Avatar Announces Australian and New Zealand Tour 2026

The reckoning has arrived! Swedish heavy metal brutes Avatar are finally returning, announcing a run of shows across Australia and New Zealand.

Touching down across August and September for their first visit in three years, the groove metal outfit is touring in support of their 2025 album, Don’t Go In The Forest.

The band has received high praise from critics for their live shows, with Everblack Media calling Johannes Eckerstrom “one of the greatest frontmen of our time” with the “flair and theatrics of Alice Cooper crossed with the charisma and vocal ability of Freddy Mercury and Bruce Dickinson,” while York Calling wrote that Avatar are “an unmissable spectacle from start to finish.”

Avatar’s tour begins in Adelaide at Lion Arts Factory on Wednesday 26 August. Dates follow at Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre on Friday 28 August, Sydney’s Manning Bar on Saturday 29 August and Brisbane’s Princess Theatre on Sunday 30 August, before the band wrap things up in Auckland at the Powerstation on Tuesday 1 September.

Pre-sale begins 9am AEDT Friday 27 March, with general on-sale taking place 9am Monday 30 March. Full ticketing information is available at thephoenix.au.

READ MORE: Deafheaven Announce Australian and New Zealand Tour 2026

Founded in 2001, five-piece Avatar have blazed a path through the Nordic metal scene with their infectious and melodic metal creations.

Over the past 25 years, they’ve released 10 albums, with 2018’s Avatar Country, which was produced by Jay Ruston (Stone Sour, Anthrax, Steel Panther), peaking at #2 on the US Independent Albums Chart.

Avatar also scored a #1 on the iTunes Rock and Metal Albums Charts with Dance Devil Dance, and are excited to make their way back to Australia and New Zealand this August.

Catch Avatar at Lion. Arts Factory on Wednesday 26 August. Ticketing information available at thephoenix.au.