The Drones Detail 2026 Australian Tour

The Drones are heading on their first national tour in a decade this August and September.

The Drones(Credit: Secret Service)

Aussie rockers The Drones are hitting the road this August and September, locking in a massive national tour.

The band have returned to the public eye following a ten-year sabbatical; the forthcoming shows mark a one-off tour. Today’s announcement arrives after the band played mini sets for two fundraiser events at Melbourne’s Croxton Bandroom last June, with the shows selling out in just 20 minutes.

Now, the group—led by Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin, taking a mini break from their other baby, Tropical Fuck Storm—have unveiled national tour dates and will deliver sets spanning songs from The Drones’ seven albums.

The tour begins at Melbourne’s Thornbury Theatre on Friday, 14 August. From there, the band will head to Brisbane’s Crowbar on Friday, 28 August, Sydney’s Factory Theatre on Saturday, 29 August, Adelaide’s The Gov on Friday, 4 September, Perth’s The Rechabite on Saturday, 5 September, Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on Friday, 11 September, and conclude the shows at Archie’s Creek Hotel on Saturday, 12 September.

Tickets will be available today at 10 am AEST via the venue websites linked below. The band are also set to perform at this year’s Darwin Festival on Saturday, 8 August, with tickets going on sale next month.

In their initial almost two-decade existence, The Drones released six albums, with 2005’s Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By winning the inaugural Australian Music Prize.

In 2020, longtime drummer Mike Noga – who performed with the band from 2004 to 2014 – passed away at the age of 42. In 2023, it was announced that Kitschin was undergoing treatment for cancer, but she’s since returned to touring.