Rise Against and Dropkick Murphys Announce Joint Australia & New Zealand Tour

Rise Against is set to return to Australia and New Zealand this November and December for their first headline tour in the region since 2018. Joining them will be the Dropkick Murphys, making this the largest show either band has played in the area.

The seven-date tour kicks off in New Zealand, starting at Christchurch’s Wolfbrook Arena on Nov. 21 and continuing to Auckland’s Spark Arena on Nov. 24. The Australian leg includes Melbourne’s John Cain Arena (Nov. 26), Brisbane’s Riverstage (Nov. 29), the Sydney Opera House Forecourt (Dec. 1), and Perth’s Red Hill Auditorium (Dec. 4).

Both bands are also scheduled to perform at Meltdown Festival at Gosford’s Entertainment Grounds on Nov. 28, alongside The Living End and Jebediah. Mastercard presale begins Wednesday, May 27 at 12 p.m. local time, with general sales opening Friday, May 29 at 1 p.m. local time.
Rise Against

The news follows Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath teasing the return in a 2025 interview with The Music. "We are currently conspiring to get down and bring the show to Australia,” he said. “This is a place that has supported us for so long, so we are definitely coming back.” The band last toured Australia in early 2024, supporting blink-182’s arena tour.

The tour celebrates Rise Against’s tenth studio album, Ricochet, released Aug. 15, 2025, via Loma Vista Recordings. The album was produced by Grammy winner Catherine Marks, marking her first collaboration with the band. The Chicago quartet has consistently placed albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, with their previous album, Nowhere Generation (2021), debuting at No. 9.

Dropkick Murphys will be touring on the heels of their thirteenth studio album, For the People, released July 4, 2025, on their own Dummy Luck label. The Boston Celtic punk stalwarts have achieved three Billboard 200 top 10 entries, with 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory (2017) debuting at No. 8 and topping both the Top Rock Albums and Alternative Albums charts simultaneously. Their iconic track “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” remains a staple in American sports culture, particularly with the Boston Red Sox since their 2007 World Series victory.

Rise Against with Dropkick Murphys — Australia & New Zealand Tour 2026

Nov. 21 — Christchurch, NZ — Wolfbrook Arena
Nov. 24 — Auckland, NZ — Spark Arena
Nov. 26 — Melbourne, AUS — John Cain Arena
Nov. 28 — Gosford, AUS — Meltdown Festival, Entertainment Grounds*
Nov. 29 — Brisbane, AUS — Riverstage
Dec. 1 — Sydney, AUS — Sydney Opera House Forecourt
Dec. 4 — Perth, AUS — Red Hill Auditorium

*Festival appearance

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