José Carreras will get the party started early for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics when he hosts an exclusive one-night-only, open-air concert this December in the Queensland capital.
The legendary tenor leads the lineup for the Australian exclusive concert, set for Dec. 5 at the Gabba Cricket Ground, the famous oval stadium just south of the city’s CBD.
“I’m extremely happy, really, to have this opportunity to start celebrating already the Olympics ‘32 in Brisbane,” Carreras tells Billboard over a Zoom call from his hometown, Barcelona, “and be part of this, what we hope is, a wonderful concert.”
Carreras has a steel-strong connection with the worlds of music and sport. In 1992, he served as musical director for the Olympic Games in Barcelona, performed at the Opening Ceremony (singing the traditional welcoming song “Welcome” or “Sardana” with Montserrat Caballé) and returned for the Closing Ceremony for performance of “Amigos Para Siempre” with Sarah Brightman.
And as a member of The Three Tenors, the legendary operatic supergroup he formed with Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, Carreras performed live at four consecutive World Cup tournaments, beginning with their historic 1990 debut in Rome.
With the Olympics and Paralympics coming to the Sunshine State, “we have the possibility to create a message between sport and art and culture,” Carreras tells Billboard. “The venue is going to be perfect for it.”
The Gabba is a citadel for this sports-mad city. During the winter, it’s home to the two-time defending champion Australian Football League (AFL) franchise the Brisbane Lions. And in the summer, it’s the city’s home of cricket. Indeed, for touring international cricket teams, the Gabba has earned the amusing tag, the Gabbatoir — a place where the opposition is eliminated.
Pop and rock concerts are rare spectacles at the Gabba, and only the biggest names in the music business have performed there. The last to do it was Taylor Swift, for her Reputation Tour in 2018. And Adele before that, for two-sold out shows in 2017.
When he takes his spot on the field, Carreras will perform with artists “that I admire,” he enthuses. “I never had the possibility to perform with them, but this is going to be the occasion.”
Williams will sing “My Way” and “Angels” with Carreras, while Hayes (“Truly Madly Deeply”), Keating (“Father & Son”), Wilson (“What About Love” and “Stairway To Heaven”) and The Corrs (“Breathless” and “Runaway”) will enjoy musical moments with a living legend, backed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and choir.
On the night, the Gabba will be turned into “a world-class concert spectacular blending timeless opera, beloved contemporary classics and powerful collaborations,” reads a statement from organizers Echo Pacific Entertainment.
“This is not a traditional concert. It’s a live music experience inspired by the magic of Pavarotti & Friends, where the world’s greatest artists come together on one stage for a night of collaboration, emotion and surprise,” comments Echo Pacific director Harley Medcalf. “To bring José Carreras together with artists of this caliber for one exclusive night in Brisbane is incredibly special. Every moment of this event has been designed to create something unforgettable.”
The general public onsale begins Monday, June 15 at 10am local time. Fans are encouraged to sign up at carrerasandfriends.live for presale access, which starts Friday, June 12 at 10am.
Taylor Swift is officially in her Disney Era as of this week, starting with Friday’s release of “I Knew It, I Knew You” for Toy Story 5 and followed by her surprise debut performance of the song at Tuesday night’s (June 9) world premiere of the movie in Hollywood.
Once the Disney Pixar film wrapped up in front of 3,000-plus lucky moviegoers at the Dolby Theatre on Tuesday night, the screen lifted to reveal Swift in a floor-length butter-yellow gown sitting at a piano, ready to live-debut the song the audience had just heard over the film’s end credits. Swift’s vocal perfectly matched the playful country-pop recording, while the acoustic piano backdrop brought some extra emotional weight to the song — especially after the crowd had just audibly sobbed together over Cowgirl Jessie’s poignant Toy Story 5 storyline.
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“I would just love to say, it means the world to me to be a small part of the universe of these films, and Toy Story 5 is my favorite of all of the Toy Storys,” Swift told the crowd after performing her new song. “I’m so lucky that I get to be a part of this, and I want to thank … all of the creators at Disney and Pixar for all the work they put into this film. It’s insanely beautiful. It’s a masterpiece. We’re so lucky to get to have this film out. Your work is amazing, and I hope you’re all so proud of yourselves. If you’re in this room and you worked on this film, thank you so much.”
But somehow, the surprise first performance of Swift’s new song was just part of the story. Billboard was inside the world premiere ahead of the film’s July 19 arrival in U.S. theaters, and below are some of our favorite moments from a very special night.
Sydney has given to the world some giants of the stage. Think Dame Joan Sutherland, the late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, and Delta Goodrem. Lara D might, one day, crack that list.
The Sydneysider did her chances of success absolutely no harm when she stopped by America’s Got Talent for the Auditions phase.
Aussies have the reputation of fearless travelers, and Lara fits the stereotype. When asked by Simon Cowell why she made the long haul, she responded: “I feel like this is one of the biggest stages.”
Lara had begun working in the family business, but choose her own path. “I decided I wanted to come here because I wanted to pursue my dream,” she explained, “and I feel like this is the stage where dreams come true.”
Sometimes, they do.
Lara then set about changing the mood in the room, by hitting an immense cover of RAYE’s “Oscar Winning Tears.” It was all there, rapping and range, tone and then tears.
Looking on, the judges’ jaws were looser than old elastic. “I loved it, there’s something about you that is very special. And I think everybody felt it tonight,” remarked Sofia Vergara, who was fast out of her seat.
“This is the kind of thing that I’ve been looking for,” enthused Howie Mandel. “I’ve been looking for a surprise. I’ve been looking for something unexpected. You are a star and I want to do something special,” he added. And with that, the St. Elsewhere actor stood and motioned toward the Golden Buzzer. “You deserve this.”
In a moment of drama, Vergara beat him to the punch. A steal, captured in slow motion for those of us watching at home. Cue the emotions, the gold confetti and, for Lara, a direct route to the Live Shows for AGT Season 21.
Later, host Terry Crews grabbed Vergara for some reaction. “She was spectacular. I wanted her from the moment she started singing.”
Bill Cody, the beloved presenter whose decades-long presence on WSM-AM Nashville, and as a regular host of the Grand Ole Opry, made him, for several generations, the voice of country music radio, died Tuesday (June 9) following a health battle. He was 67.
Cody joined the team at WSM on April 25, 1994, fronting the flagship morning show, Coffee, Country & Cody, the format for which he developed into a series on the Circle Network. Charlie Daniels was the first of Cody’s incalculable in-studio guests, many of whom became close friends. Later in the decade, Cody hosted mornings on WSM-FM before returning to the AM dial at the turn of the millennium.
Over time, Cody racked up an impressive stash of hosting credits, including the long-running Opry Country Classics, the Master Series for Great American Country, Tennessee’s Wild Side on public television, and the syndicated radio shows Classic Country Weekend With Bill Cody and Pure American Country.
His awards cabinet was formidable, too. He was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 2008, received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in 2024, and will be posthumously inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame later this year.
The son of a Southern Baptist preacher in Lebanon, Kentucky, Cody cut his teeth in radio as a teenager, landing a gig at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, for a disc jockey spot at Lexington station WVLK. At the suggestion of his boss at the time, the 17-year-old dropped his given name, Trent Clutts, and adopted the name Bill Cody, a tip of the hat to one of his childhood heroes, “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Along the way, he’d work at WHAS and WCII in Louisville, Kentucky, WHOO in Orlando, Florida, and KKYX in San Antonio, Texas.
As news of Cody’s passing spread, the country music community paid tribute.
“Country music has lost one of its pillars,” remarks Dierks Bentley. “Bill was just as important to the fabric of our music and city as any artist, songwriter or musician. No one loved country music, its history and its characters more than Bill Cody. Prayers to his family and Charlie and Kelly and everyone that knew and loved him at WSM and the Opry.”
Adds Garth Brooks: “There might be someone somewhere in the world who loved country music as much, but nobody loved country music more than Bill Cody.”
Carly Pearce salutes Cody for devoting his life “to telling the story of country music. With a legacy spanning decades, he will be marked as one of the greatest of all time. For me, he was so much more than that. He was my friend. He will be so very missed on this side of heaven, but I rejoice knowing he is with our Heavenly Father.”
A statement from the Grand Ole Opry remembers Cody “for his kindness, humility, and genuine gift for connection. He was a trusted voice, a generous friend, and a constant companion to generations of listeners.”
The late announcer grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry with his father. This Saturday night, the Grand Ole Opry will dedicate the show to Cody.
“Everyone at the Grand Ole Opry, in country music, in Nashville – and across the country – will remember Bill for his profound gravitas, his incredible voice, and his positive and infectious enthusiasm for country music,” writes Patrick Moore,CEO, Opry Entertainment Group. “For those of us who were lucky enough to work with Bill as a colleague, he brightened every single day and changed our lives for the better. Bill will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace, Trent from Gravel Switch.”
Cody had recently been hospitalized for heart and kidney failure. Earlier, his daughter, Hannah Davis, shared on Facebook: “We will never be able to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and the sincere prayers over the last few weeks. We know God heard them and we feel a deep peace that one day we will understand why God chose to still take him.”
Niall Horan is hosting a dinner party, and Australia is invited.
The Irish pop star will set off early next year for the Australian leg of his Dinner Party Tour, with arena shows in Adelaide (Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Feb. 10), Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena on Feb. 12), Sydney (Qudos Bank Arena on Feb. 16) and Brisbane (Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Feb. 19). As the itinerary stands, Perth misses out.
“I always love coming back to Australia, so I’m absolutely buzzing to finally announce Dinner Party Live On Tour for February 2027,” says Horan in a statement issued Wednesday, June 10. “The support from Australian fans has always been amazing, and I can’t wait to get back over there and play these new songs for you. We’ve got a bigger and better show planned, four albums worth of tunes to get through, and a few surprises up our sleeves. It’s going to be a really special run.”
Emerging Australian artist Jude York is the support on Horan’s tour down under, which is produced by TEG Live, part of the TEG Group.
Since entering our lives in the 2010 season of the U.K.’s The X Factor, and sliding into the pop phenomenon that was One Direction, Horan has had the rub of the green. As a member of 1D, the Irishman made Billboard chart history when the pop group’s 2012 debut album, Up All Night, opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making the pop group the first British act to debut atop the chart with a first album. With three additional consecutive No. 1 bows — Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013) and Four (2014) — 1D became the first group in Billboard 200 history to see its first four studio albums enter at the chart summit.
It’s a similar 1D chart story on the other side of the Atlantic: Four U.K. No. 1 albums, four U.K. No. 1 singles.
As a solo artist, Horan has two No. 1s on the Official U.K. Albums Chart with 2020’s Heartbreak Weather and 2023’s The Show, while his debut album, 2017’s Flicker, went all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In Australia, Horan landed his first solo No. 1 when The Show debuted at No. 1 on the official ARIA Albums Chart.
Horan is, of course, supporting his new album Dinner Party (via Universal Music), his fourth solo project. Dinner Party leads the midweek U.K. chart, where it is on track to become his third leader, the Official Charts Company reports.
The general on sale for Horan’s Dinner Party Tour of Australia gets underway Thursday, June 18 at 2pm local time, with fan club and partner presales kicking off from Monday, June 15 at 1pm local time. Visit teglive.com.au for more information.
Niall Horan “Dinner Party Tour” Of Australia 2027 Feb. 10 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Feb. 12 — Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena Feb. 16 — Sydney, Qudos Bank Arena Feb. 19 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Blink-182 appear to be preparing something special for the 25th anniversary of Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.
The pop-punk trio sparked speculation among fans this week after sharing the album’s iconic artwork on social media alongside a link inviting fans to sign up for more information. While the band has yet to reveal exactly what’s planned, the timing points squarely to the 25th anniversary of the record, which was released on June 12, 2001.
The teaser arrives ahead of the album’s milestone anniversary on Friday (June 12), prompting fan theories ranging from an expanded reissue and previously unreleased material to a commemorative tour announcement.
At the time of publication, Blink-182 has not publicly confirmed any details.
Released on June 12, 2001, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket marked a major commercial breakthrough for Blink-182. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with more than 350,000 copies sold in its first week, becoming the first punk-rock album ever to open atop the chart.
The set spawned several of the band’s most enduring singles, including “The Rock Show,” “First Date” and “Stay Together for the Kids.” While the first two tracks leaned into the band’s trademark humor and youthful energy, “Stay Together for the Kids” showcased a more serious side, tackling divorce and family breakdown through some of the most personal songwriting of the group’s career.
The album also arrived during a period when Blink-182 were reaching new commercial heights. Fronted by guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus alongside drummer Travis Barker, the band spent much of 2001 and 2002 touring globally behind the record, including the high-profile Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day.
The anniversary tease continues a recent trend of Blink-182 revisiting key moments from their catalog. In 2019, the group celebrated the 20th anniversary of Enema of the State by performing the album in full on tour, while recent years have seen renewed interest in the band’s classic-era releases following DeLonge’s return to the lineup.
The announcement also follows a busy period for the band. Their 2023 reunion album, One More Time…, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, giving Blink-182 their third chart-topper and their first since Take Off Your Pants and Jacket more than two decades earlier.
For now, fans will have to wait until June 12 to learn exactly what Blink-182 has planned for one of the most beloved albums in pop-punk history.
