Australian Crawl, Men At Work lead all-star nostalgia tour

The soundtrack of summer has always included the unmistakable sounds of Australian Crawl and Men At Work.

Now, in what is shaping as one of the biggest nostalgia tours in recent memory, both legendary acts will headline the 2026 Red Hot Summer Tour, with Australian Crawl reuniting for the first time in more than four decades.

The national concert series will feature an all-star Australian line-up including Birds of Tokyo, Vika & Linda, Eskimo Joe, Boom Crash Opera and Ella Hooper, but it is the return of Australian Crawl that is certain to generate the biggest buzz among fans.

A reunion decades in the making

James Reyne, Simon Binks and David Reyne will share the stage together for the first time in more than 40 years to celebrate the music that helped define Australian rock during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

From humble beginnings playing gigs for surfing clubs on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, Australian Crawl quickly became one of the nation’s most beloved bands.

Hits such as The Boys Light Up, Beautiful People, Reckless, Errol and Downhearted became part of the Australian music landscape and remain staples of classic rock playlists today.

Reflecting on the band’s journey, frontman James Reyne described it as “what a ride”, while drummer David Reyne recalled the band’s early days as “a riot” filled with “howling, joyous, sunburnt shindigs”.

Men At Work returns to the summer stage

The tour will also feature Men At Work, led by founding member Colin Hay.

Few Australian bands have achieved the international success enjoyed by Men At Work, whose hits including Down Under, Who Can It Be Now?, Overkill and Be Good Johnny helped conquer charts around the world during the 1980s.

The Grammy-winning group sold millions of records globally and remains one of Australia’s most recognisable musical exports.

Hay said returning to Australia for the tour would bring back memories of the band’s breakthrough years.

“My favourite Men At Work tour was the summer of 1981, when our stars were in ascension,” he said. “I look forward to returning, 45 years on, to join the Red Hot Summer Tour 2026.”

A celebration of Australian music

Joining the two headline acts will be some of Australia’s most enduring performers.

Birds of Tokyo bring a modern rock edge after two decades of chart success, while ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Vika & Linda continue to captivate audiences with their celebrated harmonies.

Eskimo Joe, Boom Crash Opera and Ella Hooper round out a line-up that spans generations of Australian music.

For Starts at 60 readers, it represents something increasingly rare: a chance to relive the songs that defined a generation while sharing them with children and grandchildren.

Tour dates

The Red Hot Summer Tour will visit Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia between October and November 2026.

Victorian fans can catch the show at Ballarat’s Victoria Park on November 7 and Mornington Racecourse on November 8.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on June 25 via the official Red Hot Summer Tour website.