The 2027 Red Hot Summer Tour will feature Jimmy Barnes as its headliner, bringing together an all-Australian lineup for eight outdoor shows across Australia early next year. Barnes will be joined by Jon Stevens, who will perform his Noiseworks & INXS Collection, along with Birds of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe, Baby Animals and Chocolate Starfish. Sarah McLeod rounds out the bill, appearing in a new rock duo with drummer Mick Skelton.
A Sounds By The River show at Mannum Golf Club in South Australia kicks off the tour on Jan. 9. Then it moves through Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania, finishing up at Gateway Lakes in Wodonga on March 6.
Barnes’ Numbers
As a solo performer and as the frontman of Cold Chisel, Barnes has spent more than four decades in Australian music, releasing 22 No. 1 albums on the ARIA chart — a total that exceeds that of any other local act. He has also earned induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame twice, once with Cold Chisel and again as a solo artist.
After releasing his 21st solo studio album Defiant, he came back to No. 1 in June 2025, and has since reached the 40th anniversary of his landmark 1985 album For the Working Class Man.
The Other Acts
A number of performances on the lineup are reaching notable points in their histories. Baby Animals, led by Suze DeMarchi and Dave Leslie, are observing 35 years since the release of their eight-times-platinum self-titled debut, which includes “Rush You” and “Early Warning,”. Meanwhile, Eskimo Joe are approaching three decades together.
Stevens’ Setlist
The show borrows songs from both Noiseworks and INXS, with Stevens pulling in “Take Me Back,” “Touch,” “New Sensation”, and “Never Tear Us Apart.”.
The Dates and Venues
| Date | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 9 | Mannum Golf Club (Sounds By The River) | Mannum, SA |
| Jan. 16 | Warrnambool Racecourse | Warrnambool, VIC |
| Jan. 30 | Speers Point Park | Lake Macquarie, NSW |
| Feb. 6 | Broadwater Parklands | Southport, QLD |
| Feb. 13 | Westport Park | Port Macquarie, NSW |
| Feb. 20 | Rochford Wines | Yarra Valley, VIC |
| Feb. 27 | Country Club Lawns | Launceston, TAS |
| March 6 | Gateway Lakes | Wodonga, VIC |
Ticket Details
Friday, Oct. 9, will see tickets become available at 12 p.m. local time, after Telstra and the promoter opened their presales earlier in the week.
What We Make of It
This is a solid piece of legislation. Barnes provides the foundation for it, while Stevens, Birds of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe, Baby Animals, Chocolate Starfish and Sarah McLeod carry a broad range of rock styles from the 1980s to the present day. The performance locations span four states.
Australian music history gets its due in this lineup, with Baby Animals and Eskimo Joe marking long runs while Stevens’ set reaches back across two decades of material from Noiseworks and INXS. The blend of veteran acts with newer ones makes for a wise balance.
The tour runs from early January through mid-March.
Source material: “Jimmy Barnes to Headline 2027 Red Hot Summer Tour With All-Australian Lineup,” Billboard.
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