One of history’s most intriguing musical success stories is returning to Australia this year, with ticket pre-sales starting today.
Mike Oldfield’s iconic Tubular Bells album caught the attention of a young Richard Branson who made it the first-ever release on his then new Virgin Records label in 1973.
The album sold 2.7 million copies just in the UK, hit the top of the charts in 1973 and, according to Official Charts, was in the top 10 for 74 weeks.
It will be performed on stage by an “expansive” live group, led and arranged by Oldfield’s long-term collaborator Robin A Smith.
Tubular Bells is the highest-selling instrumental album of all time, with extra audiences achieved when it was used in the horror film The Exorcist.
According to Wikipedia, tubular bells (or chimes) are a percussion instrument with tuned metal tubes, struck by mallets to mimic the sound of church bells.
In a review for AllMusic, Mike DeGagne called Oldfield’s Tubular Bells album “arguably the finest conglomeration of off-centered instruments concerted together to form a single unique piece”.
The onstage version of Tubular Bells will be staged across Australia’s capital cities and will include extended sections of Tubular Bells ll and lll, as well as the international hit single Moonlight Shadow.
Tubular Bells II was released in 1992 when the filming in Edinburgh Castle became one of the most viewed and streamed musical events ever.
Tubular Bells III was released in 1998 with an excerpt of its Far Above The Clouds piece featured in the 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony.
While Oldfield is now retired, Robin A Smith worked with him for over 25 years and collaborated on the second and third albums.
“We have been lucky enough to tour our new reimagined version of Tubular Bells extensively around the world, a show that has been embraced by so many,” Smith said in a statement.
“We thought how wonderful it would be to incorporate music from all of Mike’s three major works so everyone can delight in his sensational themes and dramatic episodes.”
The following are the Australian performance dates:
Wednesday June 3 2026 – Hamer Hall, Melbourne
Friday June 5 2026 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
Saturday June 6 2026 – His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth
Wednesday June 10 2026 – QPAC, Brisbane
Thursday June 11 2026 – Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Friday June 12 2026 – Canberra Theatre, Canberra
Saturday June 13 2026 – Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Ticket information is here.
