The Whitlams 2026 orchestral Australian tour: Ticket info, dates, venues, and more explored

The Whitlams are officially set to return to the concert hall stage in 2026. They have announced a new orchestral tour that will see them join forces with some of the country's beloved symphonies.

This newly announced tour follows their 2025 run with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The announcement comes not long after the band's song, No Aphrodisiac slipped into triple j's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs. The track landed at number 91.

The 2026 tour will begin in Sydney in January with two nights at the State Theatre, featuring the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The run will wrap up in June in Perth with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Stops in Brisbane, Hobart, Newcastle, Adelaide, and Toowoomba are also confirmed. Each show will feature new orchestral arrangements by multiple Australian composers, including Brett Dean, Iain Grandage, and Nicholas Buc.

The Whitlams took to their official Instagram page to announce that,

"Photos from our first rehearsal with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, 2007. Looking forward to the three MSO shows in two weeks. We are pleased to report that other orchestras have come on board for next year. Save the dates, on sale next month."

Freedman talked about the upcoming 2026 run, stating:

"Once every seven years we get to perform in the middle of the beautiful storm of an 80-piece orchestra. It's always memorable."

The Whitlams were formed in Sydney in the early 1990s. They released their breakthrough record, Eternal Nightcap, in 1977. According to the Rolling Stones, it was later named one of the greatest Australian albums. Recent releases by The Whitlams include Sancho (2022) and Kookaburra (2024).

Complete schedule for The Whitlams' 2025-26 trek

Before kicking off the national orchestral tour, The Whitlams will spend much of late 2025 performing shows across Australia and New Zealand. These include Tim Freedman's Moonlit Deck tour. The confirmed dates and stops are as follows:

Thursday, August 28, 2025, Avoca Beach, Australia at Avoca Beach Theatre, Tim Freedman's Moonlit Deck
Friday, August 29, 2025, Camden, Australia at The Estate Camden, Tim Freedman's Moonlit Deck
Saturday, August 30, 2025, Belconnen, Australia at Belco Arts Centre, Tim Freedman’s Moonlit Deck (Matinee 3:45 PM)
Saturday, August 30, 2025, Belconnen, Australia at Belco Arts Centre, Tim Freedman's Moonlit Deck
Sunday, August 31, 2025, Orange, Australia at Badlands Brewery, Tim Freedman's Moonlit Deck (3 PM Matinee)
Sunday, August 31, 2025, Orange, Australia at Badlands Brewery – Tim Freedman's Moonlit Deck
Friday, September 5, 2025, Melbourne, Australia at Hamer Hall, The Whitlams with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, September 6, 2025, Melbourne, Australia at Hamer Hall, The Whitlams with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (2 PM Matinee)
Saturday, September 6, 2025, Melbourne, Australia at Hamer Hall, The Whitlams with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Thursday, October 2, 2025, Auckland, New Zealand at The Tuning Fork, Tim Freedman 2025
Friday, October 3, 2025, Napier, New Zealand at Small Hall Sessions, Tim Freedman 2025
Saturday, October 4, 2025, Hastings, New Zealand at Small Hall Sessions, Tim Freedman 2025
Sunday, October 5, 2025, Wellington, New Zealand at San Fran, Tim Freedman 2025
Friday, November 14, 2025, Pomona, Australia at Majestic Theatre Pomona, Tim Freedman’s Moonlit Deck
Saturday, November 15, 2025, Caloundra, Australia at The Events Centre, Tim Freedman’s Moonlit Deck

The Whitlams 2026 orchestral Australian tour dates

Friday, January 30, 2026, Sydney, NSW, at State Theatre with Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, January 31, 2026, Sydney, NSW, at State Theatre with Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Friday, February 27, 2026, Hobart, TAS, at Wrest Point with Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Friday, March 6, 2026, Brisbane, QLD, at QPAC with Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, March 7, 2026, Brisbane, QLD, at QPAC with Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, March 14, 2026, Newcastle, NSW, at Civic Theatre with Sydney Philharmonic
Saturday, April 11, 2026, Adelaide, SA, at Festival Theatre with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, June 6, 2026, Toowoomba, QLD, at Empire Theatre with Toowoomba Concert Orchestra
Saturday, June 13, 2026, Perth, WA, at Riverside Theatre with West Australian Symphony Orchestra

Tickets for The Whitlams' 2026 orchestral tour are scheduled to go on sale next month.

A presale is expected to launch via the band's official website.

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