Foo Fighters are set to return to Australia for a national tour in 2026, according to frontman Dave Grohl, who told fans the band would be back before his next birthday.
Grohl made the comment onstage during the band’s one-off performance at UTAS Stadium in Launceston on Saturday night, where he addressed the crowd mid-set and signalled that the visit would not be a standalone appearance.
“We’ll be back here sooner than you think,” Grohl said. “And it’s before my next birthday.”
Grohl’s birthday falls on January 14, placing a clear deadline on the return. In touring terms, that timeframe points directly to a full Australian tour taking place in 2026, rather than a return in early 2027.
No tour dates or cities were announced on the night, but the remark represents the strongest public indication yet of the band’s next Australian tour cycle.
Grohl also confirmed that Foo Fighters have completed recording a new studio album
Telling the crowd the record was finished “just the other day”.
The confirmation marks the first time the band has publicly stated that a new album is complete, and adds further weight to expectations of imminent touring news. Album completion is typically the final step before major tour announcements, particularly for large-scale international runs.
The pairing of both statements, a defined return window and a finished album, has been widely interpreted as a clear signal that the next touring phase is already locked in.
One-off show, not a one-off return. 2026 tour will be national, but most likely won’t include Tasmania.
The Launceston concert was officially promoted as a one-night-only event by Frontier Touring, and was framed as a standalone appearance rather than part of a broader tour.
That designation applied specifically to the Tasmania show itself, not to future touring plans. Grohl’s onstage remarks suggest the band deliberately used the performance to signal what comes next without undermining the exclusivity of the event.
While Grohl used the phrase “back here,” the comment clearly means Australia broadly rather than Tasmania specifically, consistent with how the band and promoters typically address Australian audiences during national tour cycles.
When will the official 2026 Foo Fighters Australian Tour be announced?
With Invasion day falling on Monday, January 26, the next standard business window for a major tour announcement would be Tuesday morning. While no announcement date has been confirmed, the timing would align with typical promoter rollout schedules for large-scale arena and stadium tours.
At this stage, details including tour dates, cities, venues and ticket information have not been released.
What is clear is that Foo Fighters have now publicly confirmed two critical elements of a tour cycle: a completed album and a defined return timeframe. Together, they point to a full Australian tour scheduled for 2026.
Photo Gallery: Foo Fighters at UTAS Stadium
Watch: Dave intros band members
Watch: FOO FIGHTERS – THESE DAYS live @ UTAS Stadium, Launceston, Tasmania (24/01/2026)
Launceston businesses cash in on Foo Fighters weekend
The impact of the Launceston show extended well beyond the stadium, with local businesses reporting a major boost from the estimated 25,000 fans in town for the concert.
Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff described the event as a significant win for the state’s economy and profile, saying it exceeded expectations.
Hospitality venues across Launceston reported strong trade before and after the show, with interstate visitors extending their stays. Peter Goss, owner of the Plough Inn, opened his venue on Sunday to cater to concertgoers and said business had grown steadily in the days leading up to the event, with more activity expected to continue.
Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood called the concert a “pinch me moment” for the city, saying it demonstrated that Bass Strait was no longer a barrier to major international acts touring Tasmania.
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