Garbage will make their long-awaited return to Australia and New Zealand this December, announcing their first headline shows down under in almost a decade.

Frontier Touring today confirmed four shows across Auckland, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney alongside their appearances at Good Things Festival — a string of ornate theatre performances that will culminate in a special closing night at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

The run marks the band’s first Australian headline performances since 2016 and their first visit to New Zealand since 2013. It also follows the release of Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, Garbage’s acclaimed eighth studio album, which arrived in May and has seen the band back on the road for their first North American headline tour in ten years.

“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 as a band,” says frontwoman Shirley 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.”

When Rolling Stone AU/NZ spoke with Manson in July, she reflected on how deeply the band’s connection to Australia runs — and how hard it hit when their planned 2023 return was cancelled due to her injury. “I was devastated,” she admitted. “Australia is where our career began. It’s a priority for us.”

For Manson and her bandmates — Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig — the tour is more than a homecoming. It’s a tribute. Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski, who died in 2021, was one of the band’s earliest and fiercest champions.

“He was like the godfather of our band,” Manson said. “He treated everyone — whether it was our management, agents, crew, or the band — exactly the same, with so much love. He was always waiting for us. When we would fly in from all over the world, Michael would be there at the airport to greet us in Australia.”

She paused then, before adding, “The idea of coming to Australia and not having him there is painful. But we’ll be there. Not just for the fans. For Michael.”

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Formed in Madison, Wisconsin, Garbage broke through with their 1995 self-titled debut — an album that went double platinum in both Australia and New Zealand and delivered enduring hits like “Only Happy When It Rains”, “Stupid Girl”, and “Vow”. In the years since, the band has continued to evolve, pairing Manson’s venomous charm with dark, hook-driven production on records like Version 2.0, Beautiful Garbage, and 2021’s No Gods No Masters. Their latest single, “There’s No Future in Optimism”, proves that edge hasn’t dulled.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, October 22nd at 1pm local time via Frontier Touring, with a 24-hour Frontier Members pre-sale kicking off Tuesday, October 21st at 10am local time.

Garbage – Australian & New Zealand Tour Dates 2025

Presented by Frontier Touring

Tickets on sale Wednesday, October 22nd at 1pm local time via Frontier Touring
24-hour Frontier Members pre-sale Tuesday, October 21st from 10am local time

Wednesday, December 3rd
Auckland Town Hall, Auckland, NZ

Thursday, December 11th
Palais Theatre, Melbourne, VIC

Friday, December 12th
Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide, SA

Sunday, December 14th
Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW