Genesis Owusu To Premiere New Songs In Intimate In-The-Round Opera House Shows – Backseat Mafia

Genesis Owusu will return to the Sydney Opera House for a two-night Studio residency this September, performing in an in-the-round set-up and previewing new, unreleased material. The shows will also feature support from Sydney trio Shady Nasty, known for their blend of punk and classical influences.

“I’ve been missing seeing you guys. My community! I wanna chat, I wanna play some music, I want to see how you’re all doing. Touch some grass n that. Sometimes the more people there are, the more anonymous we can become, so let’s keep it intimate for now. Small capacity, few nights in a row, residency style. Me, you and my band. Give you a first experience of this new album! We’re gonna call these little shows “Redstar Wu’s Neighbourhood Jams.” See ya there x”, Genesis Owusu.

The Ghanaian-Australian artist has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most distinctive contemporary voices. Since the release of his debut album Smiling With No Teeth in 2021 – which won the Australian Music Prize and swept four ARIA Awards – Owusu has developed a global profile, praised for his genre-blurring approach and striking live shows.

His 2023 follow-up STRUGGLER collected three ARIA Awards and expanded his reach internationally. The past year has seen him collect gold plaques for singles “Good Times” and “WUTD,” headline Vivid Sydney with sold-out immersive shows and appear as a guest during Jonti’s set at Vivid LIVE.

Owusu last performed at the Opera House in 2023 alongside the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. These upcoming September dates, titled Redstar Wu’s Neighbourhood Jams, will mark the next chapter, presenting a reimagined catalogue alongside first performances of songs from his forthcoming album.

EVENT DETAILS
WHO: Genesis Owusu
WHEN: Friday 19, Saturday 20 September 2025
WHERE: Studio, Sydney Opera House
TICKETS: $75.90 + booking fee // sydneyoperahouse.com // +61 2 9250 7777
Insiders pre-sale: 9am AEST, Tuesday 29 July
What’s On pre-sale: 9am AEST, Wednesday 30 July
GP on sale: 9am AEST, Friday 1 August

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