Ben Folds And A Piano Australian Tour Dates Revealed

Ben Folds will perform his ‘Ben Folds and a Piano’ tour for Australia in February and March 2026.

With Ben and just a piano on stage with no backing band, Ben does have the opportunity to swap the setlist up each night. For his opening and closing music, Ben chose the very clever bookends ‘One’ by Harry Nilsson and ‘All By Myself’ from Eric Carmen.

At a recent show on 27 June 2025 in Rhode Island Ben performed:

So There (from So There, 2015)
Don’t Change Your Plans (from Ben Folds Five, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, 1999)
The Ascent of Stan (from Rockin’ The Suburbs, 2001)
Effington (from Way To Normal, 2008)
All U Can Eat (from Sunny 16 EP, 2003)
Fred Jones Part 2 (from Rockin’ The Suburbs, 2001)
Philosophy (from Ben Folds Five, Ben Folds Five, 1995)
Still Fighting It (from Rockin’ The Suburbs, 2001)
Gracie (from Songs For Silverman, 2005)
Kristine From the 7th Grade (from What Matters Most, 2023)
Annie Waits (from Rockin’ The Suburbs, 2001)
Fragile (from What Matters Most, 2023)
What Matters Most (from What Matters Most, 2023)
Capable of Anything (from So There, 2015)
Zak and Sara (from Rockin’ The Suburbs, 2001)
Landed (from Songs For Silverman, 2005)
You Don’t Know Me (from Way To Normal, 2008)
One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces (from Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen, 1997)

Encore:
Army (from Ben Folds Five, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, 1999)

Ben Folds is the American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer best known for his genre-blending style that mixes rock, pop, and classical influences with sharp wit and lyrical storytelling. Born on September 12, 1966, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Folds’ musical journey began in childhood when he learned piano by ear and became enamored with both pop and classical music.

Folds rose to fame in the mid-1990s as the frontman of Ben Folds Five, a band ironically named despite being a trio. Formed in 1993 with bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee, the group gained a loyal following with their self-titled 1995 debut. Their breakthrough came with the 1997 album Whatever and Ever Amen, which featured the hit single “Brick” — a deeply personal ballad about an abortion Folds and his girlfriend experienced in high school. The song’s stark honesty and piano-driven arrangement set the band apart from the guitar-heavy alternative rock scene of the time.

Ben Folds Five disbanded in 2000, and Folds embarked on a solo career that allowed him to explore a broader musical palette. His 2001 debut solo album, Rockin’ the Suburbs, leaned into satire and vulnerability, most notably with the title track’s parody of suburban angst. He followed it with Songs for Silverman (2005) and Way to Normal (2008), both of which balanced humor with introspective balladry. His solo work continued to showcase his skill as a pianist and lyricist, often weaving between quirky narrative songs and raw emotional reflections.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Folds collaborated with a wide range of artists across genres — including Regina Spektor, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and novelist Nick Hornby, with whom he co-wrote the 2010 album Lonely Avenue. He also worked extensively with symphony orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra, further embracing his classical roots. His work in this realm often combined pop songwriting with orchestral arrangements, expanding his appeal and artistic scope.

Ben Folds Five reunited in 2011 for live shows and released the album The Sound of the Life of the Mind in 2012. While the reunion was relatively brief, it was well received by fans and critics alike.

In addition to music, Folds has become an advocate for arts education and music accessibility. He served as an artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra and published a memoir in 2019, A Dream About Lightning Bugs, offering personal insight into his creative process and life story.

In 2023, Folds released What Matters Most, his first studio album in eight years, continuing his tradition of blending wit, emotion, and musical craft.

BEN FOLDS
BEN FOLDS & A PIANO
AUSTRALIAN TOUR
FEBRUARY & MARCH 2026
Presented by Frontier Touring and Chugg Entertainment

FRONTIER MEMBER PRESALE
via frontiertouring.com/benfolds
Runs 12 hours from: Monday 11 August (10am local time)
or until presale allocation exhausted

TICKETS ON SALE
Begins: Tuesday 12 August (11am local time)

Wednesday 18 February
The Fortitude Music Hall | Brisbane, QLD

Friday 20 February
State Theatre | Sydney, NSW

Saturday 21 February
Anita’s Theatre | Thirroul, NSW

Sunday 22 February
Canberra Theatre Centre | Canberra, NSW

Tuesday 24 February
Thebarton Theatre | Adelaide, SA
Lic. All Ages
ticketmaster.com.au

Thursday 26 February
Palais Theatre | Melbourne, VIC

Friday 27 February
Ulumbarra Theatre | Bendigo, VIC

Sunday 1 March
Riverside Theatre | Perth, WA

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Tagged as: 90s, alternative, Australian Tour, Ben Folds, power pop, rock, USA