Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027

Joe Jackson returns to Australia and New Zealand in the summer of 2027. His Australian & NZ Tour 2027 opens at Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday 23 January 2027 and ends at the Riverside Theatre in Perth on Tuesday 9 February, with eight concerts in seven cities. Sydney gets two nights at the State Theatre, on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 January.

It is his first documented tour of the region since May 2008, when he played the State Theatre, the Palais in Melbourne and the Riverside Theatre among others. His connection with Australian audiences goes back much further: "Real Men" was a top ten hit in Australia, Night and Day reached No. 5 on the Australian albums chart, and he toured the country in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1991, 1995, 2003 and 2008.

The 2027 dates follow Hope and Fury, his first new rock album in seven years, released in April 2026. Tickets have been on sale since Monday 13 July 2026. Below are the confirmed dates and venues, a look back at more than forty years of concerts in Australia and New Zealand, and practical advice on tickets.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: confirmed dates

The tour starts in New Zealand. Christchurch Town Hall, on the Avon River, hosts the opening concert on Saturday 23 January 2027, and Auckland Town Hall follows on Tuesday 26 January. Neither city has seen a documented Joe Jackson concert since 2003, and Christchurch does not appear in his documented history at all.

The Australian section begins with the two Sydney nights at the State Theatre on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 January. Brisbane follows at The Fortitude Music Hall on Monday 1 February, then Melbourne at Hamer Hall on Wednesday 3 February, Adelaide at the Thebarton Theatre on Saturday 6 February and Perth at the Riverside Theatre on Tuesday 9 February.

Several of these rooms are old acquaintances. Jackson has played the State Theatre on four previous tours, the Thebarton Theatre on four and the Riverside Theatre in 2008; Hamer Hall, under its earlier name Melbourne Concert Hall, hosted him in 1983, 1986 and 1991. The Fortitude Music Hall, which opened in 2019, and the two New Zealand town halls are the new additions.

No support act had been announced as of 9 October 2026, and no additional dates had been added to the eight listed here. The tour runs in the Australian summer, across the end of January and the first half of February.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: venue guide

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027 at Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch

Christchurch Town Hall, designed by Warren and Mahoney, opened on 30 September 1972 on the banks of the Avon River overlooking Victoria Square. Closed after the February 2011 earthquake, it reopened in 2019; its main auditorium seats about 2,250.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027 at Auckland Town Hall, Auckland

Auckland Town Hall opened on 14 December 1911 on Queen Street and is listed as a Category 1 historic place. Its Great Hall, modelled on the Gewandhaus in Leipzig and admired for its acoustics, seats about 1,500 and houses the town hall organ, New Zealand's largest musical instrument.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027 at State Theatre, Sydney

The State Theatre on Market Street in the Sydney CBD opened on 7 June 1929. Designed by Henry Eli White with John Eberson, it seats 2,034 under a chandelier of more than four tonnes, is on the New South Wales State Heritage Register and has been home to the Sydney Film Festival since 1974.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027 at The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane

The Fortitude Music Hall opened in July 2019 on the Brunswick Street Mall in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. It holds about 3,000 people standing and was built to fill the gap for a mid-sized concert hall in the city.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027 at Hamer Hall, Melbourne

Hamer Hall, part of Arts Centre Melbourne on the Southbank of the Yarra, opened on 6 November 1982 as the Melbourne Concert Hall and was renamed in 2004 after former Premier Sir Rupert Hamer. It seats 2,466, is the home of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and reopened in July 2012 after a two-year redevelopment.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027 at Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide

The Thebarton Theatre is a concert hall in Torrensville, in Adelaide's inner west. It opened in 1928 as a combined town hall and picture theatre and holds about 2,000 people.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027 at Riverside Theatre, Perth

The Riverside Theatre is the 2,500-seat tiered theatre of the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Mounts Bay Road, beside the Swan River. The centre was officially opened on 26 August 2004.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: night by night

Saturday 23 January 2027 — Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch. This is the opening night of the run.

Tuesday 26 January 2027 — Auckland Town Hall, Auckland. The artist's most recent documented Auckland show was at St James Theatre on 8 September 2003.

Thursday 28 January 2027 — State Theatre, Sydney. This is show 1 of the 2-night stand here. The artist's previous show at this venue was on 23 May 2008.

Monday 1 February 2027 — The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane. In Brisbane, the last documented Joe Jackson concert was at Brisbane Convention Centre (20 May 2008).

Wednesday 3 February 2027 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne. In Melbourne, the last documented Joe Jackson concert was at Palais Theatre (27 May 2008).

Saturday 6 February 2027 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide. Joe Jackson last played Thebarton Theatre on 13 September 2003 (The 25th Anniversary Reunion Tour).

Tuesday 9 February 2027 — Riverside Theatre, Perth. Joe Jackson last played Riverside Theatre on 30 May 2008. This venue closes the tour.

Before the Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: Australia/NZ concert history

Joe Jackson's documented history in the region begins in April 1983 on the Night & Day Tour, the year after "Steppin' Out" and "Real Men" made him a radio staple. He started in New Zealand, at the Manawatu Sports Stadium in Palmerston North on 23 April and the Logan Campbell Centre in Auckland on 24 April, then played three nights at Melbourne Concert Hall, two at the Thebarton Theatre in Adelaide, Brisbane Festival Hall and two nights at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. The setlist from the second Hordern night, 8 May 1983, runs from "On Your Radio" through "Steppin' Out" and "A Slow Song" to a Motown medley and "I'm the Man".

He came back in July 1984 on the Body and Soul Tour, playing Brisbane Festival Hall, the Sydney Entertainment Centre, two Melbourne shows, two nights at the Festival Theatre in Adelaide and the Perth Entertainment Centre. Two years later the Big World tour brought him to Brisbane Festival Hall on 29 October 1986, Melbourne Concert Hall, two nights at the Sydney Entertainment Centre and the Perth Entertainment Centre on 7 November. The Perth set that night ran to 25 songs, with "Shanghai Sky", "Fifty Dollar Love Affair" and "(It's a) Big World" from the new album.

In September 1991 the Laughter & Lust Tour played the State Theatre in Sydney three times, Melbourne Concert Hall twice, Perth Concert Hall and the Thebarton Theatre. In May 1995 he returned with two nights at the State Theatre, the Concert Hall in Brisbane, two nights at the State Theatre in Melbourne, the Royal Theatre in Canberra, the Thebarton Theatre and Perth Concert Hall; the Melbourne set of 23 May 1995 included "Nocturne No. 4", "Nocturne No. 2" and "Ever After" from Night Music.

The 25th Anniversary Reunion Tour of September 2003 reunited the original Joe Jackson Band of Look Sharp!. It began in New Zealand at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington on 7 September and the St James Theatre in Auckland on 8 September, then played the Palais Theatre and the Mercury Lounge in Melbourne, the Thebarton Theatre, two nights at the State Theatre in Sydney and the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane. The sets leaned heavily on the first three albums, with "Look Sharp!", "Sunday Papers", "Got the Time" and "I'm the Man".

His most recent documented visit was in May 2008, after the release of Rain. He played the Twin Towns Services Club in Tweed Heads, the Brisbane Convention Centre, two nights at the State Theatre in Sydney, the Royal Theatre in Canberra, the Palais Theatre in Melbourne and the Riverside Theatre in Perth, where the run ended on 30 May 2008. The Sydney shows mixed new songs such as "Invisible Man" and "King Pleasure Time" with "Chinatown", a cover of David Bowie's "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" and the usual closing "A Slow Song".

The table below lists 52 documented Australia/NZ concerts by Joe Jackson between 1983 and 2008, with the most shows in Sydney (14), Melbourne (13), Adelaide (7), Brisbane (6), Perth (5), Canberra (2). It is not exhaustive: it only includes documented shows.

Concert data: setlist.fm

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027 setlist: the songs played most often in Australia and New Zealand

Across the 15 most recent documented Australia/NZ concerts with a full song list (6 November 1986 to 23 May 2008), these are the songs that came up most often. Titles only — set lists change from night to night.

1. Steppin' Out — played at 15 of 15 shows
2. It's Different for Girls — played at 13 of 15 shows
3. Real Men — played at 13 of 15 shows
4. I'm the Man — played at 11 of 15 shows
5. One More Time — played at 11 of 15 shows
6. Got the Time — played at 10 of 15 shows
7. Is She Really Going Out With Him? — played at 10 of 15 shows
8. Look Sharp! — played at 9 of 15 shows
9. A Slow Song — played at 8 of 15 shows
10. Awkward Age — played at 8 of 15 shows
11. Sunday Papers — played at 8 of 15 shows
12. Love at First Light — played at 7 of 15 shows
13. On Your Radio — played at 7 of 15 shows
14. Take It Like a Man — played at 7 of 15 shows

Before the Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: past Australia/NZ tours at a glance

• The 25th Anniversary Reunion Tour (2003): 8 Australia/NZ shows — Wellington, Auckland, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane.
• Laughter & Lust Tour (1991): 7 Australia/NZ shows — Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide.
• Big World (1986): 5 Australia/NZ shows — Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth.
• Body and Soul Tour (1984): 7 Australia/NZ shows — Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth.
• Night & Day Tour (1983): 10 Australia/NZ shows — Palmerston North, Auckland, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: career and records

Joe Jackson was born David Ian Jackson in Burton upon Trent on 11 August 1954 and grew up in Portsmouth. He learned violin and then piano, played in pubs from the age of 16 and won a scholarship to study composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London. After an early band, Arms and Legs, he signed with A&M Records in 1978.

With Gary Sanford, Graham Maby and David Houghton, the Joe Jackson Band released Look Sharp! and I'm the Man in 1979. "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was his breakthrough single and "It's Different for Girls" his highest-charting UK hit. Look Sharp! reached No. 20 in Australia. After Beat Crazy (1980) and the swing album Jumpin' Jive (1981), he moved to New York and made Night and Day (1982), his biggest album, with "Steppin' Out", "Breaking Us in Two" and "Real Men".

Body and Soul (1984) added jazz standards and salsa to his pop writing and produced "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)". Big World (1986) was recorded live in front of a silent audience, and Will Power (1987) was an instrumental album that pointed towards his later classical work. After Blaze of Glory and Laughter & Lust he signed with Sony Classical, and Symphony No. 1 won him a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2001.

He reunited the original band for Volume 4 in 2003, moved to Berlin and recorded Rain (2008), followed by The Duke (2012), Fast Forward (2015) and Fool (2019). What a Racket! (2023) presented the music of an imaginary music-hall composer, Max Champion. In April 2026 he released Hope and Fury, recorded with his band of recent years, Graham Maby, Teddy Kumpel and Doug Yowell, with percussionist Paulo Stagnaro, and began a long tour in May 2026.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: two nights at the State Theatre

The State Theatre on Market Street is Joe Jackson's home in Sydney. He played it three times in September 1991 on the Laughter & Lust Tour (5, 20 and 21 September), twice in May 1995, twice in September 2003 and twice in May 2008. In 2027 he returns for two more nights, on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 January.

The 1929 picture palace seats just over 2,000, which suits a performer who has often asked for quiet, attentive audiences. The two 2008 setlists show that consecutive nights are not identical: the first opened with "Home Town" and included "Dirty Martini", the second added "Another World", "Too Tough" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You".

Before the State Theatre years, Sydney saw him at the Hordern Pavilion in 1983 and the Sydney Entertainment Centre in 1984 and 1986.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: back to Hamer Hall

Melbourne Concert Hall opened on 6 November 1982, and Joe Jackson played it within six months of the opening: three times in April and May 1983, again in November 1986 and twice in September 1991. The hall was renamed Hamer Hall in 2004 and reopened in 2012 after a major redevelopment.

On Wednesday 3 February 2027 he returns to the same building for the first time in more than three decades. His other Melbourne rooms over the years were the State Theatre in 1995, the Palais Theatre in 2003 and 2008, and the Mercury Lounge in 2003.

Hamer Hall seats 2,466 and is the home of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, which makes it a natural fit for a writer whose work runs from new wave to symphonic music.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth

The Thebarton Theatre in Torrensville has hosted Joe Jackson four times before: two nights in 1983, and single shows in 1991, 1995 and 2003. On Saturday 6 February 2027 he plays it again, the only Saturday of the Australian dates. In between, he played the Festival Theatre in Adelaide twice in 1984.

Brisbane has moved around more. He played Festival Hall in 1983, 1984 and 1986, the Concert Hall in 1995, the Lyric Theatre in 2003 and the Convention Centre in 2008. In 2027 he plays The Fortitude Music Hall in Fortitude Valley on Monday 1 February, a venue that did not exist on any of his previous visits.

Perth closes the tour at the Riverside Theatre on Tuesday 9 February, the venue where his 2008 tour also ended. Earlier Perth shows were at the Perth Entertainment Centre in 1984 and 1986 and Perth Concert Hall in 1991 and 1995.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: New Zealand opens the tour

New Zealand has seen Joe Jackson less often than Australia. The documented shows are Palmerston North and Auckland in April 1983, then Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre and Auckland's St James Theatre in September 2003.

In 2027 the tour begins there. Christchurch Town Hall, reopened in 2019 after the earthquake repairs, hosts the first night on Saturday 23 January, and Auckland Town Hall on Queen Street follows on Tuesday 26 January. Both are seated halls known for their acoustics.

For fans in the South Island, Christchurch is the first documented Joe Jackson concert in the city. Wellington is not on the 2027 route.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: what to expect live

Joe Jackson's Australian sets have usually run to about twenty songs. On the 2003 reunion tour the band played around twenty, mostly from Look Sharp!, I'm the Man and Beat Crazy, and the 2008 shows ran to eighteen, mixing Rain with "Steppin' Out", "Real Men", "On Your Radio", "It's Different for Girls", "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)" and "Is She Really Going Out With Him?".

"Steppin' Out" has been a constant: it opens or appears in almost every documented Australian set since 1983, often near the start rather than as an encore. "A Slow Song" closed the documented sets of 1991 and 2008, and "I'm the Man" closed most of the 2003 nights.

The 2027 set list has not been published. Hope and Fury was preceded by the singles "Welcome To Burning-by-Sea", "Fabulous People" and "After All This Time", but how much of the new album reaches the Australian and New Zealand stage will only be known once the tour begins.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027 tickets and presales

Tickets for all eight Australian and New Zealand concerts went on general sale on Monday 13 July 2026 and are available through the official ticketing agents for each venue and the venues' own box offices, subject to availability. No presale details for this tour were published in the data we track.

Sydney has two nights, so check the date on your ticket carefully. Buy only through the official outlets linked from the venue pages; many theatre tickets are now mobile and linked to the buyer's name, so check the transfer rules if you are buying for someone else.

There is no public Joe Jackson presale code to buy or share, and resale listings at inflated prices or "guaranteed" tickets on social media are best avoided. If a date sells out, watch the official outlet for returns, and sign up below for the alert to hear about any change to the tour.

Joe Jackson Australia Tour 2027: questions and answers

When does Joe Jackson's 2027 tour start?

At Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday 23 January 2027.

How many Sydney shows are there?

Two, at the State Theatre on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 January 2027.

Where does he play in Melbourne?

At Hamer Hall on Wednesday 3 February 2027. He last played the hall, then called Melbourne Concert Hall, in September 1991.

Is there a New Zealand date?

Two: Christchurch Town Hall on 23 January and Auckland Town Hall on 26 January 2027.

When was Joe Jackson last in Australia?

In May 2008, on a tour that ended at the Riverside Theatre in Perth on 30 May 2008.

Is Perth included?

Yes, the tour ends at the Riverside Theatre on Tuesday 9 February 2027.

When did tickets go on sale?

On Monday 13 July 2026.

Who is supporting Joe Jackson?

No support act had been announced as of 9 October 2026.

Is there a Canberra or Hobart show?

No. The 2027 tour covers Christchurch, Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. He last played Canberra, at the Royal Theatre, in May 2008.