7 February 2026 – Smoked Festival, Rockhampton Showgrounds – words and pictures by Brad Fry
A vegetarian goes to a BBQ festival. While it sounds like the start of a Dad joke, this is exactly what happened tonight. Why you ask? Because as part of Smoked Festival in Rockhampton, the stage was set to sizzle with Bodyjar and 28 Days closing out the final night of two big days of entertainment. I arrived early (as I always do, we call it Fry-time in my family) and made my way to the stage. There were people, stalls, food and energy everywhere. I’m talking tent boxing, BBQ demos, beer pong, bull riding, wrestling, gaming and of course… music.
The Rockhampton Showgrounds are a huge space. Open and sprawling, built for crowds that move in waves rather than pack in tight. Smoke and smells from the pits drifted across the grounds as lights cut through the dusk. The air carried that familiar festival hum of people eating, talking, circling, and deciding when the music would finally pull them in. It is a space that does not demand attention. It waits for a band to claim it. On this night, that challenge was met head on.
Bodyjar took the stage as night settled in, and their energy was immediate. Their sound cut clean through the open air, fast, tight, and unapologetically loud. This is a band that knows exactly who they, what they do and they delivered it without compromise. Guitars were crisp, drums relentless, and the momentum never dipped. Where the space had earlier felt loose and wandering, it now felt claimed. People closed the distance, the front of the stage thickened, and the energy became physical through sing-alongs, raised fists, and that unmistakable push and pull between band and crowd.
Body Jar – Smoked Festival – photos by Brad Fry
What stood out most was not just the nostalgia of hearing familiar tracks live, but how alive the performance felt. This was not a legacy act coasting on reputation. Bodyjar played with urgency and intent, as if the open show grounds were just another room that needed to be conquered. And they did. Every song tightened the grip, every chorus pulled more voices in, until the crowd felt less like those at a bbq festival and more like a packed room full of punk rock aficionados.
Body Jar – Smoked Festival – photos by Brad Fry
28 Days followed with the kind of energy that does not need warming up. It arrived fully formed. From the opening beat, their sound carried across the grounds, drawing people away from food stalls and into the open pocket of the crowd. Hip-hop hooks landed hard, rhythms locked in, and the band worked the wide space with confidence. They engaged those at the front without losing the people towards the back. In a setting where distractions are everywhere, they made the music the main event. The crowd responded in kind with hands in the air, heads nodding, and voices joining in. It felt communal, less like a performance happening on a stage and more like a shared moment unfolding in the middle of the festival.
28 Days – Smoked Festival – photos by Brad Fry
Banter from the stage with band mates and with the crowd made for many lighthearted moments. One of the crowd yelled out “Limp brisket” which was met with laughter from all corners of the show. The band were joined onstage for backing vocals by Cam and Tom of Bodyjar for a song and the crowd loved it. The crowd were lathered in sweat by the end of the show from hectic moshing. Beer cans and, oddly, mobile phones wound up in the pit as shirtless men wandered off in search of refreshments at the end of the show.
28 Days – Smoked Festival – photos by Brad Fry
There was something quietly perfect about the contrast of the night. Smoke from barbecues drifting past a punk rock stage. Families and long-time fans shared space. Food stalls buzzed while guitars roared in the background. With so much happening, it should not have worked as well as it did, but it did. Approximately 12000 tickets sold across the two days underlines the fact that Smoked Festival was not just about what was on the grill. It was about atmosphere, and satisfying all the senses not just taste.
So yes, a vegetarian went to a BBQ festival and left reminded that sometimes the best part of an event such as this, is not what is on the plate, but rather what is served up on the stage. Bodyjar and 28 Days didn’t just close out Smoked Festival in Rockhampton. They claimed it and gave the final night of the festival a heartbeat that will linger long after the smoke clears.
