The Irish songwriter carried a major diagnosis through his longest Australian run in 2024, underwent open heart surgery months later, and now returns in 2027 with The Second Wind Tour after releasing his 25th album.
Luka Bloom has confirmed his 16th Australian tour for February to April 2027, revealing for the first time that he completed his previous 28-date run in 2024 while living with a serious heart condition that required open heart surgery soon after.
The Irish folk singer-songwriter described the 2024 visit as his favourite of 15 Australian tours to that point. Three weeks before it began he received the diagnosis and was told surgery was needed within a year, preferably sooner. He asked how long he could safely wait, with Australia already locked in his mind, then set off knowing the operation waited at home.
Surgery took place in November 2024. Recovery stretched six to eight months before he could sing again. During that period he questioned whether he would ever return to Australia or perform there once more.
In the lead-up to the operation Bloom chose a deliberate positive path. While his energy declined he wrote and recorded 15 songs and instrumentals as a pre-emptive celebration of the surgeons, doctors and nurses who would care for him. The resulting album, A Second Wind, became his 25th and was released on his 70th birthday in May 2025.
Two months later he returned to the Mater Hospital in Dublin and performed the full album for the medical staff who had treated him. The forthcoming Australian dates take their name from that record and from the recovery itself. “It is called The Second Wind Tour, because that is what I have been given,” he said.
Bloom first connected with Australian audiences at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre in 1992.
He has returned regularly since, building a loyal following across the country. Recent weeks have already seen him back in the studio recording new material, but the immediate focus remains the 2027 itinerary.
He will travel with long-time collaborators Marc and Hanne. “I will be servicing The Acoustic Motorbike soon, oiling the chain, and preparing for a good spin,” he wrote, referencing the title of his 1992 album that first charted in Australia.
Born Kevin Barry Moore in Newbridge, County Kildare, on 23 May 1955, Bloom is the younger brother of Christy Moore. He began performing as Barry Moore, releasing early albums Treaty Stone, In Groningen and No Heroes before adopting the stage name Luka Bloom in 1987, drawing “Luka” from Suzanne Vega’s song and “Bloom” from James Joyce’s Ulysses. His Australian chart history includes The Acoustic Motorbike, Turf and Salty Heaven.
The 2027 run marks both a personal milestone and a continuation of a relationship that has now spanned more than three decades. After facing the real possibility that the 2024 tour might have been his last, Bloom returns with new songs, renewed health and a clear sense of gratitude for the second chance.
Tour dates:
24 Feb – Hobart – Theatre Royal
25 Feb – Launceston – The Boathouse
27 Feb – Canberra – Street Theatre
2 Mar – Melbourne – Brunswick Ballroom
4 Mar – Geelong – Geelong Arts Centre
5-7 Mar – Port Fairy – PFFF
10 Mar – Sydney – Factory Theatre
11 Mar – Sydney – Liverpool Power House
13-14 Mar – Katoomba – BMMF
17 Mar – Milton – Milton Theatre
19 Mar – Braidwood – Town Hall
21 Mar – Archies Creek – Archies Creek Hotel
23 Mar – Newcastle – Lizottes
25 Mar – Brunswick Heads – Picture House
27 Mar – Brisbane – Power House
30 Mar – Noosa – The J Theatre
1-2 Apr – Melbourne – Memo Music Hall
3 Apr – Meeniyan – Town Hall
6 Apr – Adelaide – The Gov
8 Apr – Perth – Rechabite Hall
9-11 Apr – Fairbridge – Fairbridge Festival
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