Frontier Touring has announced the long-awaited return of Garbage to Australia and New Zealand this December, marking the band’s first headline shows in the region since 2016. The alt-rock trailblazers will perform in Auckland, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney, closing the run with a night at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.
Led by Shirley Manson alongside Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig, Garbage remain one of the most distinctive voices in alternative music. Across three decades, they’ve sold more than 20 million albums and built a catalogue that has defined eras — from Stupid Girl and Only Happy When It Rains to I Think I’m Paranoid and No Gods No Masters.
The tour arrives in celebration of their eighth studio album, Let All That We Imagine Be The Light, released in May 2025. The record has been praised for its tenderness and unease in equal measure — a reflection on what it means to exist in uncertain times. “It’s hopeful,” says Manson. “It’s very tender towards what it means to be a human being. Our flaws and our failures are still beautiful, even though we’re taught that they’re not.”
Currently in the middle of their first North American headline tour in a decade, Garbage will make their way to Mexico in November before heading south to Australia and New Zealand. These shows, performed in ornate theatres and landmark venues, will also carry personal weight for the band. “To be able to return to sacred, stunning New Zealand and to Australia – the home country of our most beloved music business guru, Michael Gudinski – is an immense thrill for us,” says Manson. “We have been aching to return to this part of the world for a long time now and this tour will be played every night in Gudinski’s honour.”
Recent reviews from the U.S. leg speak to a group still pushing forward. The Guardian called their live sound “slick and candy-coloured… with a surprisingly heavy industrial sensibility,” while Miami New Times noted that “nearly three decades later, the band still commands a room with the same swagger that made Version 2.0 a global phenomenon.”
GARBAGE
HAPPY ENDINGS 2026 AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR
Wednesday 3 December – Auckland Town Hall | Auckland, NZ | Lic. All Ages
ticketmaster.co.nz
Thursday 11 December – Palais Theatre | Melbourne, VIC | Lic. All Ages
ticketmaster.com.au
Friday 12 December – Thebarton Theatre | Adelaide, SA | Lic. All Ages
ticketmaster.com.au
Sunday 14 December – Sydney Opera House Concert Hall | Sydney, NSW | Lic. All Ages
sydneyoperahouse.com
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