Radiohead will play 21 dates across Australia and Japan in May and June 2027, marking their first Australian tour in 15 years and their first Japanese concerts in 19 years. The run includes 16 shows across three Australian cities and five concerts in Saitama, Japan, following their European residency reunion last year.
Following their quiet reunion in Europe last year after a seven-year hiatus, the band is rolling out a methodical, continent-by-continent live strategy that bypasses traditional full-scale global touring.
The Bottom Line
- The Itinerary: Radiohead has locked in 21 shows across four cities in Australia and Japan, taking place throughout May and June 2027.
- The Ticket Protocol: According to the band’s website, tickets for the Australian leg use an online ballot system via Frontier Touring to curb automated scalping, capping purchases at four per city.
- The Future: Guitarist Ed O’Brien told Rolling Stone last March that the band plans to tackle a different continent each year with a strict limit of 20-odd shows annually.
Breaking Down the 2027 Itinerary
The 21-show schedule kicks off on May 3, 2027, at Perth’s RAC Arena, where the band will perform four consecutive nights. From there, the tour moves to Melbourne for six shows at Rod Laver Arena, followed by another six-night residency at Sydney’s Afterpay Arena, as reported by the band’s website. This massive sweep marks Radiohead’s first time playing in Australia since their 2011 tour supporting The King of Limbs.
Here is the kicker: while frontman Thom Yorke visited Australia for solo performances in 2024—an engagement memorably interrupted by a crowd heckler before he returned to play the 1997 classic “Karma Police”—the full band has remained absent from the region for a decade and a half. After wrapping up the Australian dates, the band heads north for five exclusive concerts at the GMO Arena Saitama near Tokyo, according to the band’s website. This represents their first appearance in Japan in 19 years.
Inside the Strict Ticketing and Ballot System
To combat the aggressive botting and secondary market gouging that plagues modern stadium tours, co-promoter Frontier Touring launched a registration portal on Monday evening. Fans can register their interest without worrying about a rush, as the portal explicitly states there is no benefit to signing up early. Every completed registration received before the Thursday deadline will be treated equally in a ballot-style distribution.
Here is the breakdown of the 2027 run:
| Region | City | Venue | Show Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Perth | RAC Arena | 4 |
| Australia | Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena | 6 |
| Australia | Sydney | Afterpay Arena | 6 |
| Japan | Saitama | GMO Arena Saitama | 5 |
Successful registrants will receive email notifications starting Friday, unlocking access to purchase tickets next week. Furthermore, tickets are strictly capped at four per city to ensure maximum fairness among a fanbase starved of group performances.
The New Blueprint for Legacy Touring
Radiohead has not stepped into a recording studio to produce a new LP since 2016’s critically acclaimed A Moon Shaped Pool.
Guitarist Ed O’Brien previously outlined the band’s deliberate pacing, telling Rolling Stone last March: “Every year we’re going to do a different continent, and we’re going to do 20 shows each year.”
Registration for the Australian dates closes on Thursday at 5 p.m. AEST, and according to the band’s official website, no additional dates will be added to this itinerary. Drop a comment below: are you planning to brave the ballot, or are you holding out hope for a North American leg next?
