M.I.A. To Headline Melbourne and Sydney Shows This October

British-Sri Lankan trailblazer M.I.A. will return to Australia in October for two exclusive headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney, adding to her already anticipated performance at Adelaide’s Harvest Rock festival.

On Sunday, 26 October, M.I.A. will headline The Forum in Melbourne, before heading to Sydney for a show at the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday, 29 October.

Born Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam in London in 1975, M.I.A. spent her early years living in Sri Lanka during a period of civil war before returning to the UK as a refugee. Those formative experiences shaped her creative voice, instilling a perspective that would later permeate her music, visual art, and activism.

Originally trained as a visual artist and filmmaker, she turned to music almost by accident. Borrowing a four-track recorder from Peaches in the early 2000s, she began experimenting with beats and politically charged lyrics. Her 2004 single Galang became an underground anthem, paving the way for her debut album Arular in 2005.

While Arular announced her as a bold new voice, it was her 2007 follow-up Kala that broke down the doors of mainstream pop. Named after her mother, the record was a global pastiche of sounds—Indian rhythms, African beats, Western hip hop—that challenged the conventions of what pop music could be.

The breakout single Paper Planes became a generational anthem. Featuring gunshot samples over a deceptively breezy beat, the track was both a critique of Western immigration policies and a subversive pop hit. It was nominated for a Grammy, featured in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and later sampled by Kanye West, Jay-Z, T.I. and Lil Wayne on Swagga Like Us, a track that went on to win a Grammy of its own.

M.I.A.’s career since Kala has been one of fearless experimentation. Her 2010 album MAYA leaned into abrasive digital production and became her first Top 10 debut on the U.S. Billboard chart. Matangi (2013) continued her exploration of identity and politics, spawning the hit Bad Girls, while AIM (2016) closed her first major creative chapter.

In 2022 she returned with MATA, her most spiritually reflective work to date, recorded partly at Rick Rubin’s Malibu studio with contributions from Pharrell, Skrillex, Diplo, and T-Minus. It revealed a more contemplative M.I.A., less focused on aggression and more on transcendence, while still grounded in her trademark eclecticism.

M.I.A.’s reach has extended beyond music. She has been embraced by the fashion world, collaborating with Versace and Marc Jacobs, while influencing the aesthetics of a new generation of artists such as Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky. As an outspoken humanitarian, she has worked on projects supporting education, refugee rights, and underprivileged communities around the globe.

Her recent ventures include her clothing line Ohmni.

M.I.A. Discography (Albums)
Arular (2005)
Kala (2007)
MAYA (2010)
Matangi (2013)
AIM (2016)
MATA (2022)

Top 10 M.I.A. Singles
Galang (2004)
Sunshowers (2004)
Bucky Done Gun (2005)
Bird Flu (2007)
Boyz (2007)
Paper Planes (2008)
XXXO (2010)
Bad Girls (2012)
Borders (2015)
The One (2022)

M.I.A.’s upcoming headline shows are expected to draw long-time fans and a new generation who have discovered her influence on today’s global pop landscape. Her blend of politics, rhythm, and visual artistry has made her one of the most compelling live performers of her time, and these Australian dates will be a rare chance to experience her uncompromising vision in person.

M.I.A – AUSTRALIA 2025

FORUM, MELBOURNE – Sunday, 26 October
ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY – Wednesday, 29 October

Presale: Monday, 1 September, 10:00am – Tuesday, 2 September, 11:00am
General Public On Sale: Tuesday, 2 September, 12:00pm
Tickets and info: secretsounds.com

Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
 
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE
 

Tagged as: 10s, M.I.A., MIA, rap, UK