Massive Attack perform during the Act 1.5 concert at Clifton Downs on August 25, 2024 in Bristol, England. Long-time climate campaigners Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall of the band Massive Attack had the idea to stage a low-carbon gig compatible with the Paris 1.5 climate change agreement but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed it. Tonight, Act 1.5 in their home city of Bristol sees the culmination of their work with climate scientists from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research to realise their desire to provide a blueprint for decarbonisation of the Live Music Sector. Partners companies Zenobe, UN Race to Zero, Ecotricity and Train Hugger are providing an entire site powered by 100% renewable energy, a meat-free arena, free pre and post-show shuttles to main rail hubs, 100% zero to landfill waste removal, electric or HVO fuel driven tour and production vehicles along with a show legacy of a woodland plantation in the South West. Matthew Horwood/Getty Images
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Massive Attack will return to Australia for their first headline shows since 2010, with three arena dates confirmed for August in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
The Bristol collective — led by Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall — will play Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Aug. 6, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Aug. 9 and Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Aug. 11.
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The shows are presented by Frontier Touring and mark the band’s first Australian dates in 16 years. Frontier Members presale opens Thursday, June 4 at 2 p.m. local time, with general on sale from Friday, June 5 at 3 p.m. local time via frontiertouring.com/massiveattack.
The announcement arrives alongside a newly released collaboration with Tom Waits, “Boots on the Ground,” the first new Massive Attack material in some time and a clear signal that the group remains artistically active more than three decades after forming as part of Bristol’s Wild Bunch sound system collective.
Few bands carry Massive Attack’s weight of influence. Their 1991 debut Blue Lines — frequently cited as the record that invented trip-hop — peaked at No. 13 on the UK Albums Chart and has since been named one of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Their third album Mezzanine (1998) topped the UK Albums Chart and produced “Teardrop,” which later became globally recognisable as the theme for the American television drama House, and “Angel,” both now considered landmark recordings of the era. Mezzanine peaked at No. 60 on the Billboard 200 — their strongest U.S. chart showing — and has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.
Their fourth album 100th Window (2003) also topped the UK Albums Chart, giving the collective two U.K. No. 1 albums. Heligoland, their fifth and most recent studio album, followed in 2010 — the same year as their last Australian visit — and debuted at No. 2 on the U.K. Albums Chart.
Massive Attack’s live shows have long been considered some of the most visually and sonically immersive experiences in music, incorporating large-scale political messaging, bespoke audio-visual systems and collaborations with artists including Adam Curtis, United Visual Artists and Robert Del Naja’s own visual art practice.
Massive Attack — Australia 2026
Aug. 6 — Brisbane, QLD — Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Aug. 9 — Sydney, NSW — Qudos Bank Arena
Aug. 11 — Melbourne, VIC — Rod Laver Arena