Mercury Prize-winning artist Benjamin Clementine will perform in Australia for the first time with his ‘Back to Basics’ Australian Tour

Mercury Prize-winning artist Benjamin Clementine will perform in Australia for the first time with his ‘Back to Basics’ Australian Tour

Visiting Adelaide, Sydney and Perth in October 2026, the tour will introduce Australian audiences to a performer celebrated across the globe for his extraordinary voice, haunting piano compositions, and intensely theatrical command of the stage.

Clementine’s concerts rarely behave like conventional live shows. Built from silence, voice, piano, poetry and sudden emotional force, they can move from barely audible notes to rhythmic urgency and near-operatic release with little warning.

It is this remarkable control of space, silence and intensity that has made Clementine one of contemporary music’s most arresting live entertainers. He does not perform songs so much as inhabits them, breathing into each phrase, pause and piano movement until his audience is drawn completely into his world.

PRAISE FOR BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE

“Introspection on a heroic scale.”
– The New York Times

“Every word, every key… performed with an incredible certainty and purpose.”
– The Independent

He sings “as if all the world depended on it.”
– The Guardian

“There are voices that don’t fit in any box, and Benjamin Clementine’s is one of those.”
– Festival d’Avignon, 2026.

“His ability to command a stage with little more than a piano and his voice is remarkable.”
– The Upcoming, July 2026

Born in London to parents of Ghanaian descent, Clementine developed his musical voice while performing in the streets, bars and Metro stations of Paris. His debut album, At Least for Now, won the 2015 Mercury Prize, followed by I Tell a Fly in 2017 and And I Have Been in 2022.

His expressive voice has drawn comparisons to Nina Simone, while the darkness and theatricality of his songwriting have been linked to Nick Cave. His piano arrangements call to the minimalism of French composer Erik Satie, though Clementine’s sound and stage presence remain unmistakably his own.

In 2019, Clementine was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in recognition of his contribution to the arts.

The tour arrives alongside his latest single, “Pizza Mind”, a surreal and satirical meditation on the desire for wisdom, fulfilment and originality without the labour or sacrifice required to achieve them.

Transforming “peace of mind” into “pizza mind”, Clementine uses images of ovens, dough, crusts, heat and flavour to examine modern passivity, armchair expertise and the fear of making difficult choices.

Whimsical on the surface but quietly severe underneath, the song continues Clementine’s distinctive use of wordplay, philosophy and emotional directness.

“Pizza Mind” is available now on all major streaming platforms. Listen to the radio edit here.

 

BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE — ‘BACK TO BASICS’ AUSTRALIA TOUR 2026

Presented by Act 3 Presents

Thursday, October 15th
Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide SA

Wednesday, October 21st
Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW

Saturday, October 24th
Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth WA

Ticketing information: https://www.act3presents.com/

 

ABOUT BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE

Benjamin Clementine is a British composer, pianist, singer-songwriter and filmmaker whose work has established him as one of the most singular voices in contemporary music. Unbound by genre, his compositions draw from classical music, chanson, poetry and theatre, creating a body of work that is both intimate and expansive.

Born in London and artistically shaped during his formative years in Paris, Clementine first came to international prominence with his Mercury Prize-winning debut album At Least for Now in 2015. Since then, he has built an international career defined less by convention than by artistic independence, performing at many of the world’s leading concert halls, theatres and festivals while cultivating an audience that extends across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia.

His recordings have consistently resisted easy categorisation, moving between orchestral composition, solo piano works and cinematic songwriting. Alongside his music, Clementine has expanded his creative practice into film and acting, appearing in major international productions while continuing to develop his own work as a writer and director.

At the centre of everything, however, remains the live performance.

Whether performing alone at the piano or with an ensemble, Clementine approaches the stage with a rare sense of presence. His concerts unfold as conversations rather than spectacles, where silence carries as much weight as sound and every performance develops its own character.

It is this commitment to honesty and spontaneity that has earned him a reputation as one of the most compelling live performers of his generation.

Recent appearances have included Festival d’Avignon, C6 Fest in São Paulo and concert halls throughout Europe, where critics continue to praise the emotional depth and singularity of his performances.

As Cult.News wrote following his appearance at Festival d’Avignon:

“Benjamin Clementine’s voice strikes right where it hurts, in the heart and soul.”

His current ‘Back to Basics Tour’ returns to the essence of his artistry: one voice, one piano and songs presented in their purest form. Stripped of unnecessary production, the performances reveal the precision of his musicianship and the emotional immediacy that have become hallmarks of his work. Each concert offers audiences an opportunity to encounter an artist whose performances remain deeply personal, uncompromising and unforgettable.

 

 

Category: Aussie Tour News