Richard Marx in Melbourne 4 March 2023 photo by Bron Robinson

Richard Marx in Melbourne 4 March 2023 photo by Winston Robinson

Richard Marx To Return To Australia In 2026 With Four Decades Of Hits

by Paul Cashmere on October 20, 2025

in News

Richard Marx will return to Australia in April 2026 for a five-city national tour, bringing with him a career that has stretched across four decades, 14 number one singles and more than 30 million albums sold worldwide.

Presented by Paul Dainty AO, AM/TEG Dainty and TEG Van Egmond, the tour will celebrate both the global success of Marx’s timeless classics and the arrival of his new music. The GRAMMY-winning singer, songwriter and producer will perform in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle and Melbourne, performing from his vast catalogue that includes “Right Here Waiting”, “Hazard”, “Endless Summer Nights”, “Satisfied” and “Hold On To The Nights”.

“I can’t wait to get back to Australia,” says Richard Marx. “The audiences there have always been so warm and passionate. It’s going to be an unforgettable run of shows.”

Currently appearing as a coach on The Voice Australia alongside Melanie C, Ronan Keating and Kate Miller-Heidke, Marx’s connection with Australian audiences has never been stronger. His 2023 Australian tour sold out in record time, and with a fresh setlist that pairs new songs with his enduring hits, demand for his 2026 return is expected to soar.

Born in Chicago in 1963, Richard Noel Marx was destined for music. The son of jazz musician and jingle composer Dick Marx and former singer Ruth Guildoo, Marx began singing commercial jingles at just five years old. By 17, a demo tape of his songs landed in the hands of Lionel Richie, who encouraged the young songwriter to move to Los Angeles. It was a life-changing moment that launched one of pop music’s most successful writing and recording careers.

Before Marx became a household name, he had already written chart-topping hits for others, including Kenny Rogers’ “Crazy” and “What About Me?” in the mid-1980s. His self-titled debut album, released in 1987, went triple platinum and produced four Top 10 singles, including “Don’t Mean Nothing” and “Hold On To The Nights”. The follow-up, Repeat Offender, released in 1989, went straight to number one on the Billboard chart, spawning global hits “Satisfied” and “Right Here Waiting” – the latter becoming his first Australian number one and later certified ARIA Platinum.

Marx is the only male artist in history to see his first seven singles reach the Billboard Top 5, a feat that solidified him as one of the defining voices of late-1980s pop-rock. His ballads, powered by polished production and heartfelt lyrics, crossed genres from rock and pop to adult contemporary, and his songwriting found new life in the 1990s with collaborations including “This I Promise You” for *NSYNC and “Dance With My Father” for Luther Vandross, which earned Marx a Grammy Award in 2004 for Song of the Year.

He even reached Cult status when ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ featured this scene in 2024:

Through the decades, Marx has continued to evolve, releasing acclaimed albums such as Limitless (2020) and Songwriter (2022). His most recent single, All I Ever Needed, featuring world-renowned trumpeter Chris Botti, blends jazz sophistication with the romantic storytelling that has always defined his work. Co-written by Marx, the track celebrates love’s permanence with sweeping orchestration and Botti’s soaring horn.

In addition to his prolific music career, Marx has expanded into broadcasting with his hit podcast and YouTube series Stories To Tell, where he shares unguarded, cocktail-fuelled conversations with fellow musicians and celebrities including Paul Stanley, Kenny G and Rick Springfield. It’s a modern chapter in a career that continues to bridge the worlds of songwriting, performance and storytelling.

Richard Marx Australian Tour Dates – April 2026
Thursday 16 April – Brisbane, Concert Hall (QPAC)
Sunday 19 April – Sydney, Opera House Concert Hall
Monday 20 April – Canberra, Royal Theatre
Wednesday 22 April – Newcastle, Civic Theatre
Friday 24 April – Melbourne, Margaret Court Arena
Pre-sales commence: Wednesday 22 October, 12noon (local time)
General public on sale: Friday 24 October, 12noon (local time)
Tickets: www.tegdainty.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. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube

Visit Noise11.com

Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky

Instagram

Facebook – Comment on the news of the day

X (Twitter)

Related Posts

Kim Wilde Another Step 1986 album cover 40th anniversary
Kim Wilde’s Another Step Turns 40 As ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ Makes US Chart History

Kim Wilde's fifth album gave her the biggest American success of her career, taking her version of The Supremes' 'You Keep Me Hangin' On' to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Released in November 1986, Another Step also captured an artist expanding beyond her established synth-pop sound and taking a greater role in her songwriting.

November 3, 2026
Elton John on the cover of his 1986 album Leather Jackets.
Elton John’s Leather Jackets Turns 40: The Album He Still Considers His Worst

Forty years after its release, Elton John's *Leather Jackets* remains one of the most troubled chapters in his recording career. Despite contributions from Cliff Richard, Cher and two members of Queen, the 1986 album became a commercial disappointment and a record Elton has repeatedly described as the worst he ever made.

November 3, 2026
Wang Chung Mosaic album cover 40th anniversary
Wang Chung’s Mosaic Turns 40 With A Catalogue Of Eighties Pop Ambition

Wang Chung's fourth studio album, Mosaic, turns 40 this month, marking four decades since the English new wave band combined electronic production, pop songwriting and an unusually expansive cast of musicians for an album that produced three US Top 40 singles.

October 14, 2026
Chicago 18 album cover featuring Chicago during the Jason Scheff era
Chicago 18: The Chicago Album That Rebuilt The Band Without Peter Cetera Turns 40

Chicago faced a major lineup change on Chicago 18, replacing Peter Cetera with Jason Scheff while turning to some of Los Angeles' most sought-after session guitarists for the album.

September 29, 2026
New Order Brotherhood album cover marking the 40th anniversary of the 1986 album
New Order’s Brotherhood Turns 40 As “Bizarre Love Triangle” Still Defines The Album

New Order's fourth studio album arrived at a pivotal point in the band's evolution, dividing its music between guitar-driven post-punk and electronic experimentation. Forty years later, Brotherhood is being revisited with a new anniversary vinyl edition.

September 29, 2026
Iggy Pop during the Blah-Blah-Blah era in 1986
Iggy Pop’s Blah-Blah-Blah Turns 40 With A David Bowie Connection

Iggy Pop's 1986 album Blah-Blah-Blah gave him one of his biggest commercial breakthroughs, but the record also marked the final studio collaboration between Pop and David Bowie.

September 29, 2026
Peter Byrne of Naked Eyes performing during his career as the singer and songwriter of the synth-pop band.
Peter Byrne Of Naked Eyes Dies At 74 After Brief Illness

The singer and songwriter behind Naked Eyes' 1980s hits 'Always Something There to Remind Me' and 'Promises, Promises' has died in Los Angeles at 74.

September 24, 2026