By Australian live music fans were spoilt for choice in 2022: with borders finally reopened globally, we saw hundreds upon hundreds of artists make their way Down Under for some much-welcomed gigging. Whether they were filling out stadiums for titans like Billie Eillish and Dua Lipa, or flocking to more intimate gigs at their nearest local, Australian crowds welcomed a stellar batch of touring artists with open – and likely flailing – arms.
Heading into 2023, the touring landscape only grew more chaotic – there’s been no shortage of enormous stadium and arena tours from pop and rock icons, as well as theatre and club runs from our indie favourites. The second half of the year is positively stacked with drool-worthy gigs, from pop heavyweights like BLACKPINK, Lewis Capaldi and Lizzo, to rock and punk favourites like Evanescence, Thrice and Ghost.
There really is something for everyone on the calendar, so with that in mind, NME has compiled a roundup of the biggest tours, concerts and gigs set to hit Australian shores throughout 2023.
Michael Bublé
When: June 1 – June 21
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After cancelling his scheduled December tour of Australia due to “logistical issues”, Michael Bublé will bring his signature croon Down Under with rescheduled shows in June 2023. The 10-date tour includes two stadium shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, as well as dates in Newcastle and Perth. Find tickets here.
Ethel Cain CREDIT: Jenn Five
Ethel Cain
When: June 2 – June 11
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Ethel Cain (aka Hayden Anhedönia) is playing seven shows Down Under this June, including three in Sydney (all of which come as part of the program for this year’s VIVID Live festival), two in Melbourne for the 2023 RISING slate, and one each in Hobart and Brisbane (the former for Dark Mofo). Tickets are almost entirely sold out, but you can find any that remain here.
Henry Rollins: ‘Good To See You’ tour
When: June 5 – July 3
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Former Black Flag singer Henry Rollins will touch down in June for his first speaking tour of Australia in seven years, delivering his unique hybrid of social commentary and punk anecdotes – somewhere between stand-up comedy and a TED Talk – to an impressive 18 crowds. He’ll hit a mix of capital cities and regional hotspots, with unconventional touring stops like Alice Springs and Darwin in the mix alongside the usual east coast and WA mainstays. See here for tickets to the dates in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Thirroul and Sydney, with all other dates – as well as pre-sale info – available here.
Babymetal
When: June 8 – June 11
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Babymetal’s two-year hiatus has come to an end, and with their fourth album, ‘The Other One’, having just made landfall, the kawaii-core warriors have slated a mammoth world tour for 2023. Destroy All Lines are wrangling the Australian leg, bringing Babymetal to arenas in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
It’ll be the band’s first time headlining shows in the country – they last toured as part of the Good Things festival in 2018. Joining them on all three shows will be Sydney prog-metal outfit Reliqa. Brisbane is sold, but you can find ticket to Sydney and Melbourne here.
BLACKPINK: ‘Born Pink’ tour
When: June 10 – June 17
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The final leg of BLACKPINK’s worldwide tour will take place on Australian and New Zealand shores next year, with Melbourne and Sydney enjoying two shows each in June. The K-pop girl group will perform tracks from the tour’s namesake album, ‘Born Pink’, which was released in September 2022. Head here for touring and ticketing info.
MolchatDoma
When: June 12 – June 15
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June will see MolchatDoma make their first trek Down Under, performing three special shows in support of their latest album, 2020’s ‘Monument’. The Belarusian post-punk trio will first take to Carriageworks in Sydney for this year’s VIVID Live program, before hitting the Princess Theatre in Brisbane (as part of the Open Season festival) and the Odeon Theatre in Hobart (for Dark Mofo). Tickets for all three shows are on sale now – find them here.
HEALTH
When: June 15 – June 18
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It’s been seven long years since HEALTH last toured Australian shores, but the LA shredders will make up for their absence this June. They’ll deliver two intimate sets to fans in Sydney and Brisbane – Crowbar on Thursday June 15 and The Triffid on Friday June 16, respectively – before heading to Hobart for a show in this year’s Dark Mofo program. Lo-fi black metal legend Striborg will support the first two shows, and tickets for all of them are on sale now; find them here.
Snõõper
When: June 16 – July 1
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As they gear up to release debut album ‘Pod’ in July following a string of excellent EPs, Nashville, Tennessee garage punks Snõõper will celebrate early with an Australian tour in June: playing their first ever shows here.
They’ll be joined along the way by some of Australia’s best underground punk, hardcore and indie bands, including the likes of Parsnip, GEE TEE, Liquid Face, Tee Vee Repairman, R.M.F.C., Smooch and more.
Polyphia
When: June 27 – June 29
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Polyphia’s first Australian tour went down in 2018, when they supported Intervals for a short run of club shows. The instrumental prog-rockers have since exploded in popularity – thanks in no short part to their fourth album, last year’s ‘Remember That You Will Die’ – and with Australia being one of their biggest markets, they’ll return this June to tour the record on a headline run.
They’ll play theatres along the east coast, starting with Brisbane’s Tivoli on Tuesday June 27, then Sydney’s Metro Theatre on Wednesday June 28, and finally Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre on Thursday June 29. Tickets for all of the shows are on sale here.
Lewis Capaldi
When: July 7 – July 15
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Capaldi’s 2023 Australian run of shows come in support of his latest album, ‘Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent’, which he’ll tour in Adelaide and Perth, alongside two shows each in both Melbourne and Sydney. Head here for tickets.
Splendour in the Grass 2023 sideshows
When: July 9 – July 27
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Splendour in the Grass will return in July, with a stacked line-up of international and homegrown favourites, and many acts on the bill are also performing sideshows while in the country. In Melbourne and Sydney, Colombian reggaeton star J Balvin will play his debut Australian headline gigs, while NYC indie rockers Yeah YeahYeahs, British rapper Little Simz, Swedish superstar Tove Lo and more will make their long-awaited return.
- READ MORE:Splendour In The Grass 2023: latest updates on the festival’s line-up, tickets, sideshows and more
Arlo Parks will play shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, while IDLES will play a one-off gig at Melbourne’s Festival Hall. UK singer-songwriter Sam Fender will also play a single headline show, in Perth, having missed WA on his previous Australian tours.
You Me At Six: ‘Truth Decay’ tour
When: July 9 – July 16
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You Me At Six have announced their first Australian tour in four years (and their monumental 10th overall), hitting shores this July in support of their just-released eighth album, ‘Truth Decay’. Supported by US pop-rockers Set It Off, they’ll play in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with tickets for all five shows available here.
Lizzo. Credit: Tim Mosenfelder via Getty Images
Lizzo: The Special Tour
When: July 14 – July 26
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Get ready to feel good as hell: Lizzo is bringing The Special Tour to Australia and New Zealand. She’ll play arena shows in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland – around her headlining set at Splendour in the Grass 2023. She’ll be supported by Australia’s very own TkayMaidza. Find tickets here.
Eagles Of Death Metal
When: July 25 – August 2
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Eagles Of Death Metal are returning Down Under in July, performing six shows as part of their 24th anniversary celebrations. It’ll be their first run here since 2016, when they toured in support of their fourth (and still most recent) studio album, ‘Zipper Down’. They’ll play cuts from all four of their records on this run, which heads to Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Tickets for all of the shows are on sale now – find them here for Brisbane and here for everywhere else.
Slowdive
When: July 17 – July 23
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Slowdive were initially due to embark on their Australian tour in April, however less than 24 hours before kick-off, Simon Scott sustained a back injury and the band were forced to postpone the trek. They’ll be back sooner than expected, though, announcing a new run of dates for this July. Headline shows (in upgraded venues) have been locked in for Boorloo/Perth, Meanjin/Brisbane, Eora/Sydney, Naarm/Melbourne and Kaurna/Adelaide, with ticketing info for all of them available here.
Giriboy
When: August 1 – August 3
Fast-rising K-rapper Giriboy (aka Hong Si-young) will make his Australian debut in August, taking to Eora/Sydney’s Metro Theatre on Friday August 1, and Naarm/Melbourne’s 170 Russell venue on Sunday August 3. Presented by Nova Records and Prime Entertainment, the tour comes in support of Giriboy’s latest album, ‘Avante’, which arrived in October of 2021. Ticketing details are yet to be made public, however fans are encouraged to keep an eye on Nova Records’ social media.
Luke Combs
When: August 11 – August 26
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Playing arenas across the country, Luke Combs’ mammoth Australian tour runs throughout August, and will enlist fellow country music singer Cody Johnson and Australian singer-songwriter Lane Pittman. Rod Laver Arena, RAC and Qudos Bank Arena are among the venues set to welcome Combs, who is touring in support of 2022 album ‘Growin’ Up’. Find tickets to Combs’ tour here.
The Snuts
When: August 12 – August 14
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The Snuts made their Australian debut last July, playing a one-off set at Splendour In The Grass. Just over a year later, the Scottish indie-rockers will return for their own tour, playing mid-sized venues in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney this August. The run comes in support of their recent second album, ‘Burn The Empire’ – which NME praised as “a fearless evolution” – and tickets are on sale now from here.
Valley: ‘Lost In Translation’ tour
When: August 15 – August 18
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Canadian indie-pop band Valley are making their way Down Under this August, bringing their fast-impending second album – ‘Lost In Translation’, due out June 23 via Universal – to theatres in Meanjin/Brisbane, Eora/Sydney and Naarm/Melbourne.
It’ll be their first time performing in Australia, meaning fans should also expect a decent handful of gems from their 2019 debut album, ‘Maybe’, as well as the five EPs they dropped between 2015 and last year. Tickets for all three shows are on sale now – find them here.
“We are so excited to play Australia because it feels like such a far away land to us,” the band said in a press release. We’ve been practicing saying our ‘nourahs’ and buying the highest SPF we can possibly find.”
Loveless
When: August 17 – August 20
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Rising emo duo Loveless are making their Australian debut this August, touring tracks from their recent EP ‘End Of An Era’ in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. In a press release announcing the shows – tickets for all three of which can be found here – the pair said: “We are so excited to come see and play Australia for the first time, truly a dream to see all of you and it’s going to be an incredible run of shows! Love you, see you soon!”
Drug Church
When: August 17 – August 18
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Post-hardcore stalwarts Drug Church will make their Australian debut this August, performing at Eora/Sydney’s Crowbar on Thursday August 17, and Naarm/Melbourne’s Stay Gold venue on Friday August 18. The trek comes in support of their recent second album, ‘Hygiene’, which arrived last March via Pure Noise. Tickets for both shows are on sale now – find them here.
READ MORE: Drug Church’s ‘Strong References’ is a stormy cut of sarcastic, anthemic hardcore punk
Teddy Swims
When: August 18 – August 25
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Teddy Swims is primed to make his way back to Australia this August, hitting stages in Meanjin/Brisbane, Eora/Sydney, Boorloo/Perth, Kaurna/Adelaide and Naarm/Melbourne to support his recent string of standalone singles – ‘Face Myself’ (a collab with ElleyDuhé), ‘What More Can I Say’ and ‘Happy People’ – as well as his recent fourth EP, ‘Sleep Is Exhausting’. That six-track effort landed last November via Warner, following the ‘Tough Love’ record less than 10 months earlier.
The genre-bending US rapper will be touring here with his backing band, Freak Freely, and tickets to all five shows are on sale now – find them here for the Meanjin date, and here for all the others.
Spanish Love Songs
When: August 19 – August 25
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It’s wild to think Spanish Love Songs have never toured Australia, but this August, the LA emo-punk group will make things right with an epic six-date run. In addition to a set at Eora/Sydney’s Sin Or Swim festival (which fittingly takes place on a boat cruising around the city’s harbour), the five-piece will headline club gigs in Ngambri/Canberra, Awakabal/Newcastle, Yugambeh/Gold Coast, Meanjin/Brisbane and Naarm/Melbourne.
The tour comes in support of Spanish Love Songs’ upcoming fourth album, ‘No Joy’, which is set to coincide with the very last show of this run on August 25. It’s the follow-up to their breakthrough 2020 album ‘Brave Faces Everyone’, and fans can also expect to hear choice cuts from 2015’s ‘Giant Sings The Blues’ and 2018’s ‘Schmaltz’. Tickets are on sale now from here.
La Dispute: ‘Wildlife’ 10 Year Anniversary And Recital
When: August 19 – August 27
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Emo icons La Dispute will make their Australian comeback this August, celebrating the belated 10th anniversary of their second album, ‘Wildlife’. They’ll play the album in full across seven shows, taking to stages in Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne. Tickets go on sale Thursday May 4, with info on them for all shows available here.
Evanescence: Celebrating 20 years of ‘Fallen’
When: August 24 – September 2
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Back in March, Evanescence celebrated the 20th anniversary of their iconic debut album, ‘Fallen’ (the record that gave us hits like ‘Bring Me To Life’ and ‘My Immortal’). To honour the milestone with their Australian fans, the gothic greats will play highlights from ‘Fallen’ – and favourites from across their entire discography – over five dates this August.
Hitting stages in Meanjin/Brisbane, Eora/Sydney, Kaurna/Adelaide, Naarm/Melbourne and Boorloo/Perth, this tour will mark the band’s first in Australia since 2018. Tickets for all of the dates are on sale now – find them here for Meanjin’s show and here for all the others.
We Came As Romans
When: August 29 – September 2
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We Came As Roman’s first visit to Australia since 2015 will see them joined by Invent Animate, who will play their debut shows in the country. The four-date run includes stops in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and comes in support of We Came As Romans’ 2022 album ‘Darkbloom’. Find tickets here.
Thrice
When: August 31 – September 7
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Thrice’s Australian tour will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2003 major label debut, ‘The Artist In The Ambulance’. It includes shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, Badlands, all of which take place between August 31 and September 7. Tickets are on sale here.
Napalm Death and Wormrot
When: September 5 – September 12
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The British grindcore pioneers head back to Australia in spring for their first shows in the country in six years. Since their last visit, the band have released two new records: 2020’s ‘Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism’ and a companion to that album released last year, ‘Resentment Is Always Seismic’.
Napalm Death will be joined on the tour by Singaporean purveyors of extreme metal Wormrot, who released latest album ‘Hiss’ last year.
Culture Club
When: September 5 – September 14
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New Romantic icons Culture Club are gearing up for their long-awaited return to Australia, with their first tour in six years slated for September. Boy George and co. will play five shows across all the regular hotspots, taking to arenas in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. It’ll be a ‘greatest hits’ affair, with the setlist drawing from all six of their studio albums. Find tickets here for all of the dates.
Extreme and Living Colour
When: September 6 – September 13
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Extreme and Living Colour will co-headline a quintet of Australian tour dates this September, marking the first trips Down Under for both of them in five years. Extreme will be plugging their upcoming sixth album – aptly titled ‘Six’ and due out on June 9 – while Living Colour are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic 1993 album ‘Stain’. Tickets for all shows are on sale now – find them here for Brisbane and here for everywhere else.
Against The Current: The ‘Nightmares & Daydreams’ tour
When: September 8 – October 4
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Against The Current‘s Australian tour comprises three successive dates in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne this September. At the top of the following month, the band will play shows in Belgrave (October 1) and Adelaide (October 3), before wrapping up the six-date tour in Perth on October 4. Find tickets here.
Cattle Decapitation and Fallujah
When: September 12 – September 20
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American deathgrind veterans Cattle Decapitation are headed back to Australia in September, bringing with them songs from their blistering new album ‘Terrasite’. Joining them on the tour – which will include shows in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane – will be Californian technical death metal outfit Fallujah. Find tickets here.
Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets: The Echoes Tour
When: September 16 – September 25
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As the only Pink Floyd member to perform on all 15 of their studio albums, founding drummer Nick Mason has earned the right to lead his own tour of the iconic prog-rockers’ early catalogue. Performing with his Saucerful Of Secrets band (which also features Pink Floyd’s former touring bassist Guy Pratt, as well as guitarists Lee Harris and Gary Kemp, and keyboardist Dom Beken), Mason will deliver cuts from Pink Floyd’s pre-‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ era in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. Find tickets here.
Nick Mulvey
When: September 20 – September 22
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Nick Mulvey will make his way to Australia for the second time ever this September, marking his return some nine years after he first visited in 2014. This time around – touring in support of last year’s ‘New Mythology’ album – he’ll perform in Meanjin/Brisbane, Eora/Sydney and Naarm/Melbourne. All three shows are on sale now, with tickets available here.
The Acacia Strain and Dying Wish
When: September 21 – September 30
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In September, The Acacia Strain return to Australia for the first time since 2017. They’ll be bringing with them fellow US metalcore act Dying Wish – who will play their debut Australian shows as part of the tour. Novocastrian hardcore outfit Volatile Ways will also be joining for the majority of dates on the run.
The Acacia Strain’s upcoming visit comes in support of their recently-released albums ‘Step Into The Light’ and ‘Failure Will Follow’, which arrived simultaneously in May featuring collaborations with Full of Hell’s Dylan Walker, Primitive Man’s Ethan McCarthy, Sunami’s Josef Alfonso and more.
Kevin Morby. Credit: Mariano Regidor/Redferns
Tems
When: September 26 – October 3
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NME 100 alumnus Tems will head Down Under in late September, taking to theatre stages in Eora/Sydney and Naarm/Melbourne before she performs at the Promiseland festival on the Gold Coast. Fans can expect to hear cuts from both her EPs – 2020’s ‘For Broken Ears’ and 2021’s ‘If Orange Was A Place’ – with tickets for all the shows available here.
Son Little
When: September 27 – October 1
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Son Little’s second time Down Under – following up on a short trip he made back in 2016 – will see him play stately venues in Meanjin/Brisbane, Eora/Sydney and Naarm/Melbourne, as well as the Wanderer festival on the Sapphire Coast. The R&B songster has dropped three albums since his last visit – ‘New Magic’ in 2017, ‘Aloha’ in 2020 and ‘Like Neptune’ last year – so these setlists are sure to be jam-packed with jams. Tickets are on sale now – find them here for the Eora show and here for all the others.
Kevin Morby
When: September 27 – October 8
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American singer-songwriter Kevin Morby returns for a string of headline shows in addition to an appearance at Wanderer Festival in Palumba Beach. Morby will be bringing songs from last year’s ‘This Is a Photograph’, which NME called one of the best albums of 2022, describing it as an “ambitious, heart-warming and deeply personal entry from a songwriter who knows no other way than to bare it all”. Find tickets here.
Ghost
When: October 3 – October 7
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Ghost’s next Australian congregation has been locked in for this October, taking Papa Emeritus IV and his band of Nameless Ghouls to their biggest stages yet in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It comes in support of their forthcoming ‘Phantomime’ EP (out May 18 via Loma Vista), with tickets on sale now – find them here for Brisbane, and here for everywhere else.
- READ MORE:Ghost’s Tobias Forge talks new covers EP ‘Phantomime’: “It casts a glimpse as to where I want to go”
She Wants Revenge
When: October 3 – October 7
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It’s been nearly two decades since we first heard the mind-melting magic of She Wants Revenge, and now the Californian five-piece are finally taking their live show to Australia. Newly reunited (for the second time), they’ll play small theatre shows in Meanjin/Brisbane, Naarm/Melbourne and Eora/Sydney this October – see tickets here.
Waterparks
When: October 3 – October 8
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Waterparks’ have finally announced their first headlining tour of Australia, making the trek this October to support their just-released fifth album, ‘Intellectual Property’. It’ll also mark the first time local fans can see them play cuts from ‘Fandom’ (2019) and ‘Greatest Hits’ (2021). Supporting all five dates of the tour will be Lights, making her return to Australia for the first time since 2012. The run will head to theatres in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, with tickets for all cities available here.
They Might Be Giants: ‘An Evening With: Flood, Book And Beyond’
When: October 5 – October 11
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2023 marks the 33rd anniversary of They Might Be Giants’ landmark third album, ‘Flood’ – an odd year to celebrate an anniversary for, maybe, but one fans certainly won’t question. The legendary alt-rockers will perform their seminal effort in full on the upcoming run, hitting stages in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth this October. See here for tickets.
KISS: ‘The Final Curtain’
When: October 7
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One last Australian show has been locked in for KISS’ farewell tour, with fans in Eora/Sydney being treated to a standalone gig at Accor Stadium on Saturday October 7. Weezer will perform as the main support (it’s unclear if they’ll announce a tour of their own in the near future) and tickets will be available here.
In a press statement, KISS bassist Paul Stanley said of the upcoming show: “You have made your voices loud enough that it was impossible for us not to hear you! We are overwhelmed by your petitions and calls for one last KISS so we are now announcing that The End Of The Road will detour one last time to Sydney for a final bombastic farewell. As unexpected as this is for us, we will make it unforgettable for all who share the night with us.”
Wallice
When: October 13 – October 15
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Wallice wowed Aussie audiences earlier this year when she played her debut shows in the country supporting The 1975 on the band’s ‘At Their Very Best’ tour. In October, the Los Angeles singer-songwriter (and NME 100 member) is coming back to play her first headline shows here – in Melbourne and Brisbane – along with an appearance as part of the inaugural SXSW Sydney. Find tickets for the headline dates here, and more info on SXSW Sydney here.
Bury Tomorrow
When: October 13 – October 21
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In what will be their first-ever headline tour of the country, Bury Tomorrow will make their Australian debut next year with new bandmates Ed Hartwell and Tom Prendergast in tow. The October run of shows will arrive shortly after ‘The Seventh Sun’, the band’s upcoming album set for release in March 2023. Bury Tomorrow’s six-date tour includes shows in Newcastle, Brisbane and Perth. Head here for tickets.
Happy Mondays
When: October 19 – October 25
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The baggy kings in the Happy Mondays have announced their return to Australian shores, with six shows on the itinerary for this October. Along with two Melbourne dates, they’ll play in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth for the local leg of their ‘Twenty Four Hour Party People’ tour, across which they’ll perform a slew of their greatest hits. Remaining tickets for all the shows are on sale now: you can find them here if you’re in Brisbane, or here if you’re anywhere else.
Built to Spill
When: October 20 – October 26
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American indie rock veterans Built to Spill will return to Australia for the first time since 2016. They’ll kick off their tour with shows at Sydney’s Manning Bar and the Triffid in Brisbane, before a three-night residency at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club as part of the city’s new music festival, The Eighty-Six.
Since they last played in Australia, the band have released their ninth studio album, last year’s ‘When the Wind Forgets Your Name. They also have a new line-up, with bassist Melanie Radford and drummer Teresa Esguerra joining frontman and sole constant member Doug Martsch in 2019. Find tickets here.
SXSW Sydney sideshows: Otoboke Beaver, Los Bitchos, Connie Constance
When: October 22 – October 27
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South by Southwest (SXSW) comes to Australia for the first time in October, with the Texas-born festival’s inaugural Sydney edition set to bring a slew of exciting artists and speakers to our neck of the woods. In addition to their appearances at SXSW Sydney, multiple international acts will also be playing their debut headline shows around the country.
That includes Japanese punks Otoboke Beaver, who will play shows in Brisbane and Melbourne (as part of new festival The Eighty-Six), and a Melbourne show for English singer-songwriter Connie Constance. London’s Cumbia-inspired instrumental psych group Los Bitchos, meanwhile, will play shows in Melbourne and Perth alongside their SXSW performance. Find tickets here.
The Corrs
When: October 25 – November 6
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The Corrs’ first full-scale national tour in over 20 years will take place towards the end of 2023, with shows in most capital cities booked for October and November. The pop rock family band will be supported in all cities – including Perth, Newcastle, Sydney and more – by singer Natalie Imbruglia as well as Toni Childs, and Germein. Find tickets here.
Sam Smith. Credit: Derek White via Getty Images
Lagwagon: ‘By Request’ tour
When: October 27 – November 5
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Lagwagon are returning to Australia at the end of October, playing six of their own shows as well as the Schooner Or Later festival in Sydney. All of their setlists will be unique, too, with the band exclusively playing songs requested by fans. It’ll be a night to remember for any Lagwagon fan, and tickets to all of the shows are on sale now – find them here for the first one in Meanjin/Brisbane, and here for the rest.
Sam Smith: ‘Gloria’ tour
When: October 28 – November 8
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The singer will tour Australia for the first time since 2018, playing arenas in Adelaide and Brisbane, as well as two dates in Melbourne and Sydney and Brisbane. The tour comes in support of Smith‘s fourth studio album ‘Gloria’, featuring their smash hit Kim Petras collaboration ‘Unholy’.
Def Leppard and Motley Crue
When: November 8 – November 14
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Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe have announced the Australian leg of their co-headlining world tour, playing stadiums in Meanjin/Brisbane, Eora/Sydney and Naarm/Melbourne this November. In a press statement, Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott said: “After getting back on the road this past summer, we’re beyond thrilled to bring this massive tour to a global audience including some special dates in Australia!”
Mötley Crüe shared their excitement in a group statement of their own, writing: “We had an incredible time playing The Stadium Tour in North America and we truly can’t wait to continue taking the show around the globe with The WORLD Tour in 2023. Crüeheads get ready because we have a few amazing Australian dates set for you!”
Tickets for all three shows are on sale now, here for Meanjin and Eora and here for Naarm.
The Exploited
When: November 9 – November 19
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The Exploited‘s nine-date Australian tour serves as a belated celebration of the band’s 40th anniversary. The Exploited’s first run of shows in the country since 2015 will kick off with back-to-back shows in Geelong, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth from November 9. Successive shows from November 15 will follow. Find tickets here.
Robbie Williams: ‘XXV’ world tour
When: November 11 – December 1
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Arriving over a year after his two headline shows and performance at the AFL Grand Final this year, concertgoers will again welcome Robbie Williams as part of his ‘XXV’ Australian tour. The run of shows includes both metropolitan stadiums – in Sydney and Melbourne – and regional wineries like Queensland’s Mount Cotton.
Williams, who will be touring his namesake album ‘XXV’, added new dates to the schedule in September, bringing the number of tour dates to nine. Find tickets here.
Liturgy
When: November 16 – November 18
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Brooklyn black-metallers Liturgy are finally making their way to Australia this November, playing intimate gigs in Meanjin/Brisbane, Eora/Sydney and Naarm/Melbourne with support from fast-rising noise artist Uboa. Fans can expect to hear highlights from their sprawling sixth album – ‘93696’, which arrived independently back in March – as well as gems from across their full 16-year catalogue. Tickets are on sale now – find them here.
Coldplay
When: November 18 – November 19
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Coldplay are returning to Australia in November to play two shows: a pair of exclusive concerts at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 18 and 19. The gigs will mark the British band’s first shows in Western Australia in 14 years, and was organised in partnership with Tourism WA in a bid to attract interstate visitors.
The Perth concerts – which will feature support from Amy Shark, Thelma Plum and Tash Sultana – form the Australian leg of Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour, in support of the band’s 2021 album of the same name. Both shows are sold out.
Måneskin at Lafayette, London. Credit: Fabio Germinario
Måneskin: ‘Rush! Tour’
When: November 20 – November 25
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Still riding the high of their Eurovision win in 2021, Måneskin are taking their just-released ‘Rush!’ album to Australia this November. It comes as part of a four-month world tour to support the album – their third overall, earning three stars from NME – with local dates locked in for Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Tickets are on sale now – find them here.
Highly Suspect
When: November 23 – November 25
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More than seven years after they last toured Australia on their debut run of shows, American rockers Highly Suspect will return in November for a trio of east coast dates that includes their first Brisbane show.
The band are touring in support of their fourth album ‘The Midnight Demon Club’, which arrived in September last year after being previewed with singles like ‘Natural Born Killer’ and ‘Ice Cold’. Find tickets for all three shows here.
Electric Callboy: ‘Tekkno’ tour
When: November 25 – December 1
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German techno-metal outfit Electric Callboy will embark on their first-ever headline tour of Australia in November, plugging cuts from ‘Tekkno’ – their highly acclaimed sixth album – in Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. It follows their recent trek here for last year’s Good Things festival, and you can score tickets to these new shows here.
Jackson Browne
When: November 29 – December 1
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After coming down with a severe illness, Jackson Browne was forced to axe the Sydney and Melbourne dates of his recent Australian tour. Fans in those cities won’t have to wait long for his return, though: the 74-year old rock’n’roller has announced new shows for the end of this year, taking to Melbourne on Wednesday November 29, Sydney on Friday December 1, and Mount Cotton on Saturday December 2.
He’ll be joined by Liz Stringer at all three shows, and additionally by The Waifs and Vika & Linda in Queensland. Tickets are on sale now via Frontier.
Foo Fighters
When: November 29 – December 12
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Foo Fighters have announced their momentous return to Australia, slating five enormous shows on the itinerary for the end of the year. Touring in support of their just-released 11th album, ‘But Here We Are’, it’ll be the rock titans’ first trek Down Under since the passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins last March (with Josh Freese sitting in his place). They’ll take to stadium stages in Boorloo/Perth, Kaurna/Adelaide, Naarm/Melbourne, Eora/Sydney and Meanjin Brisbane, with most shows supported by up-and-coming acts from around the country.
The Chats will open for the Foos everywhere but Naarm, where Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers will open alongside UK emo band Hot Milk. The latter group will also play in Meanjin and Eora, while Teenage Joans will open the show in Boorloo, and Body Type will kick things off in Kaurna. Tickets for the Boorloo show are available here, with all the others available here.
READ MORE: Foo Fighters – ‘But Here We Are’ review: Grohl and the gang work through their grief
Fletcher
When: December 2 – December 9
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It was just last August that Fletcher made her Australian debut, but fans of the New Jersey songstress will be thrilled to know she’s already locked in her second trip. Come December, she’ll perform in some of the country’s most iconic venues – the Hordern Pavilion in Eora/Sydney, the Forum in Naarm/Melbourne, the Fortitude Music Hall in Meanjin/Brisbane and Metro City in Boorloo/Perth – with tickets for all of the shows (including a newly added second date in Naarm) on sale now; find them here for Meanjin and here for everywhere else.
50 Cent
When: December 2 – December 10
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50 Cent will head to Australian arenas at the end of the year, performing giant shows in Boorloo/Perth, Kaurna/Adelaide, Naarm/Melbourne, Eora/Sydney and Meanjin/Brisbane. His first tour here since 2019, it’ll celebrate 20 years of his acclaimed debut album ‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin”. See here for tickets to all dates, including newly added shows in Naarm, Meanjin and Eora.
READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: 50 Cent
The War On Drugs / Spoon / Indigo Sparke
When: December 4 – December 11
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It’s been half a decade since we last saw The War On Drugs tour Australia, but the drought finally ends this December – they’ll be playing stately rooms in Eora/Sydney, Naarm/Melbourne, Meanjin/Brisbane and Boorloo/Perth this December, and they’ll bring Spoon and Indigo Sparke along for the ride.
The tour comes in support of their fifth album, ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’, which arrived in October of 2021 and earned critical acclaim: in a five-star review, NME’s Rhys Buchanan called it “a soul-stirring epic”, writing that “there’s magic everywhere you look on this triumph of an album”. Tickets for all four of the shows are on sale now – find them here.
The Tallest Man On Earth
When: December 6 – December 8
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The Tallest Man On Earth (aka Kristian Matsson) is bringing his ‘Henry St.’ tour to Australia this December, performing in theatres along the east coast – Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne – for the first time since 2016. Tickets for all three shows are on sale now, and you can find them here.
Harry Connick Jr
When: December 3 – December 18
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Harry Connick Jr is currently making waves as a host on Australian Idol, but come December, he’ll embark on his first national tour here since 2010. He’s released a five studio albums in that time, with the most recent being 2021’s Grammy-nominated ‘Alone With My Faith’. Shows will go down in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne, with tickets for all of them available here.
Novo Amor
When: December 7 – December 9
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Novo Amor (aka Ali Lacey) will play his first Australian shows this December, with the Welsh multi-hyphenate playing theatres in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. He’ll trek down the east coast in support of his fourth album, ‘Antarctican Dream Machine’, which arrived last July – find tickets here.
L7
When: December 8 – December 16
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L7’s first Australian tour since 2016 will kick off on Friday December 8, when the legendary rockers take to the Metro Theatre in Sydney. From there, they’ll hit stages in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne – a second show already announced for the lattermost city – with the whole tour seeing them perform their classic 1992 album, ‘Bricks Are Heavy’, in its entirety. You can grab tickets for the Brisbane show here, with tickets for all the others available here.
Metal Church
When: December 14 – December 17
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America’s Metal Church will tour Australia towards the tail end of the year in support of their 13th studio album, ‘Congregation of Annihilation’. Both that album and the Australian tour in support of it will be the band’s first without longtime vocalist Mike Howe, who died in 2021.
Earlier this year, Marc Lopes was announced as Metal Church’s new singer, making his recorded debut with the band on the new single ‘Pick a God and Prey’. Guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof has called the album the start of “a new chapter in the Metal Church legacy”, while Lopes says he is “honoured to be part of carrying on [the band’s] legacy into a new era”. Find tickets for the upcoming tour here.
Article originally posted on https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/australia-concerts-2023-tours-tickets-3369440