ABC will return to Australia in March 2027 for their first full national tour in more than a decade, with Martin Fry leading a six-date celebration of The Lexicon of Love and the band’s catalogue of classic pop songs.
by Paul Cashmere
ABC, fronted by Martin Fry, will return to Australia in March 2027 for The Lexicon of Life Tour, marking the band’s first full Australian tour in more than 10 years. The six-date national run will feature performances from the landmark 1982 album The Lexicon of Love alongside songs spanning ABC’s four-decade career, including “The Look of Love”, “Poison Arrow” and “All Of My Heart”.
The tour will bring one of the defining acts of the early 1980s British new pop movement back to Australian stages, following previous appearances including dates in Melbourne in 2011. ABC’s return reflects the enduring appeal of The Lexicon of Love, an album that introduced Martin Fry’s distinctive vocal style, sophisticated songwriting and the band’s blend of synth-pop, soul and orchestral pop arrangements to a global audience.
The Lexicon of Life Tour will begin in Perth on 9 March 2027 before travelling through Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart and Adelaide. Tickets will go on early bird presale from Wednesday, 5 August, with general onsale from Friday, 7 August via Destroy All Lines.
ABC formed in Sheffield, England, in 1980 after the evolution of electronic group Vice Versa. Led throughout the band’s history by Martin Fry, ABC became associated with the polished, theatrical sound of British new pop, combining electronic production with influences from disco, rock and classic songwriting traditions.
Released in June 1982, The Lexicon of Love became the band’s breakthrough album, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart. Produced by Trevor Horn, the album produced a run of enduring singles including “Tears Are Not Enough”, “Poison Arrow”, “The Look of Love” and “All Of My Heart”.
The album also achieved significant success in Australia, reaching number nine on the national album chart of the time, the Kent Music Report. “Poison Arrow” became a top five Australian single, while “The Look Of Love” reached number seven.
ABC followed their debut with a series of albums that explored different musical directions. Beauty Stab was released in 1983 and featured “That Was Then But This Is Now” and “S.O.S.”. The electronic-focused How To Be A… Zillionaire! arrived in 1985 and included the international hits “Be Near Me” and “(How To Be A) Millionaire”. In 1987, Alphabet City returned ABC to the charts with “When Smokey Sings”, a tribute to soul legend Smokey Robinson that became one of the band’s biggest international successes.
After later releases including Up, Abracadabra, Skyscraping and Traffic, Martin Fry revisited the world of ABC’s debut album with The Lexicon Of Love II in 2016. The album continued the story of the original record and featured contributions from Academy Award-winning composer Anne Dudley, who had worked on the first Lexicon Of Love album. The release reached number five on the UK Albums Chart, marking ABC’s highest UK album chart position since their 1982 debut.
ABC celebrated the 40th anniversary of The Lexicon Of Love in 2022 with an orchestral performance at Sheffield City Hall, later released as The Lexicon Of Love 40th Anniversary Live At Sheffield City Hall. The concert featured the complete original album alongside later ABC favourites, with Anne Dudley conducting and the Southbank Sinfonia performing with the band.
The anniversary celebrations continued with expanded editions of The Lexicon Of Love, including new mixes and immersive audio releases. ABC also continued touring internationally, including North American dates with Howard Jones in 2024 and 2025.
Martin Fry remains the only constant member of ABC’s lineup and continues to perform in the band’s trademark gold lamé suit, a visual identity that became closely associated with the group’s early 1980s success. ABC’s music has remained connected to the era’s shift towards a more sophisticated style of pop, where electronic production was combined with detailed arrangements and literate songwriting.
The band’s return to Australia comes as audiences continue to revisit the music of the 1980s through anniversary releases, catalogue restorations and live performances. For Australian fans, the 2027 tour will provide the opportunity to hear The Lexicon Of Love performed alongside the wider ABC catalogue by Martin Fry and the current incarnation of the band.
ABC The Lexicon Of Life Tour 2027
9 March 2027, Perth, Astor Theatre
11 March 2027, Melbourne, Palais Theatre
13 March 2027, Brisbane, Fortitude Music Hall
14 March 2027, Sydney, Enmore Theatre
16 March 2027, Hobart, Odeon Theatre
18 March 2027, Adelaide, The Gov
Ticket Details
Tickets available via Destroy All Lines from Friday 7 August 2026, with early bird presale from Wednesday 5 August 2026.
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