01/06/2026
The wait is over. British pioneers Massive Attack will return to Australia for three massive shows in August. These will be their first Australian dates in 16 years.
Since the tail end of the 80s, this Bristol collective have served as the high watermark for interesting, emotive electronic music. Synonymous with the explosion of trip hop – not a descriptor the band love to be associated with – their blending of genres into a sound that is their own has inspired countless bands and bedroom producers.
While anthems like Unfinished Sympathy, Teardrop and Protection are about as good as it gets when you’re talking about modern electronic music, every one of their productions has a unique soul that ensures they defy easy categorisation.
They continue to make incredible music, albeit at a rate far slower than fans might like. Earlier this year they issued Boots On The Ground, a single with the esteemed Tom Waits. Robert del Naja’s Eutopia EP in 2020 left no guessing as to their social and political priorities, with track titles and .
Such candour is a big part of the band’s ethos. Recently they’ve made headlines for their environmentally sound approach to touring, and as Del Naja told triple j in 1998, they won’t shy away from what matters to them.
"The most pressure is creative and the pressure between each other, it's more dominant than anything you read from the outside or get from the outside," he said.
"You've got to make sure you're doing it because you believe it, not because you want to be different. There's a big difference.
“You have to believe in what you're doing. Not just because you've been told you need to be influential so therefore you've got to keep being an innovator. There has to be something of yourself in there, there's got to be something real."
Massive Attack play the following shows:
Thursday 6 August - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Sunday 9 August - Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Tuesday 11 August - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Tickets are on sale from Friday 5 June, 3pm local time
