Legendary American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker David Byrne will return Down Under in support of his new album, Who Is the Sky?, in January 2026.
The album—Byrne’s first release since 2018’s American Utopia—will be released on September 5th, via Remote Control/Matador.
The tour, meanwhile, will see 13 musicians, singers, and dancers—including familiar faces from his American Utopia band— join him on the road for an ambitious new show blending visual art, storytelling, and music into one compelling live performance.
Frontier Touring has confirmed dates across major cities, starting in Auckland on January 14th and wrapping up in Perth on January 27th.
The new record sees Byrne collaborating with Grammy-winning producer Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus) and the eclectic New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra. A host of notable musicians, including St. Vincent, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, The Smile drummer Tom Skinner, and percussionist Mauro Refosco, also lend their talents to the album.
Lead single “Everybody Laughs”, accompanied by a video from multimedia artist Gabriel Barcia-Colombo, encapsulates Byrne’s nuanced approach to songwriting. Byrne explained, “Someone I know said, ‘David, you use the word “everybody” a lot.’ I suppose I do that to give an anthropological view of life in New York as we know it.” He continued, “Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling. Everybody’s wearing everybody else’s shoes, which not everybody does, but I have done.”
Producer Kid Harpoon praised Byrne’s distinct lyrical style, remarking, “Walking around New York listening to the demo of ‘Everybody Laughs’ was so joyous because it made me feel like we’re all the same—we all laugh, cry and sing.”
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Who Is the Sky? emerged during the quiet of the pandemic, a period during which Byrne questioned deeper motivations behind his work. “Do I like what I’m doing? Why am I writing songs, or working this job, or whatever? Does any of it matter?” he reflected.
The album continues Byrne’s exploration of human connection, striking a balance between avant-garde creativity and accessible pop melodies. Tracks like “My Apartment Is My Friend”, “She Explains Things to Me”, and “I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party”, delve into quirky, relatable narratives set against lush orchestral arrangements.
“I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs,” Byrne said. “At the same time, I also see myself as someone who aspires to be accessible.”
The record’s intricate visual presentation, featuring designs by Shira Inbar and Belgian artist Tom Van Der Borght, aligns with Byrne’s ongoing fascination with identity and transformation. He describes the project as “a chance to be the mythical creature we all harbor inside. A chance to transcend and escape from the prison of our ‘selves.’”
Tickets for the Australian and New Zealand dates go on sale this Friday, June 13th, with a Frontier Touring members pre-sale beginning Thursday, June 12th.
David Byrne 2026 Australia & New Zealand Tour
FRONTIER MEMBER PRE-SALE via frontiertouring.com/davidbyrne
Runs 22 hours from: Thursday, June 12th (2pm local time) or until presale allocation exhausted
TICKETS ON SALE Begins: Friday, June 13th (1pm local time)
Wednesday, January 14th
Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ
Lic. All Ages
Saturday, January 17th
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, QLD
Lic. All Ages
Wednesday, January 21st
ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Lic. All Ages
Thursday, January 22nd
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, VIC
Lic. All Ages
Saturday, January 24th
Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena, Adelaide, SA
Lic. All Ages
Tuesday, January 27th
RAC Arena, Perth, WA
Lic. All Ages
