Live national tour for Lamestream

Independent podcast Lamestream celebrates its first birthday with a national live tour, including additional shows in Sydney and Melbourne after the original dates sold out within 24 hours.

Hosted by journalists Osman Faruqi and Scott Mitchell and hosted by Acast, Lamestream offers a fresh alternative to mainstream Australian media. Since launching in April 2025, Lamestream has surpassed half a million downloads and now reaches more than one million people each month across social media, underscoring growing demand for independent news, politics, and cultural commentary.

Lamestream Live: The First Birthday Tour will feature Faruqi and Mitchell delivering a mid-year temperature check on media, politics and current affairs, alongside special guests and audience Q&As.

Guests include Grace Tame, activist and former Australian of the Year (Sydney), Hannah Thomas, lawyer and survivor of police brutality (Melbourne), Amy Remeikis, journalist and author (Canberra) and Sophie McNeill, former ABC Middle East Correspondent and member of WA Parliament (Perth).

Osman and Scott said:

“When we left our jobs and launched an independent podcast last year, we weren’t sure who would listen or whether it would actually be a viable business.

It’s been incredible to watch the show grow, build such a dedicated audience, and turn our idea into a sustainable new media business.

We’re really excited to celebrate turning one with our listeners around the country and share some plans for what’s coming next.”

Tour dates

• Tuesday, June 16 – The Night Cat, Melbourne (new show added)
• Wednesday, June 17 – The Night Cat, Melbourne (sold out)
• Tuesday, June 23 – The Vanguard, Sydney (new show added)
• Wednesday, June 24 – The Vanguard, Sydney (sold out)
• Thursday, June 25 – La La Land, Brisbane
• Saturday, June 27 – Canberra Theatre, Canberra
• Wednesday, July 1 – Rhino Room, Adelaide
• Thursday, July 2 – Goodwill Club, Perth

Acast is the headline sponsor of the Australian Audio Awards taking place at Carriageworks on Thursday May 28.

Pictured main: Scott Mitchell andOsman Faruqi – images –Sarah Pannell