Jimmy Barnes will headline a major outdoor concert at Kings Park & Botanic Garden in December, joined by Jon Stevens, Eskimo Joe and Sarah McLeod and Mick Skelton.
by Paul Cashmere
Jimmy Barnes will headline an all Australian rock line-up at Perth’s Kings Park & Botanic Garden on Friday, December 4, 2026, with Jon Stevens, Eskimo Joe and the new Sarah McLeod and Mick Skelton partnership also on the bill. The concert brings together performers whose careers span several generations of Australian rock, from Barnes’ four decades at the centre of the national music industry to Eskimo Joe’s emergence from Perth in the late 1990s.
The announcement places four distinct chapters of Australian rock history on the same outdoor bill. Barnes will headline following a period that has included the 2025 release of his album DEFIANT, the 40th anniversary of For The Working Class Man and a continuing programme of major live performances.
Barnes’ recording history includes 22 Australian number one albums, while his career has encompassed both his solo work and his role as frontman of Cold Chisel. He has been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame twice, reflecting his significance across different stages of Australian music history.
His recent work has extended beyond music. Barnes has published four books for adults, including Working Class Boy, Working Class Man, Killing Time and Highways and Byways: Tall Tales and Short Stories from the Long Way Round. He has also published children’s books and, with wife Jane, the cookbook Where The River Bends.
DEFIANT, released in June 2025, became Barnes’ 21st studio album. The period also included the 40th anniversary campaign for For The Working Class Man, which featured a documentary, outdoor performances and new vinyl editions.
Jon Stevens will bring material from Noiseworks and INXS to the Perth concert. His set is expected to draw from songs including Take Me Back, New Sensation, Touch, Don’t Change, Hot Chilli Woman, Never Tear Us Apart and No Lies.
For Stevens, the performance continues his association with two important Australian rock catalogues. Noiseworks established Stevens as one of the country’s prominent rock frontmen, while his period with INXS placed him within another of Australia’s most significant bands.
Eskimo Joe provide a strong local connection. Formed in Perth in 1997, the band is approaching three decades together and has released six studio albums. Their career includes eight ARIA Awards from 35 nominations and close to one million records sold, while songs from their catalogue have become established Australian radio staples.
The band’s current activity includes the single Miracle Cure, while its live career continues across festivals, theatres and other venues. Their inclusion gives the concert a direct link to Perth’s own alternative rock history.
Sarah McLeod, a founding member of The Superjesus, completes the line-up with drummer Mick Skelton. McLeod has released four studio albums and a live album with The Superjesus, as well as three solo studio albums and a solo live album. She is also an inductee of the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.
McLeod and Skelton have now formed a rock duo following years of collaboration on different projects. Skelton’s career has included recording, touring and collaborations with Australian and international artists.
The Perth concert therefore spans established catalogue acts and a newer live partnership, with each artist bringing a different connection to Australian rock. Barnes represents the long-running mainstream rock tradition, Stevens carries two major 1980s and 1990s catalogues, Eskimo Joe connect the bill to Perth’s alternative scene, and McLeod and Skelton represent a new collaboration involving two experienced musicians.
Tour Dates
Friday, December 4, Perth, Kings Park & Botanic Garden
Ticket Details
Face To Face pre-sale: Tuesday, September 8, 10.00am to Wednesday, September 9, 9.00am local time.
General public on-sale: Wednesday, September 9, 10.00am local time.
Tickets: Face To Face Touring
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