David Byrne’s Who Is The Sky? tour, named after his brand-new album, is officially underway.
This marks Byrne’s first large-scale tour since his groundbreaking American Utopia theatre residency (2019-2022) and the global American Utopia tour, which brought him to Australia back in 2018. Fans across Australia and New Zealand will once again witness Byrne’s ever-evolving vision when he returns in January 2026 for his first visit to the region in eight years.
Presented by Frontier Touring, the run includes:
Wed 14 Jan – Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ
Sat 17 Jan – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, QLD
Wed 21 Jan – ICC Sydney Theatre, NSW
Thu 22 Jan – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, VIC
Sat 24 Jan – Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena, SA
Tue 27 Jan – RAC Arena, WA
Tickets are on sale now via frontiertouring.com/davidbyrne.
The tour opened on 16 September in Pittsburgh at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, blending Talking Heads classics, deep cuts from Byrne’s solo career, and tracks from Who Is The Sky?, alongside a world-premiere of an unreleased song.
David Byrne is widely recognised as one of the most innovative figures in modern music. Born in Scotland in 1952 and raised in the United States, Byrne first rose to prominence as the frontman and creative force of Talking Heads, the pioneering new wave band formed in 1975 with Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison.
Talking Heads quickly became one of the defining bands of the late 1970s and 1980s, blending punk, funk, art-rock, and world music into a genre-defying sound. Albums such as Talking Heads: 77 (1977), Fear of Music (1979), and Remain in Light (1980) set new standards for experimental rock. Songs like Psycho Killer, Once in a Lifetime, and Burning Down the House remain cultural touchstones.
Beyond Talking Heads, Byrne has enjoyed a prolific solo career, releasing genre-spanning albums such as Rei Momo (1989), Grown Backwards (2004), and American Utopia (2018). He has also collaborated with Brian Eno (My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, 1981; Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, 2008), St. Vincent (Love This Giant, 2012), and numerous artists across film, theatre, and the visual arts.
His work extends far beyond music – Byrne has directed films, written books, exhibited art, and continually experimented with how performance and culture intersect. His American Utopia show was adapted into a Spike Lee-directed concert film, further cementing his place as a boundary-pushing artist.
Now, at 73, Byrne remains restless and inventive, continuing to redefine what a concert experience can be with Who Is The Sky?.
Opening Night Setlist – Pittsburgh, Sept. 16
Heaven (Fear of Music, 1979 – Talking Heads)
Everybody Laughs (Who Is In the Sky?, 2025)
And She Was (Little Creatures, 1985 – Talking Heads)
Strange Overtones (Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, 2008)
Houses in Motion (Remain in Light, 1980 – Talking Heads)
[Unreleased Song] (lyric: “My beliefs are on my t-shirt”) – World Premiere
(Nothing but) Flowers (Naked, 1988 – Talking Heads)
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (Speaking in Tongues, 1983 – Talking Heads)
What Is the Reason for It? (Grown Backwards, 2004)
Like Humans Do (Look Into the Eyeball, 2001)
Don’t Be Like That (Who Is In The Sky?, 2025)
Independence Day (Rei Momo, 1989)
Slippery People (Speaking in Tongues, 1983 – Talking Heads)
I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party (Who Is In the Sky?, 2025)
My Apartment Is My Friend (Who Is In the Sky?, 2025)
Hard Times (Paramore cover)
Psycho Killer (Talking Heads: 77, 1977 – Talking Heads)
Life During Wartime (Fear of Music, 1979 – Talking Heads)
Once in a Lifetime (Remain in Light, 1980 – Talking Heads)
Encore:
Everybody’s Coming to My House (American Utopia, 2018)
Burning Down the House (Speaking in Tongues, 1983 – Talking Heads)
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