With the highly anticipated Oasis Australian tour starting today, and massive tours like Lady Gaga on the horizon, we wanted to look back at the last few months of Summer touring in the northern hemisphere and talk about the tours that have impressed us the most.
This list only reflects the shows that our team have been able to attend, so if something you saw is missing – chances are we missed it ourselves. And there’s a lot else we wish we could have included – from The Beta Band‘s first North American tour in decades, to Devo‘s multiple tours, Wet Leg, CMAT… the list could go on.
So with that in mind, this Halloween, join us as we count down the 13 tours we’ve enjoyed the most in the Northern Hemisphere across this past Summer.
13. G FLIP
We start things off with an Australian who keeps going from strength to strength, G Flip. I was lucky enough to be at their first ever show back in 2018, and seeing their show in Toronto earlier in the month truly showed how much the LA-based, Melbourne-born artist has grown as a live performer.
With fantastic lighting and visuals, and strong musical presence from their band, G delivered an engaging set and a vibrant performance from start to finish. It’s so great to see their audiences grow with every tour, as well. The crowd in Toronto even brought them to tears – and if you were there it was easy to understand why. They have some passionate fans to say the least.
G will be back in Australia next year, and still has a number of tour dates left in North America and Europe between now and then. Don’t miss it. Head to their official website for more.
12. LAMBRINI GIRLS
One of the most exciting live bands in the world right now are the queer UK punk outfit Lambrini Girls. They have toured absolutely relentlessly this year, bringing songs like “Big Dick Energy” and “Help Me I’m Gay” to sold out crowds around North America and Europe, multiple times.
Seeing them earlier in the year touring with Australia’s own Party Dozen across North America, and then again in September at Atlanta’s Shaky Knees Festival (pictured below), I was impressed by their stage presence – sounding massive for just a trio – and their crowd interaction. Lead singer Phoebe Lunny would find themselves in the crowd, asking “who is a Queer legend!?”, and making sure everyone was having a great time, and feeling safe and seen. It was a killer vibe.
They didn’t waste the opportunity of a stage in America in 2025, either, making sure the crowd was chanting “Free Palestine” and “Fuck Facism”. Not that the crowd needed much coaxing. Their fans were the types to start some of those chants themselves. And they did.
I can’t wait to see them again.
Handsome Tours are bringing them to Australia for the first time in February 2026, details on that run of shows can be found HERE.
11. “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC
What’s wild about a Weird Al tour in 2025 is that the man is more popular than ever. The numbers speak for themselves. Just one example: when I saw him in 2019 at Budweiser Stage in Toronto – touring with a full orchestra, no less – he sold around 9,000 tickets. Fast forward to the same venue 6 years later for the “Bigger & Weirder” tour, and he sold it to capacity. That’s 16,000 tickets.
The “Bigger & Weirder” also is filled with fan favourites that had been missing from some of his more recent tours. The fat suit was back for “Fat”, the Jedis for “The Saga Begins”, and the Amish for “Amish Paradise”. And while he performed at Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, this was what the crowd looked like during “Amish Paradise”.
Epic.
My favourite part about the set at that event, however, was that he was preceded on the neighbouring stage by Devo. So, naturally, early in the set, he jumped into his Devo pastiche “Dare To Be Stupid”, complete with his own yellow jumpsuits. To see that so soon after Devo had done the same? That’s high art.
Sadly there are no plans of an Australian tour – he was last here in 2023 – but when he does, fans shouldn’t miss it.
10. DOECHII
There’s something about seeing an artist as they break through, relatively early in their career. Anyone who has seen Chappell Roan in the last year or two would vouch for this. Or Mumford & Sons on that January 2010 Australia tour.
Doechii is one such artist who is carrying that mantle, having exploded in the last year with tracks like “Anxiety” (featuring Australia’s own Gotye), and of course “Denial is a River”. Her live set remains understated from a production point of view, with her and her DJ Miss Milan coming in and out of a giant boombox, and some occasional backup dancers joining them. But it’s a show that shows why Doechii has fast become one of the most acclaimed artists of her generation.
It’s exciting to think where the show could go in the future, with a live band and more production elements – because it’s already such an engaging set.
Don’t miss Doechii in Australia this December at Spilt Milk Festival!
9. ALABAMA SHAKES
While they don’t have a new record to tour – just a new single in “Another Life” – Alabama Shakes recently embarked on their first tour in eight years. It felt of something like a celebration for the band’s two stunning full length albums, and they’ve rarely sounded better than they do right now. I loved every minute of their set and am thrilled they have a new album on the way. Though I just cannot believe it’s been a decade since their last album Sound & Color was released.
An Australian tour has not been announced, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them here in 2026 after their new album is (presumably) revealed.
8. TV ON THE RADIO
Another band who embarked on their first tour in almost a decade was Brooklyn’s TV on the Radio.
The band have rarely sounded better, and their voice feels particularly needed right now. At the sets I caught in Toronto and Atlanta, Kyp Malone in particular took the opportunity to call for a Free Palestine, and call out the atrocities happening in the US.
They also took the time to revisit their debut EP, with the title track “Young Liars” serving as the first track of the set. A mix of fan favourites from across their catalogue filled up the rest.
Without a new album in tow, the tour serves as a victory lap for a band who came to define a peak in indie rock from the early noughties for so many of us. My first time seeing them was in 2006, with a young Grizzly Bear in support – a show which has permanently sat amongst the best I’ve ever seen – and these shows were just as good. Don’t miss your chance to see them. Their return was very much worth the wait.
The band are coming to Australia for Meredith in December, and have announced a run of sideshows.
7. RUFUS DU SOL
Inarguably one of the biggest tours this Summer came courtesy of Australia’s own Rufus Du Sol. The electronic trio continue to grow in popularity, selling out shows around the continent and playing the same venues (and selling the same amount of tickets) as the likes of Oasis and Neil Young.
And while their music is strong enough for them to rest on their laurels (as many electronic artists do), it’s the quality of their live show that sets them apart from the rest. The three piece perform live, with precision and passion, accompanied by an always spectacular light show. One that has taken them to headliner status at festivals around the world. And with good reason.
That spirit will continue with their biggest Australian and New Zealand tour to date next month. See all the details HERE.
6. JUSTICE
Staying on the theme of great electronic live shows, the current make up of the Justice experience is another level entirely. Don’t tell Daft Punk I said this, and I’ll never admit to it, but this current run of shows is probably the best light show I’ve ever seen. And the way they mix in your favourites multiple times throughout the night really shows they know what they’re doing in terms of making a crowd pleasing performance. If you are a fan, this is a tour not to be missed.
Justice will be in Australia in December. See the details HERE.
5. DAVID BYRNE
David Byrne’s American Utopia is the only show I’ve ever seen multiple times on Broadway. It was just that good. His new production (and it is very much a production), is an evolution of this show. Keeping the untethered performers, as well as some of his Broadway cast, and adding in screens behind them and at their feet, the new show sees Byrne touring his new brilliant album Who Is the Sky?.
While it’s difficult to compare this to Utopia, which was so refined after hundreds of performances over many years, the enjoyment of the experience was certainly matched. As was the quality. The band sounds incredible and the setlists will be sure to keep Talking Heads fans happy, as well as those who want to hear some of his newer material. And I loved the visuals.
It’s always a pleasure to be in the presence of greatness. And this really is that opportunity.
David Byrne will bring these shows to Australia in January thanks to Frontier Touring. See all the details HERE.
4. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
Queens of the Stone Age are currently undertaking a theatre tour of North America and Europe, fresh off the release of their EP and concert film of the same name, Alive in the Catacombs.
Dubbed “The Catacombs Tour”, the intimate shows are bringing the band together like never before, both trying to capture the magic from their recordings in The Catacombs of Paris, and create a one off spectacle, custom built for some of the world’s most prestigious venues.
I caught them in Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall, a beautiful space that they made their own. It was theatrical, there was an orchestra, and they played the Catacombs EP in full. The orchestra also helped them play a number of songs that rarely get a look in as part of their live sets. See “Mosquito Song”, “…Like Clockwork” and “The Vampyre of Time and Memory”, to name but a few. They’ve even been throwing in Them Crooked Vultures’ “Spinning in Daffodils”, which was very cool to see.
It’s the most impressive set I’ve ever seen from the band. For fans, this is a special, once-in-a-lifetime set where you not only get to see songs live you never thought you would. But you get to see the band in a format that elevates their music to a fine art. And Homme has rarely sounded better; his swagger was made for a show like this.
Sadly there are no plans to bring this one to Australia – but boy would this be amazing at venues like the State Theatre in Sydney. Here’s hoping. Though they have announced a North American tour with the Foo Fighters through 2026, which may make a trip south difficult. Though maybe we’ll see some Them Crooked Vultures tracks on that tour too?
3. OASIS
Biblical. Celestial. Godlike.
Once just Liam Gallagher’s tweets, now the only fitting way to describe Oasis’ return home.
The summer of 2025 didn’t just revive Britpop; it crowned Manchester as its capital and Oasis as its supreme rulers once again.
The cultural phenomenon happening in the Manchester streets needed to be seen to be believed. From tram announcements voiced by Liam himself to queues snaking around the block for Oasis x Adidas merch, the city became a sea of bucket hats and band merch. It was the closest thing to a Britpop Disneyland the world has ever seen.
Oh yeah, and then came the gigs. Across five nights, with 80,000 packed in each time, Heaton Park — and the city itself — was heaving. A pre-show advert soundtracked by “Live Forever”triggered a deafening stadium-wide, unprompted singalong…and the supports hadn’t even come on yet!
When Liam and Noel finally stepped out, hand in hand, grown men wept. Pints of overpriced lager soared through the air. Every lyric was sung like scripture by Mancunians and pilgrims from around the world.
For a band that barely moves on stage, Oasis somehow make the world shift around them, standing still while the crowd descends into beautiful madness.
To be in Manchester for the return of Oasis was a spiritual experience.
Woodstock. Live Aid. The Beatles at Shea Stadium? I missed those.
But this?
I was there, man.
Biblical. Celestial. Godlike.
– Words by Pace Proctor
The Oasis tour kicks off in Australia today. Head HERE for more details.
2. LADY GAGA
This September, after the highly anticipated release of LG7: Mayhem, Lady Gaga returned to Toronto for the first time since 2022, selling out the Scotiabank Arena.
Though I got a sneak peak of the tour watching the live stream of her 2025 Coachella, I couldn’t have imagined the sheer magnitude of this production until I saw it myself. This show was a true masterpiece, playing most of the songs from Mayhem, along with classics from the (in my opinion) heavily underrated Art Pop to hits from The Fame and Born This Way.
I guarantee that on this tour you will hear at least one song that you’ve never heard live, even if you’ve seen her multiple times. This was Gaga at her best, weaving together theatre, music and art to create a show that in my mind could win a Tony, if it qualified.
The set was massive, and resembled a gothic opera house, which (spoiler!) gets lit on fire at the end of the show. Centring around two figures, light and dark, this show delves into Gaga’s two sides: Mistress Mayhem and Lady Gaga.
With Australian dates this December, and new North American dates added from 14 February, 2026, there are plenty of chances to watch this masterpiece for yourself. Go see this show.
– Photo and words by Hollis Brunt
1. NINE INCH NAILS
It had been a minute between Nine Inch Nails tours, but boy did they make it worth the wait. Their Peel It Back tour is as much a technical marvel as it is a musical treat for fans. I’ve seen them a good half dozen times over the years, and this was by far the best set I’d ever seen from them.
With a heavy delve into classics off The Downward Spiral, and their entire catalog, plus a taste of the Tron soundtrack (accompanied by support act Boys Noize), every fan left this show satiated. And that’s not even getting into the insane production that sat behind it.
With three stages, the band were getting a work out as they ran between them for a variety of sets that ran from acoustic in the middle of the arena (seen at the top of the article), into full band mode (complete with 360 degrees of special effects). Then into dance floor mode (a remix of “Closer” featuring Boys Noize was sensational), before jamming through something that felt like a more traditional NIN show. And that was where they would drop tracks they haven’t played in years – like “The Fragile” or “That’s What I Get”, last performed in 2009 and 1991, respectively.
It was a night that quickly shot into my best shows of all time list, and one that will go down in history as a high point for the acclaimed group.
And so successful is the collaboration with German producer Boys Noize, that Coachella has a “Nine Inch Noize” set included as part of their lineup. With this and a follow up Nine Inch Nails tour already announced for 2026, we’re hoping an Australia tour is on the horizon too. In whatever capacity it ends up being, you won’t want to miss it.
All writings and photos by the author, unless otherwise listed.
