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News January 11, 2023

Sam Smith Sets National Arena Tour, Remembers Michael Gudinski

Sam Smith Sets National Arena Tour, Remembers Michael Gudinski

Sam Smith will return to Australia and NZ later in the year for an arena tour in support of their forthcoming fourth studio album, Gloria.

The superstar British singer and songwriter is set to play arenas in five cities on both sides of the Tasman, for a trek produced by Frontier Touring and announced today (Jan. 11).

GLORIA the tour will kick off at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Oct. 28 before heading to Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne (Oct. 31); Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney (Nov. 3); Brisbane Entertainment Centre (Nov. 8) and come to a halt Nov. 11 at Spark Arena, Auckland.

Smith is already acclimatising to the Australian summer. They’re currently in Adelaide, the launchpad for GLORIA the tour, for an exclusive concert Wednesday night at the eye-catching d’Arenberg Cube winery in McLaren Vale, a taster of things to come. 

“I can’t wait. It’s so exciting,” says Smith ahead of what will be their first ever winery date, and first trip to South Australia since 2015. And yes, Smith confirms they’re a keen wine drinker.

d’Arenberg Cube

Australian audiences have a lot of love for Smith. Gloria release “Unholy,” Smith’s hit with German artist Kim Petras, was sent back to No. 1 on the latest ARIA Chart, after logging several weeks at the summit in 2022.

“It’s beautiful,” Smith says of its success. “I’m so overwhelmed, honestly, with the love for this song. It always felt special to me and I had to push so hard for it for so long. I didn’t realise it would have this effect. I’m so proud.”

Just hours ahead of the one-off Adelaide date, Smith drops “Gimme” featuring Koffee and Jessie Reyez, the latest track lifted from Gloria, due out Jan. 27 via Universal Music Australia/New Zealand.

The trek Down Under will cap a full itinerary of touring in the U.K., Europe and North America through 2023, though one important piece won’t be on the road with them — the late Michael Gudinski.

“I have such incredible memories of him, he always looked after me so well here,” Smith recounts.

“I was heartbroken when I heard the news. When I arrived in Australia last week, I said my friend I could really feel his loss being here. It’s going to be really weird being on tour here, not having him at the shows. He’s such a powerful and wonderful man that his energy it will be taken on by the people around him, and his legacy and spirit will live on.”

Michael Gudinski

The GLORIA tour on-sale starts Wednesday, Jan. 18, with pre-sale tickets release earlier, on Jan. 16, for Frontier members via frontiertouring.com/samsmith.

Smith’s intimate wine country concert is a partnership with the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), with support by Frontier Touring, a project which highlights experiences in the state, focusing on food and drink, wildlife, and Aboriginal cultural tourism.

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