Mike King will investigate the psychology of high-control groups across six Australian cities, with tickets on sale August 13.
by Paul Cashmere
The Psychology of Cults, a live investigative presentation hosted by criminal investigator and author Mike King, will tour Australia in December 2026, examining how cults form, why people become involved and the methods used to maintain control. The six-date national tour will visit Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney, beginning at Perth’s Astor Theatre on December 1.
The Australian tour will focus on the behavioural and psychological mechanisms associated with high-control organisations, using real cases and King’s experience in criminal investigation to examine coercion, manipulation and abuse.
The presentation will consider notorious cases including Jonestown, Heaven’s Gate and NXIVM, while also examining less prominent organisations that have employed similar methods. A central theme is the distinction between the public perception of cults and the more subtle forms of coercion that can occur in ordinary environments.
The production will also explore control and abuse within relationships, workplaces, wellness communities and social movements. Interactive discussion and case studies will be used to examine warning signs and the circumstances that can make individuals vulnerable to high-control groups.
Mike King has more than four decades of experience across law enforcement, intelligence, academia and public safety technology. He spent 28 years as a sworn law-enforcement professional in Utah, ultimately serving as Chief of Staff at the Utah Attorney General’s Office.
During his law-enforcement career, King worked on violent crime, cold cases, terrorism and victim services. He was trained in behavioural analysis by FBI profilers and served as co-chair of the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program National Advisory Board.
He later worked at Esri, where he was involved in emergency communications, fraud, waste and abuse, and public safety technology.
King is the creator and host of Profiling Evil and Mapping Evil with Mike King. His platforms have more than 245,000 subscribers and more than 22 million downloads. He has also appeared as a law-enforcement analyst and written several books, including Deceived, An Investigative Memoir of the Zion Society Cult and Predators.
The tour represents a move into live presentation for a subject that has traditionally been explored through documentaries, books, podcasts and television. Its focus extends beyond notorious historical cases to the mechanisms of influence and coercion that can operate in less obvious settings.
The presentation is being promoted in Australia by TEG Dainty. The company has presented major international entertainment tours across Australia and New Zealand.
General public tickets go on sale Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 10am local time through TEG Dainty.
The Australian run begins in Perth on December 1 before moving through Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra, concluding at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on December 14.
Tour Dates
December 1, Perth, Astor Theatre
December 3, Melbourne, Hamer Hall
December 7, Adelaide, Norwood Concert Hall
December 9, Brisbane, Tivoli
December 10, Canberra, Playhouse Theatre
December 14, Sydney, Enmore Theatre
Ticket Details
General public tickets are on sale Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 10am local time via TEG Dainty.
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