“A truly staggering evening.” – The Guardian 

“Rice is a master musician and a well-versed performer” – The Music

“Rice’s raw talent was on full display… his delicate guitar playing paired with his tender yet powerful voice.” – The Brag 

“Damien Rice walked so Justin Vernon could run.” –  Stereogum 

Legendary Irish troubadour Damien Rice returns to Australia to play theatre dates around the country this May.

The beloved singer-songwriter, whose emotionally wrought songs defined a generation of 21st-century heartache, is riding high on a sold-out international tour and will make his Sydney Opera House debut on Friday 12 May. Rice then takes his sublime solo performance through Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, Geelong’s Costa Hall, Hobart’s Odeon Theatre, QPAC Concert Hall in Brisbane, and winding up at HOTA Theatre on the Gold Coast.

General public tickets will go on sale on Friday 17 February at 2pm (local time).

Having the unconventional tendency to prefer walking on stage with no setlist, Damien Rice commands complete attention as soon as he enters the room. A favourite of fans, critics and artists alike, Rice has garnered a reputation for his powerful live shows – tough and tender performances that have seen him develop an intimate rapport with fans.

“When I saw Damien play… that night literally changed my life.” – Ed Sheeran 

“When he wasn’t impressing with his stage presence and wit, Rice captivated through song.” – Consequence

“Still has the power to stun a room into silent awe with his emotionally wrought songs.” – ABC (Double J)

Rocketing to stardom on the strength of his 2002 debut O, and its enduring favourites ‘The Blower’s Daughter’, ‘Volcano’ and ‘Cannonball’, the Dublin-born multi-instrumentalist quickly cracked Top Ten in the UK, collecting multi-platinum status and earning him the Shortlist Music Prize.

Rice’s follow-up, 2006’s 9, yielded the global smash ‘9 Crimes’ while his self-imposed absence following 2014’s No.1 Rick Rubin-produced My Favourite Faded Fantasy – his most recent album to date – only added to the anticipation among fans for his return.

As his recent performances in the UK attest, Rice has lost none of his cathartic power or stage presence. If anything, his combination of raw melodrama and masterful dynamics has grown more accomplished, sprinkled with a newfound sense of personal zen and laced, as ever, with Rice’s wonderfully self-deprecating sense of humour.

There is new music, and this may lead to new releases. Time will tell.

For now, there are new tour dates.