The best gigs happening in Melbourne this month

English singer-songwriter Alexander O’Connor – better known as Rex Orange County – has announced a slate of tour dates as part of his Live in New Zealand, Australia and Asia Tour 2023. 

Following sold-out shows across North America, the singer is making pit stops in Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and will perform at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena on September 27. 

The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist first rose to prominence in 2017 following multiple features on Tyler, The Creator’s Grammy-nominated album Flower Boy. Since then, the singer has won several accolades for his genre-bending tracks and has released three studio albums, including Apricot Princess in 2017 and Pony in 2019.

Last year, the singer released the chart-topper of an album Who Cares? which featured Tyler, The Creator and marked the first time the two have collaborated since Flower Boy. Praised by critics as “sobering, uplifting, fun and honest all at the same time” and a “tender take on self-doubt”, fans can expect to hear the infectious hits from Who Cares? as well as classics like  ‘Loving Is Easy’, ‘Sunflower’, ‘Best Friends’, ‘Corduroy Dreams’ and more. 

Tickets are on sale to the general public from June 16. For complete tour and ticket information, visit the Live Nation website here.

Feeling the pinch? Check out our cheap hacks for Melbourne's winter culture here.

We know, we know – it’s hard to believe that Australia’s very own sweetheart, Delta Goodrem, has been belting out power ballads and catchy dancefloor bangers for almost two decades now. And now, in a classic ‘where have the years gone’ moment, Goodrem’s record-breaking debut album is about to turn 20, and she’s hitting the road for a string of intimate tours to celebrate. 

Innocent Eyes spent an unprecedented 29 weeks at No. 1 on the Aria Albums Chart back in 2003, making it the highest-selling debut album in Australian history. Goodrem was also the first-ever artist to have five No. 1 singles on the charts from a debut album, and she won the Highest Selling Album Award at the Aria Awards two years running.

The exclusive anniversary tour will commence on September 25, 2023, at the Opera House in Sydney, before travelling to Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. Goodrem will play at Hamer Hall in Melbourne on September 28 and 29, 2023, where she will perform Innocent Eyes in its entirety, including the hits ‘Born To Try’, ‘Lost Without You’, ‘Predictable’ and ‘Not Me, Not I’.

“I feel so grateful to have had all the opportunities this album has brought in my life and all the incredible people that took me into their homes with this album and who have been on this journey with me," says Goodrem. "This is going to be a wonderful night together of music and storytelling celebrating the album that changed my life.”

Fan Club and TEG Live pre-sales commence at 9am on Wednesday, November 16 via Goodrem's official website. General public tickets go on sale 11am on Friday, November 18 also via the website. 

ICYMI: Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen is also performing in Melbourne in 2023.

To the girl with big black boots, long brown hair and a get-back stare, it’s time to come and get your kicks as Jet has announced an exclusive run of dates to mark the 20th anniversary of their debut album Get Born. 

One of the most celebrated rock bands to come out of Australia, Jet’s tour will kick off at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre on September 22 before going to Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney. For those who missed out on tickets to the sold-out show on September 22, fret not, they've just added an exclusive warm-up show at the Night Cat on Wednesday, September 20. 

Formed in Melbourne in the late '90s, Jet is made up of Nic Cester (vocals/guitar), Chris Cester (vocals/drums), Cam Muncey (vocals/guitar) and Mark Wilson (bass). Their September performance will be the band's first show in half a decade, and you can expect them to play Get Born in full, re-visiting the slate of timeless tracks like ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl?’, ‘Look What You’ve Done’, ‘Rollover DJ’, and ‘Get Me Outta Here’. 

The album won the band six ARIA Awards and was certified nine times platinum in Australia, making it one of the top five highest-selling Australian rock albums ever. Jet not only found fame on home turf but would also go on to top mainstream rock charts worldwide and tour with the Rolling Stones, Oasis, Bruce Springsteen and Kings of Leon. 

“Get Born was a rare and unique moment of total planetary alignment where we somehow managed to capture lightning in a bottle,” said frontman Nic Cester, reflecting on the album’s legacy.

Tickets to see this lightning-bolt of a band will be released on June 16 at 11am. For complete tour and ticket information, visit the Live Nation website here.

Love live music? These are the best gigs and live music happening in Melbourne this month. 

The Australian three-piece indie rock outfit DMA’S (Tommy O’Dell, Matt Mason, Johnny Took) are headed to the Forum in Melbourne on September 28 to tour their hotly anticipated album How Many Dreams? 

Frontier Touring, Secret Sounds and FRNDS MGMT will present the return of the nine-time ARIA nominees and critically-acclaimed band, who will be playing their biggest Australian venues to date.

DMA’S formed in 2012 in Sydney, where the three friends came together to make nostalgic garage pop in a bedroom in Newtown. After releasing their debut single ‘Delete’, the band exploded onto the music scene with the single picked up by Triple J. They have since released three smash-hit albums: Hills End (2016), For Now (2018) and The Glow (2020). 

Inspired by the Mancunian music scene of the early '90s, DMA’S sound parallels Oasis, the Stone Roses and Primal Scream in their fusion of wistful melodies and raspy vocals with a Britpop undertone. Concertgoers can expect to hear hits such as ‘Silver’, ‘Delete’, ‘Everybody’s Saying Thursday’s the Weekend’ and ‘Tape Deck Slick.’

DMA’S album How Many Dreams? will be released on March 31, and tickets to see them at the Forum will be released on March 16 via the Frontier Touring website.

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

He learned Latin-influenced guitar techniques in Cuba, studied ethnomusicology at the University of London, toured the world as a member of Portico Quartet and has captivated audiences worldwide with his melodic alt-folk. 

British singer-songwriter Nick Mulvey will now make his long-awaited return to Australia for three special headline shows this spring, with his final performance at Melbourne’s Croxton Bandroom on September 22. 

The musical craftsman is best known for pushing the boundaries of songwriting and experimenting with multiple blends of music. Clearly influenced by the likes of Neil Young, Nick Drake and Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Mulvey’s heartfelt lyrics and compositions continue to captivate fans and audiences alike. 

After going solo from the award-winning Portico Quartet, Mulvey released his debut album First Mind in 2014, with the album’s lead single ‘Cucurucu’ winning a silver certification in the UK. He released his second album, Wake Up Now, in 2017, and released his most recent album New Mythology in 2022. 

Tickets to see Nick Mulvey this September for a performance "filled with stories, enlightenment and connections" are available on the Frontier Touring website here.

Love live music? Check out where to listen to it every night of the week in Melbourne.

A little birdie told us that one of Australia’s most successful contemporary rock bands, Birds of Tokyo, is making its way to Melbourne for an electrifying orchestral performance at the grand Hamer Hall. The band is teaming up with the prestigious Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for the second last stop of its national tour, Birdsongs, which takes place across three magical nights from September 21-23.

Birds of Tokyo has been soaring high with their chart-topping melodies, seven APRA ‘Rock Work of the Year’ wins and memorable 2021 AFL Grand Final performance, but it’s their concerts that truly set them apart. Birdsongs takes the band’s musical prowess to new heights by combining their classic anthems with the enchanting power of a full symphony orchestra. 

The concert expands on Birds of Tokyo’s 2021 collaboration tour with Australian orchestras, including fully orchestrated renditions of their greatest hits and newest works. Their sweeping and dynamic hits like ‘Plans,’ ‘Lanterns,’ ‘Good Lord," and ‘Anchor,’ are a powerful match for acclaimed orchestrator Nicholas Buc’s stunning arrangements.

Whether you’re a symphony enthusiast or spreading your wings into a new genre of music, Birdsongs will leave you flying high on life.

Book your tickets from $75 here.

Whack on something dazzling and dust off your dancing shoes as the much-loved NGV Friday Nights returns this winter. The popular event returns for 19 weeks after another sell-out season for the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition.

Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi will present more than 100 works by the leading French painter Pierre Bonnard with enrapturing scenography by the international designer India Mahdavi. A ticket to NGV Friday Nights includes late-night access to the major world-premiere exhibition, where you can see 19th and 20th-century France brought to life through colour, scape and sound. 

The season will kick off with a headline performance by the ARIA award winner Adrian Eagle in the Great Hall. For the rest of the season, expect a live music line-up that traverses disco, jazz, soul and R&B with DJ sets from Chris Gill and Priya to performances by Tiana Khasi, Glass Beams, Rara Zulu and four-piece Jade Imagine. Discover the full line-up here.

Taking inspiration from regional French fare, the Yering Station Wine Bar in the Great Hall and Pommery Champagne Bar in the Gallery kitchen will serve a comforting menu for the colder nights, including cheese boards, gruyere croquettes, cassoulet and profiteroles.

NGV Friday Nights will run from June 9 until October 6 at NGV International. For further information and to book tickets visit the NGV website here.

Festival season is set to begin with a bang, when Listen Out hits up Caribbean Gardens in Scoresby for its great big 10th birthday celebration on September 29. This massive over-18s festival spotlighting dance, R’n’B, hip hop, electronic and house music has just dropped its stacked line-up, and it's safe to say we're pretty damn impressed.

‘Where Are U Now?’ Because Skrillex is ready to ‘Take U There’. The eight-time Grammy award winner will be back in the country for the first time since Listen Out 2018, bringing new material from his first album since 2014. The dubstep wunderkind heads Down Under fresh from massive sets at Coachella and Madison Square Gardens with collaborators Fred Again and fellow Listen Out artist Four Tet. 

Influential hip hop and trap producer and collaborator Metro Boomin will bring tracks like ‘Creepin’ and more from his 2022 album Heroes & Villains, which features everyone worth featuring. Having worked with artists from Denzel Curry to Slowthai to Benee, producer extraordinaire and “hip hop’s prodigal son” (Pitchfork) Kenny Beats will make his debut Australian appearance.

It's been five long years between visits from Lil Uzi Vert who will be bringing their innovative and genre-bending style showcased on mega hits like ‘Just Wanna Rock’ and tracks from his #1 album, Luv Is Rage 2.

There’s an eclectic mix of talent, with the “People’s Princess” of drill rap, Bronx artist Ice Spice (‘Munch’), Coi Leray (‘Players’ anyone?) Piri and Venbee heading to Australia for the first time. They’ll hit the stages with Mallrat and Jyoty along with your host Ebony Boadu and more.

Listen Out is returning to its usual stomping grounds in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth in 2023, but is moving to a new venue in Melbourne’s forgotten wonderland, Caribbean Gardens. There's going to be much more space, better stage view lines, easy access with loads of parking and shuttle buses transporting festivalgoers from the nearby train station. Plus, there will be a proper warehouse for the Prophet Stage.

Tickets are on sale now, with third release starting at $199.90 and second release VIP tickets starting at $288.00. Snap up yours over here.

Love live music? Here are the best gigs happening in Melbourne this month. Keen for a boogie? These are the best nightclubs in Melbourne.