Australia and New Zealand, get ready! Two indisputable rock icons will join forces in 2026, with American chart-toppers SHINEDOWN and British alternative legends BUSH teaming up for a massive co-headline tour this September, with the tour also marking SHINEDOWN‘s first performances down under in over 15 years.
The Everblack Podcast caught up with Brent Smith from Shinedown to talk about the band’s long-awaited return to Australia with Bush, their massive 18-track album Eight, putting together a 75-minute setlist, touring and vocal health, and what fans can expect from their upcoming shows Down Under.
Watch/listen to the interview here:
A band well-versed in making history, SHINEDOWN formed in the early 2000s and have since gone on to generate over 8.3 billion streams, while also ticking off a record-breaking 24 #1 rock hits, 15 platinum and gold singles, platinum or gold certification for all of their albums, and major media acclaim along the way. With their reputation for weaving timely and honest messages into their chart-smashing songs, SHINEDOWN are a rarity in the modern scene, resonating both with their global audience and the rock community, as well as culture at large.
In 2026, SHINEDOWN added another chapter to their legacy with the release of their eighth studio album, EI8HT, on May 29. The follow-up to 2022’s Planet Zero, the album sees frontman Brent Smith and the band pushing themselves “like never before”, expanding on the sound, ambition and emotional weight that have become synonymous with SHINEDOWN. With new songs now joining quintessential hits like Second Chance, Sound of Madness and MONSTERS, EI8HT marks another evolution for one of modern rock’s most enduring bands.
One of rock’s most revered live acts, SHINEDOWN‘s relentless energy and audience connection have been a staple of their performances for decades, with their diverse back catalogue balancing moments of spectacle with breaths of emotive finesse. Whether performing alongside Papa Roach, Halestorm, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch and many more, wowing in arenas across the globe or captivating major festivals worldwide, SHINEDOWN know how to ignite the party on any stage.
With over 15 years having now passed since the group last graced Australian crowds, SHINEDOWN‘s long-awaited return in 2026 is a major moment for fans down under. Now armed with EI8HT and a career-spanning catalogue of rock anthems, the band are set to remind Australian audiences why their reputation as one of the world’s premier live rock acts remains stronger than ever. As The Rockpit declared of their 2025 Minneapolis performance: “they are the best rock band touring right now in the United States… if you are someone who loves rock shows and enjoy watching a band take over an arena, Shinedown is a must see.”
A genre-defining act whose accolades spans commercial success, over a billion global streams and a GRAMMY Award nomination, London-hailing tour de force BUSH have spent over three decades both shaping and furthering modern rock. Instantly gripping airwaves in 1994 with their debut album Sixteen Stone, BUSH went on to blaze charts, including #5 in Australia, and also introduced the world to some of the most iconic anthems of the 1990s, from Glycerine to Machinehead and Comedown; all of which became staples in pop culture, while still resonating to this very day. Nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 1998 GRAMMY Awards for their power ballad Swallowed, BUSH are now in command of ten studio albums, including their most recent full-length, 2025’s I Beat Loneliness, and continue their legacy as innovators and powerhouse creators without sacrificing their core trademark sound.
On a live front, BUSH have remained stalwart fan-favourite for decades, in demand both for their electrifying stage presence as well as the ever-commanding charisma of frontman Gavin Rossdale. Having shared stages over the years with fellow greats of the scene, ranging from Stone Temple Pilots through to Alice In Chains, Nickelback and countless more, BUSH have also paid multiple visits to Australia throughout their career, most recently performing in 2022 at Under The Southern Stars, with the band’s Melbourne performance praised by What’s My Scene as being “tight, loud and energetic and familiar hits Glycerine, Everything Zen, Machine Head from their debut album 16 Stone sat comfortably beside the more recent”, while The AU Review declared the band’s Brisbane set as “arguably the best performance of the night.”
Don’t let the days go by this September and avoid the sound of madness by securing your tickets ASAP for SHINEDOWN and BUSH‘s massive Australian and New Zealand co-headline tour in 2026.
Destroy All Lines Presents
SHINEDOWN x BUSH
CO-HEADLINE AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND TOUR
TOUR DATES:
THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER, SPARK ARENA, AUCKLAND
SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER – RIVERSTAGE, BRISBANE
WEDNESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER – HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY
FRIDAY 25 SEPTEMBER – JOHN CAIN ARENA, MELBOURNE
SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER – AEC THEATRE, ADELAIDE
TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER – HPC, PERTH
Tickets from destroyalllines.com
