The legendary Californian art pop duo are returning to Australian stages, with headline shows confirmed for Melbourne and Brisbane alongside a Sydney Opera House appearance as part of Vivid Live.
More than 50 years into one of music’s most singular careers, brothers Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks are heading back to Australia this May for a run of shows that includes headline dates in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Presented by Destroy All Lines, the tour follows the May 2025 release of their acclaimed 28th studio album MAD! and companion EP MADDER!, which arrived in October. Their recent world tour was rapturously received, and if you missed Cate Blanchett dancing in a canary yellow suit in the clip for ‘The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte’, it’s well worth a look.
Catch up on all the latest news here.
The Australian run kicks off at the Sydney Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre on 25 May as part of Vivid Live, before the band head south and north for headline shows. It’s their first time back on Australian stages since 2023.
From storming the UK charts in 1974 with ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both of Us’ to inspiring everyone from Joy Division and Depeche Mode to Björk, Beck and The Last Dinner Party, Sparks have spent decades being ahead of the curve while the rest of the world caught up. As super-producer Jack Antonoff put it: “all pop music is re-arranged Sparks.”
With a catalogue spanning six decade, including ‘Angst In My Pants’ and ‘The Number One Song In Heaven’ alongside newer material from The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte (2023) and MAD!, these shows are shaping up to be something well worth the trip.
Tour dates
25 May: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Sydney (Vivid Live)
28 May: Palais Theatre, Melbourne
30 May: Glasshouse, QPAC, Brisbane
Artist, promoter and mailing list presales open Thursday 26 March at 9am local time. General public tickets go on sale Friday 27 March at 9am local time.
Find tickets here.
