SIX The Musical, the global pop-theatre phenomenon that has dominated the West End, Broadway, and international stages, will make its long-anticipated return to Australia in 2026. Seasons are now confirmed for Melbourne at the Comedy Theatre from July 2026, Sydney at Theatre Royal from October 2026, and Brisbane at QPAC's Playhouse Theatre from January 2027. The return follows overwhelming demand from Australian audiences who embraced the production during earlier runs.

Flea has stepped away from the global stadium roar of Red Hot Chili Peppers to return to the instrument that shaped his youth, the trumpet, for a new solo project due in 2026. The album, scheduled for release through Nonesuch Records, marks a significant shift for the bassist who helped define Los Angeles rock across five decades. A first preview, titled A Plea, is available now. Further details of the album will arrive in early 2026.

Frontier Touring will bring Foo Fighters back to Australia this summer for a one night only event at UTAS Stadium, Launceston, on Saturday 24 January, marking the band's long awaited return to Tasmania and their first ever performance in the city. The announcement gives local fans a rare chance to see the 15 time Grammy winning rock giants deliver their high impact stadium set on home soil.

When Rubber Soul arrived in the UK on 3 December 1965, The Beatles stepped into a new phase of their creative lives, a phase that would soon define the sound and ambition of popular music. The sixth studio album from John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr landed during a frantic period in their global rise, yet the work itself came from a rare four-week window where the group were free of touring, filming and radio commitments, a gift they had never been offered before.

King Stingray will return to Dashville in 2026 for The Gum Ball's 21st birthday, creating a full circle moment for long-time festival fans. The Yolŋu surf rockers first appeared at the festival in 2022 as a relatively unknown outfit, yet their performance left a lasting impact on the audience. Their rise since then has been remarkable, with the band blending modern rock with ancient songlines from Northeast Arnhem Land, creating a style that reflects both cultural depth and youthful drive.

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour will present The Phantom of the Opera in a limited outdoor season from 27 March to 3 May 2026. The production marks the musical's 40th anniversary and is expected to draw international audiences to Sydney.

Radiohead have postponed the first two concerts of their Copenhagen residency after Thom Yorke was diagnosed with an extreme throat infection, a condition that has made it impossible for him to sing. The British group, who returned to the road in November after a seven year break, were due to open a four night run at the Royal Arena on 1 and 2 December, yet both dates have now been pushed back to 15 and 16 December.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is attempting to halt the global release of Sean Combs, The Reckoning, with lawyers issuing a cease-and-desist to Netflix hours before the four-part documentary is set to air. The series, executive-produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and directed by Alexandra Stapleton, is already attracting intense scrutiny due to claims it contains stolen and unauthorised footage.

Opeth have released an official animated music video for §3 to commemorate the first anniversary of The Last Will And Testament, the band's fourteenth studio album and their first conceptual long-form narrative in a quarter of a century. The video arrives as a companion piece to the story unveiled in November 2024, when the album introduced listeners to a fractured family saga shaped by secrets, resentment and the slow erosion of trust.

Colin Hay has postponed his scheduled Australian performances for December after suffering serious respiratory complications connected to the flu and Covid. The announcement halts what would have been Hay's first run of Australian shows since 2024, including two nights at the Melbourne Recital Centre, a performance at Sydney's Enmore Theatre, and an appearance this weekend at the Meredith Music Festival. All dates will be rescheduled to June 2026.

Sean Ono Lennon will debut the Academy Award winning animated short War Is Over! on YouTube at 6pm on 1 December, with the premiere supporting War Child throughout the holiday season. The film, written by Sean with director Dave Mullins, uses the message of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Happy Xmas (War Is Over) to frame a modern call for peace and protection for children impacted by conflict.

Earth, Wind & Fire will return to Australia in April 2026, marking the iconic band's first Australian performances since 2012. The long-awaited tour will begin with a headline set at Byron Bay Bluesfest on Easter Friday before two exclusive sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. For Australian fans, this homecoming has been more than a decade in the making, and the announcement reaffirms the group's continuing stature as one of the most influential bands in the history of soul, funk and R&B.

triple j will enter 2026 with a renewed commitment to the nation's fast-rising country music movement, confirming a brand-new weekly program, Country Club, hosted by Tom Forrest, known to many listeners as Outback Tom. The announcement lands during a major groundswell for the genre, as local acts and global releases fuel interest across Australia's youth audience. In recent years, country music has experienced a surge across pop and alternative spheres, with global artists exploring acoustic traditions, layered harmonies, and rustic storytelling. In Australia, Unearthed artists have pushed a new frontier with songs that blend folk roots, indie energy, and classic country instrumentation.

Mumford & Sons will return to Australia and New Zealand in April and May 2026 for a three-date arena run in support of their forthcoming sixth album Prizefighter. The tour marks the band's first full-scale shows in the region since the global success surrounding Rushmere in 2025, and follows their sold-out one-night-only return at the Sydney Opera House earlier this year.

Since 2015, the Melbourne Guitar Show has earned a reputation as the country's most comprehensive gathering for players, builders and enthusiasts. In 2026 the format expands, as the Sydney Guitar Show arrives at Sydney Olympic Park for the first time, taking over Sydney Showground Hall 5 on Saturday 7 March and Sunday 8 March. The two-day event aims to deliver a deep dive into the culture, craft and community that surrounds the world's most played instrument.

AC/DC's earliest recordings with founding vocalist Dave Evans have remained one of Australian rock's great unknowns for more than half a century. While fans have long debated the extent of Evans' contribution before Bon Scott's arrival in late 1974, very little has ever been formally confirmed-until now.

Fatboy Slim and The Rolling Stones will join forces again with the release of Satisfaction Skank on 11 December 2025, a new official collaboration that reimagines one of rock's defining guitar riffs for a new generation. The project arrives through Southern Fried and ABKCO Music & Records, marking more than six decades since Keith Richards captured the first spark of the Satisfaction riff on a late night home recording. The new release also rekindles a creative relationship that first took flight when Fatboy Slim remixed Sympathy For The Devil in 2003.

Swedish rock institution The Hellacopters will mark another milestone in their thirtieth anniversary year with the release of Cream Of The Crap! Collected Non-Album Works . Volume 3, due on 13 February 2026. The set closes a gap that has lingered since the second instalment of the series appeared more than twenty years ago, and it arrives soon after the group's chart-topping ninth album Overdriver, released in January 2025, which delivered the band a No. 1 in Sweden and a top ten berth in Germany.

Gold Coast heavy outfit Hammers will deliver their long-anticipated debut album Death Wobbles on Friday 23 January 2026 via Summerland Records. The release marks a major next step for a band that has evolved significantly since locking in their current line-up in 2017.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will return to Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in early 2026 with The Wild God Tour, and have confirmed Aldous Harding as support for the full run of shows. The announcement arrives as the 31 January concert at Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne reaches capacity, with limited tickets still available for the 30 January and 1 February dates.

The Head And The Heart will return to Australia in January 2026 with two intimate headline shows, presented by Frontier Touring. The Seattle band will perform at the Princess Theatre in Brisbane on 12 January, and Anita's Theatre in Thirroul on 17 January, offering fans a close-range look at a group now fifteen years into a remarkable global career. The dates will sit alongside their national run with long-time friends The Lumineers, providing rare theatre-sized opportunities for Australian fans.

Control The Sun, a new progressive metal act built from the ranks of Adelaide heavyweights Japam and Colibrium, have released their debut single Say It's Over. The track marks the first public outing from a group formed by long-time collaborators driven by the desire to create heavy music that is memorable, melodic and built for the stage. Both Japam and Colibrium earned strong followings across the 2010s with high-energy shows and intricate arrangements, and Control The Sun pushes that legacy into a fresh chapter.

Jonathan Bree has unveiled a new single, Live To Dance, and the release marks another chapter in his long creative partnership with Princess Chelsea. The track arrives as a dark and hypnotic piece of electronic pop, shaped by minimal tones that move with slow force. The mood is stark, the production is spare, and the delivery is intimate.

Celtic Thunder will return to Australia in March 2026 with An Intimate Evening With Celtic Thunder, a new production designed to bring fans closer to the heart of the group's remarkable journey. The tour will unite current members Emmet, Damian, Neil and Ronan with former members who helped shape the group's sound, creating an event that blends nostalgia with a refreshed artistic vision.

Pragmatico, the dance-centred project from Melbourne songwriter and producer Jacob Butler, has entered a significant new phase with confirmation of a global distribution partnership with UK powerhouse Perfect Havoc. The London label has become a major tastemaker in commercial dance, with hits from artists including Joel Corry and MNEK. For Butler, this moment formalises years of evolution, experiment and ambition under the Pragmatico banner.

Detroit turned its annual NFL Thanksgiving Day Classic into a once-in-a-generation music moment when Jack White and Eminem shared a stage for the first time, transforming the Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers halftime slot into an arena-level event that immediately lit up the internet.

It is with total sadness that I have to tell you that Skyhooks legend Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie has passed away at the age of 73.

The City of Port Phillip has officially opened Seekers Way in St Kilda. The new street name honours The Seekers, the Melbourne group that started more than sixty years ago and went on to win fans around the world. Patrick Donovan and founding member Bruce Woodley spoke at the ceremony, reflecting on the band's roots in the area.

Newton Faulkner will return to Australia in April 2026 for a national headline tour aligned with the release of his new album Octopus, set for 6 March 2026 via Cooking Vinyl Records. Faulkner unveils the new single Gravitational as the latest preview of the album, which continues the experimental production approach that has shaped his current creative period.

Confidence Man have supercharged the rollout of their upcoming EP, Active Scenes Vol One, with the release of Gossip (Chris Lake Remix), a high-voltage rework by one of the most prolific figures in global dance music. Chris Lake brings a refined and explosive club energy to the single, a move that underscores the growing international reach of the Australian group. The remix arrives as a centrepiece moment for the EP campaign, a significant endorsement from a producer known for shaping modern electronic music with precision and intent.