FIRST AUSTRALIAN TOUR IN 34 YEARS + FIRST EVER NEW ZEALAND TOUR
+ a day on the green events in Australia and New Zealand.
July 18, 2019
Frontier Touring and Roundhouse Entertainment are excited to announce that Norwegian pop icons a-ha are returning to Australia for the first time in 34 years, before heading to New Zealand for the very first time!
They’ll be joined by very special guest Rick Astley at all February & March 2020 shows, taking in Sydney, Melbourne, and Christchurch, as well as a day on the green events in Australia and New Zealand.
“We have so many great memories of our Australian tour of 1986 and look forward to making new ones. And we can’t wait to play in New Zealand for the first time – we’ll be comparing your fjords with our Norwegian ones!” – Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
a-ha will be performing their seminal debut album Hunting High And Low in full to celebrate its 35th anniversary as well as other favourites from across their career.
Selling more than 11 million copies worldwide, it includes the unforgettable ‘Take On Me’, which reached #1 on the Australian charts, as well as follow-up hits ‘The Sun Always Shines On TV’, ‘Train Of Thought’ and the title track, ‘Hunting High And Low’.
watch ‘hunting high and low’
Joining a-ha to cement this tour as a pop extravaganza is another superstar who dominated the ’80s, Mr ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, Rick Astley. Also enjoying a major career resurgence, the British star has sold more than 40 million albums, fuelled by hits like the monster ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’, ‘Together Forever’, ‘When I Fall In Love’, ‘She Wants To Dance With Me’ and ‘Cry For Help’.
In 2007, Rick Astley became an internet phenomenon as the subject of a viral meme known as ‘Rick-rolling’, with ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ garnering millions of hits on YouTube as a result, introducing him to a whole new audience.
watch ‘never gonna give you up’
Still so unique decades on, the music video for a-ha’s ‘Take On Me’ won six MTV Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, was nominated for Grammy and American Music Awards and is approaching one billion views on YouTube. The song has been covered by artists as diverse as Metallica, Madonna, Tori Amos, and most recently, Weezer, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots on The Tonight Show.
watch ‘take on me’
“Australia was the country we played our first ever live concerts and was our first brush with worldwide fame. It was a thrilling adventure to be there on the opposite side of the world and it’s a thrill to return in 2020 – finally we will be back where it all started!” – Mags Furuholmen
a-ha, the Norwegian trio who dominated pop charts worldwide during the ’80s, still regularly play stadiums and festivals. Singer Morten Harket, keyboardist Mags Furuholmen and guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy have sold more than 55 million albums and remain one of the UK and Europe’s most loved pop bands.
Alongside ‘Take On Me’, the trio have scored global hits with the James Bond theme ‘The Living Daylights’, ‘Cry Wolf’, ‘I’ve Been Losing You’ and 2005 Max Martin collaboration ‘Analogue’. Their most recent release was a 2017 MTV Unplugged collection featuring collaborations with Echo & The Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch and Alison Moyet.
a-ha have fans in some of music’s brightest lights – U2’s Adam Clayton, Morrissey, Robbie Williams, Pet Shop Boys, Kanye West – the list goes on. Coldplay’s Chris Martin has repeatedly referred to them as one of his “favourite bands of all time”, covering their music live and even inviting the band onstage to perform together.
Not surprisingly, a-ha can’t wait to return to Australian shores again. As they say, “There’s not one song on that album we’re not looking forward to playing live.”
TOUR DATES
Sunday 23 February – Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
Wednesday 26 February – ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney
Thursday 5 March – Horncastle Arena, Christchurch
Saturday 7 March – Villa Maria Winery, Auckland*
*co-presented by Frontier Touring, Roundhouse Entertainment and Eccles Entertainment
ALSO TOURING
a-ha with special guests Rick Astley, Pseudo Echo and I Know Leopard will be performing a series of a day on the green events presented by Roundhouse Entertainment.
Head to a day on the green’s website for full details.