The legendary Grammy and ARIA winning icon of the acoustic guitar, Tommy Emmanuel CGP, will return to Australia for a massive capital city headline tour in May 2025. Taking in the countries most beautiful and prestigious venues, Tommy will perform at the Sydney Opera House, Newcastle’s CIVIC Theatre, Brisbane’s QPAC, the Canberra Theatre Centre, Melbourne’s Hamer Hall and Perth’s Riverside Theatre, wrapping up at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide on his 70th birthday.
“Playing and touring back home is like a family reunion! Australia is where I was raised, the rest of the world was what I had my sights on, now I love coming home and seeing my country through the eyes of a grateful man.” – Tommy Emmanuel
Six decades into his professional career, Tommy somehow still finds new heights to reach as a musician, songwriter and entertainer – all captured on the new album Live at the Sydney Opera House, set for release March 21, 2025 via CGP Sounds – pre-order here. Recorded over two sold out performances in the iconic concert hall in 2023, the album sees the culmination of decades of devotion to music, musicianship and connection with an audience.
The setlist showcases the most beloved songs of Tommy’s career – classic compositions like ‘Tall Fiddler’, ‘Mombasa’ and ‘Country Wide’, recent fan favorites like ‘Fuel’ and ‘Sail On’ and his now iconic arrangement of ‘Classical Gas’ and his thrilling ‘Beatles Medley’. Available for viewing now is Tommy’s performance of ‘The Jolly Swagman’ that clearly demonstrates a legend at his peak.
The live album also gives audiences a taste of what to expect when Tommy returns to his home country next May. All shows feature Tommy performing two dazzling sets, showcasing the full range of his gifts – heartrending melodic tenderness to high octane burning up the fretboard.
Tommy brings the power and dynamism of a full band to his solo acoustic playing, with incredible charisma, stunning speed and dexterity and unerring command of melody. Tommy’s message is pure love for the guitar and the music and his delight in sharing it with the world, one audience at a time.
Tommy has a Grammy Award, multiple ARIA Awards and countless accolades, but nothing means more to Tommy than the three letters Chet Atkins designated at the end of Tommy’s name: C.G.P. The title of Certified Guitar Player was the highest honor Atkins could bestow on another player – a signifier that the recipient had not only mastered the instrument but taken it to new vistas and become a guiding light for the next generation of pickers. Like Tommy, Chet had never gone to a university, and the C.G.P. was his version of a PHD or a Doctorate of the guitar. He gave the honor to Tommy and only five other handpicked players.
As a songwriter and a performer, Tommy is a melting pot of influences across genres, from pop to bluegrass and jazz to rock n’ roll. To him, music is rhythm and emotion, all other distinctions are meaningless. Anyone who has seen Tommy play will tell you, the vocalist is there, as is the drummer, the bass player and the rhythm and lead guitarists. In a way that must often be seen to be believed, Tommy plays all the parts of a full band simultaneously, his fingers dancing around the fretboard with a dexterity and speed that would seem impossible if you weren’t witnessing it.
“I’ve always been a citizen of the world, a curious observer and a time traveller. it’s a joy to have the chance to come home to play my music and see if I can make you smile a little!!”
For further information and ticket links please visit https://tommyemmanuel.com/
Potts Entertainment presents
AN EVENING WITH TOMMY EMMANUEL
AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2025
Tickets on sale 10am local time, Friday 22 November
Friday 16 May
SYDNEY NSW | Sydney Opera House
Saturday 17 May
NEWCASTLE NSW | Civic Theatre
Sunday 18 May
BRISBANE QLD | Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Tuesday 20 May
CANBERRA ACT | Canberra Theatre Centre
Wednesday 21 May
SYDNEY NSW | Sydney Opera House
Sunday 25 May
MELBOURNE VIC | Hamer Hall
Monday 26 May
MELBOURNE VIC | Hamer Hall
Thursday 29 May
PERTH WA | Riverside Theatre, PCEC
Saturday 31 May
ADELAIDE SA | Her Majesty’s Theatre
Live at the Sydney Opera House
Released March 21, 2025 via CGP Sounds – available for pre-order here.
