Eli “Paperboy” Reed Cancels 2025 Australian Tour

The soulful crooner has cancelled all shows bar his appearance at Blues on Broadbeach.

In heartbreaking news for Eli “Paperboy” Reed fans, the soulful singer-songwriter has cancelled his upcoming Australian tour.

Taking to Instagram to break the news, Reed didn’t go into detail about the cancellation, but mentioned how “international touring is a massive machine and if one cog comes loose, the whole thing can grind to a halt.”

If there’s a positive to take from the announcement, it’s that Reed is still performing at Blues on Broadbeach on the Gold Coast from Thursday, May 15 to Sunday, May 18 (tickets on sale here). Read the full statement released by Reed about his canned tour below:

“Friends, I am very sad to announce that, with the exception of my appearances at Blues on Broadbeach, my Australian tour will not be happening. I will save you the machinations of what it takes to put on international tours, but suffice to say that in 2025, it’s as hard as it’s ever been, and it isn’t getting any easier.

“I am glad that I am still able to appear at Blues on Broadbeach and I very much look forward to those performances. I will still be backed by the incredible Melbourne based band the Meltdown. I very much hope that in the future these shows can be rescheduled. I was incredibly excited to get to some of these places I have never been as well as come back to the ones I haven’t been in a long time.

“International touring is a massive machine and if one cog comes loose, the whole thing can grind to a halt. I am sending my Australian fans a heartfelt apology with the hope that I will back down under soon. Eli.”

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Reed’s 11-date tour, commemorating the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Sings "Walkin' and Talkin' for My Baby" and Other Smash Hits!, was set to hit Adelaide’s The Gov later this month.

In the lead-up to the tour, Reed had expressed his excitement at returning to our shores, commenting: “I can't wait to get back to Australia and reconnect with my fans over there - hopefully make some new ones too. My passion for performing is stronger than ever and my brand new show is guaranteed to get everyone dancing and sweating. We're gonna have a great time, I promise you that!”

The cancellation of the tour is another example of how hard touring is in the modern world and why music fans need to support artists by purchasing tickets early and buying physical album copies and merch.

Hopefully, Reed can reschedule the shows and return in the near future.