Macy Gray Expands Australian Return With Biggest Regional Tour To Date

Macy Gray will return to Australia in September and October 2026 for her most extensive local tour yet, adding a significant run of regional dates after selling out multiple shows on her 2024 visit.

by Paul Cashmere

Macy Gray has announced her largest Australian tour to date, with the Grammy Award winning singer set to perform across metropolitan and regional centres throughout September and October 2026. The tour follows her sold-out Australian run in 2024 and will see the American singer return to every city she previously sold out, while also making first-time appearances in a number of regional markets. The tour will conclude with a performance in Western Australia’s Margaret River region.

The announcement reflects the enduring strength of Gray’s connection with Australian audiences, a relationship that stretches back to the breakthrough success of her 1999 debut album On How Life Is. Long before Gray became a mainstream star in the United States, Australian and New Zealand audiences embraced singles such as I Try, helping establish the singer as one of the defining voices of contemporary soul and R&B at the turn of the century.

The 2026 dates also coincide with the lead-up to Gray’s forthcoming album The Trouble With The Truth. During the tour she plans to introduce material from the new record alongside the catalogue that established her international reputation.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Gray said Australia would be the first territory to hear songs from the upcoming album performed live.

“Australia! The band and I have always had a ball down under and we can’t wait to see you all again,” Gray said.

“This time, I’m heading to places I’ve never been before and will get to see so much more of your beautiful country.

“We’re going to be performing all the songs you want to hear, plus a few from my new album, The Trouble With The Truth. Australia will be the first audiences to hear tracks from the new album live so get your dancing shoes ready and come along and party with us at a show near you!”

Gray’s touring schedule has expanded considerably since her early Australian appearances. The 2026 itinerary includes major capital city venues as well as regional destinations including Shepparton, Albury, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Rockhampton, Coffs Harbour and Shoal Bay. The move reflects a broader trend among international touring artists seeking to reach audiences beyond traditional metropolitan markets.

The Ohio-born singer first emerged internationally with On How Life Is in 1999. Powered by I Try, the album became a global success and earned Gray a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2001. Follow-up releases including The Id, The Trouble With Being Myself, Big, The Sellout, The Way, Stripped and Ruby reinforced her reputation as a distinctive artist whose raspy vocal style drew inspiration from jazz, soul and rhythm and blues traditions.

Across a career spanning more than 25 years, Gray has sold more than 25 million records worldwide, earned multiple Grammy nominations and won two BRIT Awards. Beyond music, she has built an extensive acting career with appearances in films including Training Day, Spider-Man, Scary Movie 3, Idlewild, For Colored Girls and The Paperboy.

Australian audiences have remained among her strongest international supporters. I Try reached No. 1 in Australia and New Zealand, while On How Life Is became a major chart success across both markets. That early support helped establish a lasting touring relationship that continues to bring Gray back to the region more than two decades later.

The new tour announcement arrives at a time when legacy artists from the late 1990s and early 2000s continue to attract strong live audiences, particularly when paired with new material. For Gray, the tour serves both as a retrospective celebration of her catalogue and as an introduction to the next chapter of her recording career.

Dates are:

Friday, 11 September 2026, Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Saturday, 12 September 2026, Adelaide, Hindley Street Music Hall
Sunday, 13 September 2026, Shepparton, Shepparton Entertainment Centre
Monday, 14 September 2026, Albury, Albury Entertainment Centre
Wednesday, 16 September 2026, Thirroul, Anita’s Theatre
Friday, 18 September 2026, Hobart, Wrest Point
Saturday, 19 September 2026, Newcastle, The Station
Sunday, 20 September 2026, Port Macquarie, Tacking Point Tavern
Thursday, 24 September 2026, Rooty Hill, Coliseum Theatre
Friday, 25 September 2026, Sydney, Enmore Theatre
Saturday, 26 September 2026, Erina, Woodport Hotel
Sunday, 27 September 2026, Tamworth, Tamworth Town Hall
Wednesday, 30 September 2026, Canberra, Southern Cross Club
Friday, 2 October 2026, Townsville, Townsville Civic Theatre
Saturday, 3 October 2026, Cairns, CPAC
Wednesday, 7 October 2026, Rockhampton, Pilbeam Theatre
Thursday, 8 October 2026, Byron Bay, Beach Road Hotel
Friday, 9 October 2026, Brisbane, Concert Hall QPAC
Saturday, 10 October 2026, Coffs Harbour, C.ex Club
Sunday, 11 October 2026, Shoal Bay, Shoal Bay Country Club
October 2026, Margaret River, Venue To Be Announced