Scottish alternative rock favourites Travis are set to return to Australia in January 2026 for the first time in almost a quarter of a century. The band will perform their landmark 1999 album The Man Who in its entirety, along with a selection of hits from across their 30-year career.
The last time Travis toured down under was in 2001 when they played just two shows, both sold out, at Sydney’s State Theatre and Melbourne’s Regent Theatre. Those shows have since passed into legend for the fans who managed to get tickets. Now, 24 years later, they are finally returning with a full-scale national tour that includes Fremantle, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane.
The Man Who is widely recognised as the record that defined Travis and cemented their reputation on the world stage. Released in 1999, the album spent nine weeks at number one in the UK, shifting more than 2.7 million copies there alone. In Australia, it was certified platinum with over 110,000 sales.
The record featured some of the most enduring songs of the Britpop era, including Why Does It Always Rain On Me?, Driftwood, Turn and Writing To Reach You. Those tracks transformed Travis from respected indie outsiders into global headliners, a band that could comfortably top festival bills and sell out arenas worldwide.
The album’s success also rippled far beyond their own career. Travis’ introspective, melodic sound paved the way for other UK acts such as Coldplay and Keane, both of whom cited the band as an influence. In fact, Keane supported Travis on their 2004 UK tour as they were launching their own breakthrough record Hopes and Fears.
Formed in the mid-1990s out of the Glasgow School of Art, Travis are Fran Healy (vocals, guitar), Dougie Payne (bass), Andy Dunlop (guitar, banjo) and Neil Primrose (drums). They first made their mark with 1997’s Good Feeling, a lively Britpop-era debut that earned them early supporters including Noel Gallagher of Oasis.
After The Man Who, they followed up with The Invisible Band in 2001, another UK chart-topper featuring the hits Sing, Side and Flowers in the Window. Over the years the group have continued to release critically acclaimed records, including 12 Memories (2003), The Boy With No Name (2007), Where You Stand (2013), 10 Songs (2020) and most recently L.A. Times in 2024.
While their commercial peak came around the turn of the millennium, Travis have never stopped being a formidable live act. Their touring résumé includes some of the biggest stages on the planet: Glastonbury, T in the Park, Benicassim, Fuji Rock, Coachella and Rock am Ring, to name only a few.
In 2018, frontman Fran Healy even turned the band’s reputation on its head with the award-winning documentary Almost Fashionable: A Film About Travis. The film followed a music journalist who once dismissed the band, travelling with them on tour in Mexico, and it became a heartfelt reflection on their career and loyal global fanbase.
The 2026 Australian run kicks off in Fremantle before heading east across the country:
Thursday 8 January – Metropolis, Fremantle
Saturday 10 January – Festival Hall, Melbourne (All Ages)
Monday 12 January – Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide (All Ages)
Wednesday 14 January – ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney (All Ages)
Friday 16 January – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane (All Ages)
Tickets will be in high demand given the long gap between visits. Presales begin Tuesday 23 September at 2pm with the artist and Mastercard presales, followed by the Live Nation presale on Wednesday 24 September at 2pm. General on sale opens Thursday 25 September at 3pm. Full details are available at livenation.com.au.
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