Music lovers – get ready for a massive month of music in April 2026 at the Sydney Opera House. In separate concerts, Irish folk-punk band The Pogues and blues legend Buddy Guy will take over the Concert Hall under the sails for a string of unforgettable performances.
The Pogues return to Australia for the first time in 14 years to celebrate 40 years of their 1985 album, Rum Sodomy & the Lash. On April 5 and 6, the band will perform the album in full – including favourites like 'Dirty Old Town', 'Rainy Night in Soho', 'Sally MacLennane' – along with B-sides, extended versions and a selection of their most beloved tracks.
To jog your memory, The Pogues was fronted by the late, great Shane MacGowan and fused traditional Irish music with punk’s raw, rebellious energy in the early 1980s. At their Opera House shows, original members Spider Stacy, Jem Finer and James Fearnley will be joined by Daragh Lynch, Iona Zajac, John Francis and special guests for two nights that promise to be gloriously loud.
But before their performances, on Wednesday, April 1, Grammy award-winning blues musician Buddy Guy will bring his electrifying guitar work back to the Concert Hall. At 89 years young, Guy is still at the top of his game – performing tracks from his latest album Ain’t Done With The Blues (2025) as well as career-defining hits that inspired everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and living link to Chicago’s golden era of electric blues, Guy’s legendary showmanship and fiery sound are not to be missed.
Says Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall, "We get to raucously honour them [The Pogues], and the memory of Shane MacGowan, as they ignite the Opera House Concert Hall over two momentous nights. We’re also deeply honoured to welcome back the legendary Buddy Guy – a blues trailblazer whose fierce live performances span generations of music lovers."
The Pogues are playing April 5-6, 2026, from 8pm (find out more here), with tickets starting at $119.90; and Buddy Guy is playing on April 1, 2026, from 8pm (find out more here), with tickets starting from $129.90.
The 'What's On' pre-sale for both artists starts today (Wednesday November 12) at 11am AEDT, and the general public sale opens tomorrow (Thursday 13 November) at 11am AEDT.
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