Kool & The Gang and Sister Sledge ft. Sledgendary will reunite two of soul, funk and disco’s most enduring catalogues for a five city Australian tour this November and December.
by Paul Cashmere
Kool & The Gang and Sister Sledge ft. Sledgendary will return to Australia later this year for a co-headline tour that will take in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The five date run, presented by Finely Tuned, begins on 26 November and brings together two acts whose recordings have remained staples of R&B, funk and disco for decades.
The tour pairs one of funk’s most influential bands with one of disco’s defining vocal groups, offering audiences a live showcase built around songs that continue to feature prominently on radio, streaming services and in popular culture. Presale tickets open on 30 July, ahead of the general public sale on 31 July.
Kool & The Gang were formed in Jersey City, New Jersey during the 1960s by brothers Robert “Kool” Bell and Ronald Bell and released their self titled debut album in 1969. Across more than five decades the group has built one of the most recognisable catalogues in American popular music, recording classics including “Jungle Boogie”, “Ladies’ Night” and the chart topping “Celebration”, which has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The band’s music has extended well beyond its original era. Their recordings have been widely sampled across hip-hop, R&B and electronic music, while “Jungle Boogie” gained renewed attention through its inclusion in the soundtrack for Pulp Fiction. Kool & The Gang have received multiple industry honours, including two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
Sharing the bill is Sister Sledge ft. Sledgendary, led by founding member Debbie Sledge alongside members of the next generation of the Sledge family including Camille, David and Thaddeus Sledge, together with Tanya Ti-et. Their performances continue the legacy established by the original Philadelphia group, whose breakthrough came during the disco era of the late 1970s.
The group’s repertoire includes enduring international hits such as “He’s The Greatest Dancer”, “Thinking Of You”, “Lost In Music” and “We Are Family”, another Grammy Hall of Fame recording. Albums including We Are Family helped establish Sister Sledge as one of the defining vocal groups of the disco era, with their music remaining a fixture on dance floors and in popular culture decades after its original release.
For Australian audiences, the tour brings together two acts whose songs have crossed generations through radio, film, television and sampling by later artists. Rather than focusing on new material, the concerts are expected to centre on the catalogue that established both groups as influential figures in American soul, funk and disco music.
The Australian dates are presented by Finely Tuned, which marks its twentieth year promoting live music events. The company says the joint tour is the largest it has presented to date.
Tour Dates
26 November, Brisbane, Fortitude Music Hall
27 November, Sydney, Tumbalong Park
28 November, Melbourne, Festival Hall
30 November, Adelaide, Hindley Street Music Hall
2 December, Perth, Ice Cream Factory
Ticket Details
Presale: 10.00am AEST, Thursday 30 July
General Public On Sale: 10.00am AEST, Friday 31 July
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