Australian Crawl and Men At Work will share the stage for the first time in more than four decades, with Brisbane and Melbourne added to the 2026 Red Hot Summer Tour.
by Paul Cashmere
Australian Crawl and Men At Work will reunite with the music of their respective catalogues for two newly announced Red Hot Summer Tour shows in November, with Brisbane’s Riverstage on November 20 and Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl on November 22. The outdoor concerts will also feature Vika & Linda and Boom Crash Opera, bringing together four significant Australian acts across two major capital city dates.
The Brisbane and Melbourne additions follow strong demand for the existing Red Hot Summer Tour schedule. The shows also mark a significant moment for Australian Crawl, with James Reyne, Simon Binks and David Reyne appearing together for the first time in more than 40 years.
The three original Australian Crawl members will perform with a larger band featuring John Watson, who was with Australian Crawl between 1983 and 1986, alongside Brett Kingman, Josh Owen, Andrew McIvor, Sean Johnson, Melinda Jackson and Nicole Kurta.
Australian Crawl formed in Melbourne in 1979 and established a substantial catalogue during a career that lasted until 1986. James Reyne remained the band’s most recognisable voice and subsequently developed a successful solo career, while Simon Binks and David Reyne continued their own musical careers.
The November performances represent a rare opportunity to hear members of the original line-up together again. The band’s catalogue includes songs that became enduring parts of the Australian rock repertoire, spanning its albums and singles released during the late 1970s and 1980s.
Men At Work will be led by founding member Colin Hay, who has continued performing the band’s material internationally since the group originally disbanded in 1985. Hay has also maintained an extensive solo career and is currently a member of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band.
Men At Work achieved international success in the early 1980s, becoming a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling act. The band’s best-known songs include “Down Under”, “Who Can It Be Now?”, “Be Good Johnny”, “Overkill” and “It’s A Mistake”.
Colin Hay and Greg Ham subsequently continued performing as Men At Work from 1996 into the 2000s. Greg Ham died in 2012. Since 2019, Hay has toured under the Men At Work name with a Los Angeles-based band, performing a set devoted to the group’s catalogue.
The bill also brings together Vika & Linda, whose career has included nine studio albums and extensive work with The Black Sorrows, Paul Kelly and other Australian artists. The sisters were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and received the Medal of the Order of Australia for their contribution to music.
Their latest album, Where Do You Come From?, explores personal themes including identity, ancestry, motherhood, ageing, grief and joy, marking a songwriting-focused chapter in the sisters’ long career.
Boom Crash Opera completes the four-act line-up. Formed in the 1980s, the band recorded five Top 50 albums and 13 Top 50 singles, including “Great Wall”, “Hands Up In The Air”, “City Flat”, “Onion Skin”, “Get Out Of The House”, “The Best Thing” and “Dancing In The Storm”.
The newly announced dates extend a Red Hot Summer Tour schedule that already includes 10 performances across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. Several of those dates are sold out, while others are listed as selling fast.
The Red Hot Summer Tour and Face To Face Touring pre-sale begins Wednesday, September 9 at 10.00am local time, running until Thursday, September 10 at 10.00am. General public sales begin Thursday, September 10 at 12.00pm local time.
The two new shows will provide the first opportunity in more than 40 years for three original Australian Crawl members to perform together on stage, alongside Colin Hay’s continuing presentation of the Men At Work catalogue.
Tour Dates
Friday 20 November, Brisbane, Riverstage
Sunday 22 November, Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Ticket Details
Red Hot Summer Tour / Face To Face Pre-sale: Wednesday 9 September, 10.00am to Thursday 10 September, 10.00am local time.
RED HOT SUMMER TOUR – PREVIOUS DATES 2026:
Saturday 17th October
Queens Park, Toowoomba QLD
***SELLING FAST***
Sunday 18th October
Sandstone Point Hotel, Sandstone Point QLD
***SOLD OUT***
Saturday 24th October
Berry Showground, Berry NSW
***SOLD OUT***
Sunday 25th October
Keirle Park, Manly NSW
***SOLD OUT***
Saturday 31st October
Roche Estate, Hunter Valley NSW
***SOLD OUT***
Sunday 1st November
Coolangatta Beach, Coolangatta QLD
***SOLD OUT***
Saturday 7th November
Victoria Park, Ballarat VIC
***SELLING FAST***
Sunday 8 th November
Mornington Racecourse, Mornington VIC
***SOLD OUT***
Saturday 14th November
Sandalford Wines, Swan Valley WA
***SOLD OUT***
Sunday 15th November
Glenelg Beach, Glenelg SA
***SELLING FAST***
Tickets: www.redhotsummertour.com.au
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