Ben Lee and Georgia Maq will join forces for a national theatre tour in September and October 2026, bringing an intimate collaborative format to audiences across Australia.
by Paul Cashmere
Australian singer-songwriters Ben Lee and Georgia Maq have announced a national co-headline tour for September and October 2026. Titled Two Most Annoying People You Love, the run will see the pair perform together on stage throughout a two-hour show, blending material from across their respective catalogues, sharing harmonies, performing covers and debuting new songs from upcoming recording projects.
The announcement brings together two artists from different generations of Australian independent music who have each built careers outside mainstream conventions. According to the artists, the tour will focus as much on their creative relationship as their individual catalogues, with both performers appearing on stage for the duration of each concert.
Lee said the format offers audiences a chance to experience the connection that has developed between the pair over years of friendship and collaboration.
“Georgia is one of my favorite songwriters, and favorite people. Can’t wait to invite the audience into our friendship, into our world,” Ben Lee said.
Georgia Maq added: “I love Ben so much and I’m so excited to interpolate our songs together in a new and weird way.”
The concept differs from a traditional co-headline concert. Rather than separate sets, Ben Lee and Georgia Maq will share the stage continuously, backing one another, revisiting lesser-known songs from their catalogues and reinterpreting familiar material. The performances are also expected to feature previews of unreleased music, giving audiences an early look at projects currently in development.
For Ben Lee, the tour comes after more than three decades in Australian music. He first emerged in the early 1990s as the teenage frontman of Noise Addict before launching a solo career that produced a string of influential releases including Grandpaw Would, Breathing Tornados and Awake Is The New Sleep. The latter became a defining commercial breakthrough, driven by the success of songs such as Catch My Disease and Gamble Everything For Love.
Over the years Lee has developed a reputation for continually reinventing his musical approach. His catalogue spans indie rock, folk, electronic experimentation, children’s music and collaborative projects. His most recent studio work, This One’s For The Old Headz, continued a prolific run that has seen him release more than a dozen albums
and numerous side projects.
For Maq, the tour marks another significant chapter in a career that has expanded
rapidly since the end of Camp Cope in 2023. As frontwoman of the Melbourne trio, she became one of the most recognisable voices in Australian independent music, helping the band earn a devoted following through albums including Camp Cope, How To Socialise & Make Friends and Running With The Hurricane.
Since moving further into solo work, Maq has continued to develop a distinct artistic identity. Her debut solo album Pleaser showcased a more personal and experimental approach, while subsequent releases including Live At The Sydney Opera House and God’s Favourite demonstrated her willingness to explore new creative territory. Away from music, Maq’s return to nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted a dimension of her life rarely associated with contemporary touring artists.
The collaboration is notable because it bridges two different eras of Australian alternative music. Lee emerged during the independent music boom of the 1990s, while Maq became a defining voice of a new generation navigating issues of identity, community and industry culture in the streaming era. Despite those different entry points, both artists have built careers around personal songwriting and a willingness to challenge expectations.
The theatre-based format also reflects a growing trend among established artists seeking more intimate audience experiences. Rather than relying on large-scale production, these performances place the emphasis on songwriting, storytelling and musical interaction. For fans, the appeal may lie as much in witnessing the chemistry between Lee and Maq as hearing familiar songs reinterpreted in real time.
With tickets set to go on sale later this month, the tour presents a rare opportunity to see two of Australia’s most distinctive songwriters share a stage in a format designed specifically around collaboration. Both artists have indicated that new material will form part of the performances, suggesting the concerts may also offer clues about the next phase of their respective recording careers.
Dates:
23 September 2026, Brisbane, Princess Theatre
24 September 2026, Melbourne, Melbourne Recital Centre
25 September 2026, Sydney, City Recital Hall
26 September 2026, Milton, Milton Theatre
29 September 2026, Perth, The Rechabite
30 September 2026, Fremantle, Freo Social
1 October 2026, Adelaide, Hindley Street Music Hall
2 October 2026, Canberra, Canberra Theatre
Ticketing details: General public on sale Thursday 25 June 2026 at 11:00am AEST.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert.
Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first-Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
Bluesky
Instagram
X (Twitter)
