Powderfinger Officially Reunite, Announce First Australian Tour In 16 Years

Editor

Oct 9, 2026 - 05:45

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Powderfinger Officially Reunite, Announce First Australian Tour In 16 Years

It’s official: Powderfinger are getting the band back together.

After a week of cryptic billboards, mysterious social media activity and feverish fan speculation, the beloved Aussie rock legends have confirmed they’re reuniting for a national tour in 2027, 16 years after calling it quits.

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The Brisbane icons broke the news in a video posted to their social media this morning (Friday, 9th October), with frontman Bernard Fanning revealing that the band will hit the road from September next year.

“We always said that if we were going to get back together to do some shows, that you guys would be the first to know,” Fanning told fans.

“We’re going to do some shows all around Australia from September next year.”

Guitarist Darren Middleton added: “We’re going to build something pretty special just for you guys. We’ll see you from the stage.”

The announcement finally puts an end to a week of increasingly convincing reunion rumours, which began when mysterious billboards appeared across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

The displays featured cryptic numerical clues referencing Powderfinger’s career, including their seven albums, five members, ARIA Awards history and triple j Hottest 100 appearances.

Other clues included the date of the band’s final concert in 2010 and references to classic tracks including Pick You Up and The Day You Come.

Meanwhile, a mysterious Instagram account named @thereturnoftheelectrichorsemen began sharing the teasers, with its handle seemingly referencing (The Return Of) The Electric Horseman, the closing track from Powderfinger’s 1996 album Double Allergic.

Powderfinger’s official Instagram account was also following the page, sending the rumour mill into overdrive.

The band subsequently added fuel to the fire by sharing their own cryptic teaser, captioned: “Add enough time to enough variables and something extraordinary happens…”

Well, consider the extraordinary officially confirmed.

Formed in Brisbane in 1989, Powderfinger went on to become one of Australia’s most successful and beloved rock bands, breaking through nationally with 1996’s Double Allergic before cementing their superstar status with 2000’s Odyssey Number Five.

The latter topped the Australian charts and collected six ARIA Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for My Happiness.

The band also became triple j Hottest 100 royalty, topping the countdowns in both 1999 and 2000 and scoring 22 entries across the annual polls.

Powderfinger originally called time on their career in 2010, embarking on a massive farewell tour that sold more than 200,000 tickets across 34 shows.

While four members briefly performed together at Splendour In The Grass in 2017, all five reunited remotely in 2020 for the One Night Lonely livestream during COVID-19 lockdowns, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Support Act and Beyond Blue.

At the time, the band stressed that the virtual performance was a one-off.

But now, 16 years after their farewell, a full-scale live comeback is officially on the cards.

Powderfinger have yet to announce specific tour dates, venues or ticketing details, with the band confirming only that shows will take place around Australia from September 2027.

We’ll bring you more details as they’re announced!!

Editor Welcome to Vybez. I'm Chris Williamson — builder, strategist, and unapologetic champion of culture that moves people. Vybez exists at the crossroads where music, heritage, and ambition meet; a space for artists, innovators, and communities whose stories deserve more than a passing mention. From reggae's deep roots to the new wave redefining global sound, we cover the culture with intention. Expect sharp editorial, real conversations, and a platform that backs the artists shaping tomorrow. This isn't just a magazine. It's a movement with a microphone — the vybe starts here.