In a few short months, the Goo Goo Dolls will return to Australia for their first headline tour in the country in over 20 years.
The US rock band will play shows in Canberra on Thursday, February 20th, Sydney on Friday, February 21st, Newcastle on Sunday, February 23rd, Brisbane on Tuesday, February 25th, Adelaide on Thursday, February 27th, and Melbourne on Sunday, March 2nd.
Formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1986, the Goo Goo Dolls are best known for their classic song “Iris”, a karaoke classic on par with The Killers and “Mr. Brightside”.
The chorus lines “And I don’t want the world to see me / ‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand / When everything’s made to be broken / I just want you to know who I am” are second nature to so many music fans around the world.
Goo Goo Dolls are so linked with “Iris” that they’re often considered a quintessential “one hit wonder” band, but the truth couldn’t be more different.
Over their near-four decade career, they’ve achieved nearly a dozen platinum and gold singles, earned four Grammy nominations, and sold 15 million records worldwide.
In fact, “Iris” isn’t even the band’s biggest chart hit in the US – it only made it to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, despite topping charts, including Australia, globally in 1998.
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Goo Goo Dolls biggest chart hit in their home country remains 1995’s “Name”, the third single from their fifth studio album, A Boy Named Goo (1995).
“Name” was more pop than anything the Goo Goo Dolls, an alternative rock band through and through until that point, had previously put out, so much so that it came in at No. 24 on Billboard’s Top 100 Pop Songs 1992-2012 chart.
In Australia, the band enjoyed two top 25 albums back-to-back, when 1998’s Dizzy Up the Girl reached No. 17 and 2002’s Gutterflower reached No. 23 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The former also went Platinum in Australia, a sign of the band’s popularity in the country.
The Goo Goo Dolls were actually in Australia earlier this year, supporting fellow US rockers Matchbox Twenty at shows around the country in February and March. One year later, they’re ready to lead the way as headliners, when they’ll be joined at all shows by Thirsty Merc.
So yes, get ready to belt out “Iris” at the top of your lungs, but be prepared for a packed setlist containing so many other rock and pop anthems and underrated hits.
Goo Goo Dolls 2025 Australia Tour
For all ticketing and tour information, head to: www.tegvanegmond.com
Thursday, February 20th
AIS Arena, Canberra, ACT
Friday, February 21st
The Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, NSW
Sunday, February 23rd
Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle, NSW
Tuesday, February 25th
BCEC, Brisbane, QLD
Thursday, February 27th
AEC Theatre, Adelaide, SA
Sunday, March 2nd
Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, VIC
