Tour and festival update: February 2026

By BRIAN GIFFIN

TOUR announcements are dropping thick and fast just a few weeks into the year – and one of Queensland’s cherished music festival returns at last. Read about it all in our latest tour and festival update.

It’s been 13 years since Finnish maestros Amorphis last toured Australia. In September they will return at last for four east coast shows featuring The Eternal – which features two ex- and current Amorphis members – as national support. Tickets.

SEPTEMBER 23: The Croxton, Melbourne
SEPTEMBER 24: The Triffid, Brisbane
SEPTEMBER 25: Liberty Hall, Sydney
SEPTEMBER 26: The Baso, Canberra

Celebrating 35 years of fear, LA cybernetic metal machine Fear Factory returns to their second home in May, and FNQ gets a show! This will be the band’s first full headlining tour in at least a decade with tickets available from Thursday from various agencies.

MAY 19: Metropolis, Fremantle
MAY 21: The Gov, Adelaide
MAY 22: Liberty Hall, Sydney
MAY 23: Northcote Theatre, Melbourne
MAY 26: Tivoli, Brisbane
MAY 27: The Warehouse, Townsville

Rescheduled after a false start in 2025, Phil Campbell & the Bastard Sons will be in the country at last in March. With Julian Jenkins now locked in as vocalist, the lads have a stack of classic Motörhead tunes to hammer us all about the head with. Tickets for the postponed shows are good for the new ones, or get some from here.

MARCH 6: The Triffid, Brisbane
MARCH 7: Manning Bar, Sydney
MARCH 8: Max Watts, Melbourne
MARCH 10: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
MARCH 11: Rosemount Hotel, Perth

SoCal punk legends The Descendents will return to Australia in June. The eight-date run will be celebrating 30 years of their definitive release Everything Sucks. General ticket sales from Friday.

JUNE 3: Barwon Heads Hotel, Barwon Heads
JUNE 5: Forum, Melbourne
JUNE 6: Odeon Theatre, Hobart
JUNE 8: The Gov, Adelaide
JUNE 9: Astor, Perth
JUNE 11: Roundhouse, Sydney
JUNE 12: Tivoli, Brisbane
JUNE 13: The Balcony @ Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast

Britain’s dark and doomy pioneers Paradise Lost have announced a three-date Australian visit. Tickets go on sale Thursday for the band’s tour in October.

OCTOBER 18: The Triffid, Brisbane
OCTOBER 19: The Factory, Sydney
OCTOBER 20: Max Watts, Melbourne

After seven years of silence, Brisbane’s Dead of Winter Festival is back at the Mansfield Tavern on June 27. Today’s full line-up announement revealed DZ Deathrays and Mammal taking top honours, with a huge rock, metal and punk undercard that includes Jay and Lindsay from Frenzal Rhomb, Beanflipper, Toe to Toe, LO!, Slim Krusty, The Neptune Power Federation, Witchgrinder, Nicolas Cage Fighter, Brace, Pizza Death, Astrodeath, Black Rheno, Flangipanis, Hammers and more. For complete details and ticketing, head to the festival website.