The Mountain Goats Announce 2026 Australian Tour

It’s been a long time between drinks for fans of US indie rock veterans the Mountain Goats, but after eight long years, the celebrated outfit will be returning to Australian shores in early 2026.

Taking place throughout April 2026, the group’s long-awaited return will see them kicking things off with their first visit to New Zealand since 2010, before launching into five headline dates across Australia – their first local jaunt since 2017.

The tour will see the group hitting up Sydney's Metro Theatre, Brisbane's Princess Theatre, The Gov in Adelaide, The Forum in Melbourne, and wrapping i up with an appearance at Freo.Social in Perth.

Since their last trek to local shores, a lot has happened in the world of the Mountain Goats. Alongside the recent departure of longtime bassist Peter Hughes, the group have issued myriad records across the past decade, with Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan – their seventh album since 2017 – being announced today.

Their 23rd studio record, Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan is another great exploration of sonics for the group, with group leader John Darnielle joined by bandmates multi-instrumentalist Matt Douglas and drummer Jon Wurster alongside appearances from The Replacements’ Tommy Stinson, harpist Mikaela Davis, musical theatre royalty Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the band’s new bassist Cameron Ralston.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

The new record will arrive on November 7th, and its announcement comes accompanied by the release of new single, Armies Of The Lord.

“There were sixteen men on a fishing boat but only three survived the storm, and one of those went missing, and is presumed dead,” a descriptor on the song’s official YouTube upload reads. “That leaves me & Peter Balkan, whose health is failing as his apocalyptic visions dissipate in the spray at the shore.”

First forming in 1991, the Mountain Goats' existence has revolved around singer and songwriter Darnielle, with the group’s prolific output helping them become one of the most revered, respected, and literate groups in indie rock.

This October also brings with it the 20th anniversary reissue of the band’s The Sunset Tree album, which boasted tracks such as This Year (which even saw them place in triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown) and helped cement their status as a vital band within the indie scene.

Tickets to the Mountain Goats’ 2026 tour go on sale from 10am local time on Friday, September 12th, with a pre-sale launching 24 hours beforehand.