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The 1975 band in black suits
Photograph: Samuel Bradley

Melbourne's best gigs with tickets on sale now

Get ahead of the curve and grab tickets to your favourite upcoming gigs before they sell out

Saffron Swire
Written by
Saffron Swire
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Is there anything worse than hearing about a dream gig and then realising the tickets are sold out? Save future you the stress by beating the crowd and getting your tickets in advance with our list of the best upcoming gigs in Melbourne.

RECOMMENDED: Our list of the best gigs in Melbourne this month.

Bands touring Melbourne with tickets on sale now

  • Music
  • Rock and indie
  • Melbourne

English rockers The 1975 are heading to Melbourne as part of an Australian tour next April. For the first time in three years, they're heading to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on a muti-date tour to celebrate their forthcoming album, Being Funny In A Foreign Language, to be released on October 14.

The run of shows will see the band hit Melbourne on April 11 and 12, to perform recent singles like ‘All I Need To Hear’, ‘I’m In Love With You’, ‘Happiness’ and ‘Part Of The Band’, as well as past hits and tracks from their previous album, 2020’s Notes On A Conditional Form, which hit #1 in Australia.

Tickets for The 1975's Aussie shows go on sale to the general public from 11am local, Friday October 14. Stay tuned to the official website for all the details, or to enter the pre-sale.

Looking for more music? Check out our latest gig guide.

  • Music
  • Rock and indie

2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee and eight-time Grammy winner (yes, eight), Beck, is finally coming to Melbourne, performing at the Palais Theatre on Monday, April 3 2023.

After his smash-hit 1994 debut ‘Loser’, Beck’s albums spanned across all genres, dabbling in alternative rock, indie, funk and experimental pop. Some of his biggest feats include his 1996 multi-platinum album Odelay, his 2014 Album of the Year Grammy winner Morning Phase and his most recent 2019 album Hyperspace, named by People Magazine as his best in a decade. 

When it comes to a Beck show, you can expect the unexpected as he picks and pulls songs from his 30-year-long catalogue of genre-surfing. For his 2023 tour, expect more acoustics and artful melodies as he moves away from music maximalism and towards a more stripped-back approach. 


Tickets are on sale now via ticketmaster.

Consider yourself a gig-goer? Here's where to see live music every night of the week in Melbourne 

 

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  • Music
  • Rock and indie
  • Melbourne

English rockers The 1975 are heading to Melbourne as part of an Australian tour next April. For the first time in three years, they're heading to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on a muti-date tour to celebrate their album, Being Funny In A Foreign Language.

The run of shows will see the band hit Melbourne on April 12 for one night only, to perform recent singles like ‘All I Need To Hear’, ‘I’m In Love With You’, ‘Happiness’ and ‘Part Of The Band’, as well as past hits and tracks from their previous album, 2020’s Notes On A Conditional Form, which hit #1 in Australia.

  • Music
  • Rock and indie
  • St Kilda

If you know Elvis Costello for his smooth, crooner tracks like 'She' and 'Alison', you may be surprised to learn that the English singer-songwriter got his start in the first wave of the British punk scene. Costello used to play the London pub rock circuit in the '70s, but not long after, he (literally) changed his tune and became more strongly associated with the rock and pop genres. 

Anyway, that's enough history: we've got some important news for Costello fans. Joined by backing band the Imposters, Costello will be making an appearance at the 34th annual Bluesfest in Byron Bay followed by two one-off shows at the Sydney Opera House on April 11 and Melbourne's Palais Theatre on April 13. 

"The very name of the venue probably should have gotten my attention when I first arrived in Melbourne in 1978, pursued by a press posse after a slight dust-up in Sydney," said Costello on the Bluesfest website. "After all, the 'Hammersmith Palais' was my dad's place of work for most of my childhood. It seems I am destined and disposed to return to venues called the 'Palais', like a homing pigeon or some other more tuneful bird." 

Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased here.

After more live music? Check out our round-up of Melbourne's best gigs this month.

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  • Music
  • Rap, hip hop and R&B
  • West Melbourne

In 2013, 19-year-old Denzel Curry launched himself onto the scene as a promising rapper, singer and songwriter. It didn't take long for him to establish himself as a rising star to watch, earning a spot on the 2016 XXL Freshmen alongside the likes of Lil Yachty, Desiigner, Lil Uzi Vert, Anderson .Paak, Lil Dicky and 21 Savage. Now, Curry has cultivated a dedicated following, releasing one of the most anticipated hip-hop albums of 2022 (Melt My Eyez See Your Future) and collaborating with cross-genre heavy-hitters like Rage Against the Machine, Glass Animals and the Neighbourhood. 

If you count yourself among his millions of fans, strap in: Curry has just announced a tour that'll bring him to Auckland before crossing the Tasman to tour in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The 'Switch It Up' and 'Walkin' singer will take over Melbourne's Festival Hall on April 28, and if his past shows are anything to go by, it'll be one of the wildest shows to hit our shores in 2023. 

The one-off concert will accompany Curry's presence at Groovin the Moo festival this year on April 29, where he'll be performing alongside acts like Alt-J, Amy Shark, Ball Park Music, Confidence Man and the Chats. 

Tickets are on sale now through the Ticketmaster AU website.

Need your live music fix? Here are Melbourne's best gigs of the month.

  • Music
  • Folk, country and blues
  • Southbank

And so he is, just like you said he would be; Damien Rice is returning to Australia. One of the nine crimes committed by the Irish troubadour is that he hasn’t graced these shores since 2019, but fans and critics alike can rejoice over the news that he will be performing a solo at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on May 16. 

Touring the country this May, the singer-songwriter's portfolio of songs like ‘Cheers’ Darlin’, 'Cannonball', ‘The Blower’s Daughter’ and ‘Delicate’ have broken hearts and left splinters worldwide. 

Born in 1964 and raised in County Kildare in Ireland, Rice first began busking in the streets. After a few years of playing and recording with his first band, Juniper, he decided to start a solo career writing introspective, acoustic songs often inspired by unrequited love, loss and melancholy. 

He then shot to stardom off the back of his 2022 debut album O, which collected multi-platinum status and earned him the Shortlist Music Prize. His follow-up album, 2006’s 9, had the global hit ‘9 Crimes.’ His songs were later used in big films such as Shrek Three, Closer, and also the hit t.v show Lost. 

Rice is no stranger to performing impassioned live shows, gaining a world-class reputation for his soulful sets and intimate rapport with his fans. Choosing to walk on stage with no setlist, Rice commands the room, often stunning audiences into total silence. “When I saw Damien play,” said Ed Sheeran, “that night literally changed my life.”


Catch Damien Rice for what could be a life-changing evening at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, and for the love of God, bring tissues.

Tickets go on sale to the general public from 17 Feb at 2pm on the Frontier Members website.

Love live music? Check out Melbourne's best upcoming gigs with tickets on sale now. 

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  • Music
  • Rock and indie
  • Port Melbourne

The Smashing Pumpkins are coming to town, and they're pulling out all the stops with a show that's basically one part epic gig, one part carnival. Whether you're a mega-fan who still has Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness on regular rotation or you just sometimes enjoy belting out 'Disarm' in your car, this is one show you won't want to miss. 

Led by singer-songwriter Billy Corgan, who is the only remaining member from the original line-up, the Smashing Pumpkins rose to fame in Chicago in the late '80s. The grungey vibe blends dream pop, psychedelia and heavy metal elements for a distinctive and layered sound accompanied by Corgan's angsty lyrics and textured vocals. While the band is best-known for '90s releases like '1979', 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' and 'Disarm', they've recently churned out a new album: Atum - Act 1 and 2. 

For this one-off gig at the Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts (PICA), the Pumpkins will be joined by alt-rockers Jane's Addiction as well as Melbourne rockers Amyl and the Sniffers, RedHook, Battlesnake and other local additions. And as if that didn't already sound nuts, the gig will also feature professional wrestling; the sport is a passion of Corgan's, who currently owns the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). 

Tickets start at $209, with several VIP experiences available with inclusions like private guided backstage tours, photo ops, merch packages and access to special viewing areas. Purchase yours here.

After more live music? Here are the best gigs happening in Melbourne this month.

  • Music
  • Dance and electronic
  • Melbourne

Fatboy Slim aka Norman Cook aka the man responsible for some of the world's biggest dance tunes is coming back to Australia, in one of the most highly anticipated tours of 2023. The Y’all Are The Music, We’re Just The DJ’s tour will kick off at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl on April 28, before heading to Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. It will be his first time back in the country since his 2020 headline shows that shook the nation up. 

You may know him from his hit 2000s bangers ‘Praise You’, ‘Right Here Right Now’, and ‘Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat’, or from his more recent energy-filled singles ‘Where U Iz’ and ‘Boom F**king Boom’. He’s also just released Right Here, Right Then, a celebration of the 20th anniversary of his infamous open-air concert on Brighton Beach in 2002, which saw a record-breaking crowd of more than 250,000 fans flock to the gig. 

Considering he’s got a staggering 10 MTV VMAs, two Brit Awards, a Grammy, a radio show and 20 consecutive years playing at Glastonbury under his belt, you can guarantee this party-loving DJ will only give you a good time – let's get ready to praise him like we should.

Tickets are on sale now through the Frontier Touring website.

Festival season has arrived – here's our guide to all the summer music events you can't miss.

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  • Music
  • Rock and indie
  • Northcote

Alt-J's original dates for September 2022 have now been rescheduled for 2023. Already purchased tickets will automatically apply to the new dates.

British indie electronic legends Alt-J are to deliver an intimate and unforgettable evening for fans. While touring their fourth studio album, The Dream, the trio will take an evening off to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their life-changing debut album, An Awesome Wave, and perform the Mercury-prize-winning record in full. Joining the line-up are dream pop duo Royal Otis who will support Alt-J on the Australian leg of the tour. 

Long-time Melbourne fans can expect to enjoy classic hits from the album like 'Tesselate', 'Breezeblocks' and 'Fitzpleasure', as well as other major hits. Having amassed Grammy and Brit Award nominations, the best-selling debut album catapulted the band into global fame, earning them billions of streams, millions of fans around the world and countless accolades along the way.  

If you can’t make it to the special show, alt-J are also playing Margaret Court Arena the night after

  • Music
  • Pop
  • Melbourne

Hold us while we wait for Lewis Capaldi’s Australasian tour this coming July. Known – and adored – for his impish humour and dulcet balladry, Scotland’s very own ‘Beyoncé’ (as Capaldi refers to himself) will soon grace these shores to tour his second album, Broken By Desire To be Heavenly Sent, with performances at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on July 14 and 15, 2023. 

After tickets originally went on sale, the first Melbourne show – scheduled for July 15 – sold out, but Capaldi has since added a second date, taking place on July 14. 

The 26-year-old singer will be supported by the Grammy Award-nominated multi-platinum singer-songwriter Noah Cyrus, who will join Capaldi in opening arena shows across the country, with dates in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne throughout July 2023. 

Born in Glasgow, the Scottish singer began learning how to play the guitar at nine, before writing songs and sneaking into pubs to play gigs. Capaldi then broke into the mainstream in the late 2010s with singles ‘Bruises’ and the international chart-topper ‘Someone You Loved. Both songs cast his debut album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent into the limelight, where it remained at the top of the UK Albums Chart for six weeks.

The lead single off Capaldi’s latest album, ‘Forget Me’, quickly became gold-certified and smashed over 100 million streams globally, and he soon joined the likes of Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Dave and Sam Smith in having a single reach number one in its first week. 

Grab your tickets on the Secret Sounds website, and don’t miss your chance to see Lewis Capaldi and Noah Cyrus in what is posed to be an unforgettable night.

Get ahead of the curve and grab tickets to Melbourne's upcoming gigs before they sell out.

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  • Music
  • Pop
  • Melbourne

How do you sleep knowing that in a matter of months, British pop superstar Sam Smith will return Down Under with their brand-new tour?

The singer-songwriter will grace Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on October 31 to support their forthcoming studio album, Gloria. 

Gloria The Tour will see the ‘Like I Can’ singer play arenas in five cities on a journey that will first stop off in Adelaide and traverse Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland. 

The upcoming 13-track album is the non-binary singer's boldest statement yet, and comes off the back of the huge success of the ARIA #1 single, ‘Unholy’, featuring Kim Petras. The smash-hit single continues to reign at #1 on the charts and has surpassed 1.3 billion streams globally, with 36 million streams in Australia alone. 

The LGBTQ+ icon has shared what fans can expect from their upcoming tour, which the singer says “feels like emotional, sexual and spiritual liberation.” Adding, “It feels like I’ve got my faith back in my job. So it was beautiful, with this album, to sing freely again for me. It feels like a coming of age.”

Since his 2014 debut number one album, The Lonely Hour, the singer has amassed many accolades and achievements, including 36 million albums sold, 250 million singles and 49 billion multi-platform streams. Smith’s catalogue of instant hits includes ‘Too Good at Goodbyes’, ‘I’m Not The Only One,’ ‘Dancing with a Stranger’, ‘Stay with Me’, ‘How Do You Sleep’ and many more. 

Tickets for Gloria The Tour will be on public sale on Frontier Touring from January 18, with pre-sale tickets released earlier on January 16 for Frontier members. 

Is one of your new year's resolutions to go to more gigs? Check out the best gigs with tickets on sale now.

  • Music
  • Pop
  • Melbourne

Australian K-Pop fans, you're in luck: internationally renowned girl group Twice just announced that their Ready to Be world tour will stop off Down Under. The nine-piece group will hit up Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on May 3 before making their way to Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on May 6.

With more than 12 million monthly listeners on Spotify, saying Twice is famous is an understatement. They're best known for tracks like 'Talk that Talk', 'The Feels', 'What is Love' and 'Fancy', and their latest release 'Moonlight Sunrise' is already climbing the charts. 

While we know the dates, tickets haven't been released yet and additional details are still being confirmed. At this stage, you can sign up to join the waitlist on Live Nation. Watch this space for further details. 

After more live music? Here's our round-up of Melbourne's best gigs this month.

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