Colin Hay has postponed his scheduled Australian performances for December after suffering serious respiratory complications connected to the flu and Covid. The announcement halts what would have been Hay’s first run of Australian shows in 2024, including two nights at the Melbourne Recital Centre, a performance at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, and an appearance this weekend at the Meredith Music Festival. All dates will be rescheduled to June 2026.
Fans received the following message from Hay’s team:
“We regret to inform you that, as a result of serious respiratory complications due to the flu and Covid, Colin Hay has been instructed by doctors that he is not fit to get on a plane to fulfil his December touring schedule in Australia. He is deeply disappointed to be unable to play to his devoted Australian fans this year but is looking forward to playing his rescheduled shows in June 2026”.
Our deepest apologies for any inconvenience.
The affected dates include:
. 3-4 December: Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne, VIC
. 11 December: Enmore Theatre, Newtown, NSW
. Meredith Music Festival, VIC
Colin’s rescheduled solo shows for Sydney and Melbourne will happen now in June 2026. Fans who have purchased tickets will receive information directly from the venue.
Hay’s return to Australia is always significant. Born in 1953 in Saltcoats, Scotland, Colin James Hay emigrated to Melbourne with his family at age 14, eventually becoming one of the most recognisable voices in Australian music history. In 1978, Hay teamed with Ron Strykert to form an acoustic duo; within a year, they expanded their lineup to include Jerry Speiser and Greg Ham. That group became Men At Work, the global chart-topping Australian band whose debut album Business As Usual (1981) remains one of the biggest-selling records ever produced by an Australian act.
With hits like Down Under, Who Can It Be Now? and Overkill, Men At Work became the first Australian group to simultaneously top the US singles and albums charts. Hay’s unmistakable vocals, wry lyricism and off-centre stage presence helped define the band’s identity, even as internal pressures led to their breakup in early 1986. Hay soon moved into solo work, releasing Looking For Jack in 1987 and, by the late 1980s, relocating permanently to Los Angeles. He has lived in the US ever since and became an American citizen in 2016, though he has maintained a long-standing residence in St Kilda.
Across nearly four decades of solo work, Hay has continued to record at a steady pace, releasing 15 studio albums and refining his blend of folk, acoustic pop and narrative-driven songwriting. His 1994 establishment of Lazy Eye Records signalled the beginning of an independent era, where Hay built an audience through constant touring, storytelling-driven live shows, and a reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter.
Hay’s second act as a solo artist accelerated dramatically in the 2000s when his songs began appearing across major film and television titles. His acoustic rendition of Overkill in the sitcom Scrubs became a cultural touchpoint for a new audience, while shows such as The Larry Sanders Show, The Resident, A Million Little Things, Casualty and What About Brian continued to showcase his catalogue. His music also reached new generations through sync placements in The Black Donnellys, Cane, The Wild, and numerous others.
In parallel, Hay became a recurring member of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band from the early 2000s onward, touring internationally and performing alongside some of rock’s most influential players. His later-career visibility increased again in 2021 when DJ/producer Luude remixed Down Under, with Hay re-recording his vocal for what became a global drum-and-bass hit.
Recent studio albums such as Fierce Mercy (2017), I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself (2021) and Now And The Evermore (2022) have continued Hay’s long creative run, punctuated by a documentary (Colin Hay: Waiting For My Real Life) and extensive international touring.
With his December 2024 Australian shows now postponed due to health concerns, fans will have to wait until June 2026 to see him return to home soil. While the delay is disappointing for audiences, Hay’s long career has proven that patience is always rewarded: whether through a new song, a reinvention of an old one, or simply the stories he brings to the stage, Hay remains one of Australia’s most enduring musical exports.
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