversation between artists, moving from the chaos of Snow Machine’s first edition in Japan, to what they’re most looking forward to at Snow Machine 2026, before diving into why the festival has outlived so many others, what live music means to the next wave of festival goers in a world increasingly shaped by AI, and the shift away from drinking towards wellness.
A few lines that stayed with us:
Danny Clayton - “Last year, 72% of Australians went to a music festival or live performance. People want something real, that they can see and feel, not just experience through a phone screen”
illy - “AI can help build a demo, but it can’t replace humanity. People at a festival want to know the song, and the moment, is real”
Pat Stevenson - “You know you’re doing something right when the artists want to come back. Snow Machine takes the guesswork out of a destination trip, and that’s why it keeps growing”
NICKA - “The model is shifting. Run clubs, plunge pools and merch are becoming as much a part of festival culture as the bar”
A snippet into part of our MC Signature Experience, a live audience, meeting the artists shaping festival culture, before everyone headed out to the Rees Street Party for Queenstown’s most iconic festival. Full podcast episode releases Wednesday 7th October on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Youtube.
