British grime pioneer Dizzee Rascal will return to Australia this summer, adding a Melbourne performance at Live at the Gardens as part of his 2026 We Want Bass Australian and New Zealand tour.<\/p>\n
by Paul Cashmere<\/p>\n
Dizzee Rascal will perform at Melbourne\u2019s Royal Botanic Gardens on 4 December as part of the Live at the Gardens concert series, with the show forming one of seven dates on his 2026 Australian and New Zealand We Want Bass tour. The British rapper and producer will be joined by UK artists Example and Arrdee, along with Australian-Indonesian DJ Swaglord Savannah, for the Melbourne performance. Tickets go on sale on Thursday, 9 July, following presales beginning on Wednesday, 8 July.<\/p>\n
The Melbourne announcement expands Dizzee Rascal\u2019s return to Australia beyond the previously announced Live Nation tour dates. The Live at the Gardens performance places one of Britain\u2019s most influential rap artists in one of Melbourne\u2019s best known outdoor venues, reflecting the continued appetite for legacy hip hop and grime artists in Australia\u2019s live market. The tour also demonstrates the ongoing international appeal of artists who helped shape the UK\u2019s modern rap scene, more than two decades after grime first emerged from East London.<\/p>\n
Dizzee Rascal\u2019s We Want Bass tour begins in Perth on 26 November before travelling through Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Byron Bay and Auckland. Melbourne\u2019s concert is presented as part of the Live at the Gardens series at the Royal Botanic Gardens, while the remaining Australian dates are promoted by Live Nation.<\/p>\n
Joining Dizzee Rascal is Example, whose catalogue spans dance music, rap and electronic pop, alongside Brighton rapper Arrdee, one of the UK\u2019s leading younger voices in contemporary rap. Completing the line-up is Swaglord Savannah, the Australian-Indonesian DJ recognised for blending hip hop, electronic music and club sounds.<\/p>\n
Dizzee Rascal remains one of the defining figures in British urban music. Born Dylan Kwabena Mills in East London, he emerged in the early 2000s as one of grime\u2019s founding artists, combining rapid-fire lyricism with self-produced beats that helped establish the genre\u2019s identity. His 2003 debut album Boy In Da Corner won the Mercury Prize and is widely regarded as one of the most influential British hip hop records ever released.<\/p>\n
He followed that breakthrough with Showtime and Maths + English, before broadening his audience with 2009\u2019s Tongue N\u2019 Cheek. That album produced four UK number one singles, including \u201cDance Wiv Me\u201d, \u201cBonkers\u201d, \u201cHoliday\u201d and \u201cDirtee Disco\u201d, confirming his crossover success while introducing grime influences to mainstream pop audiences.<\/p>\n
In later years, Dizzee Rascal returned to a sound closer to his roots on Raskit in 2017, followed by E3 AF in 2020 and Don\u2019t Take It Personal in 2024. Throughout his career he has collaborated with artists including Calvin Harris, Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine, Robbie Williams, Shakira and will.i.am, reflecting the breadth of his influence across multiple genres.<\/p>\n
His career has also attracted public scrutiny outside music. In 2022, Dizzee Rascal was convicted of assaulting his former partner following an incident in London and received a community order and restraining order. His appeal against the conviction was dismissed in 2023. Despite that legal matter, he has continued recording and touring internationally.<\/p>\n
The Australian and New Zealand dates mark Dizzee Rascal\u2019s latest return to the region and bring together artists representing different generations of UK rap and dance music. With both established hits and more recent material expected in the setlist, the tour offers Australian audiences another opportunity to see one of grime\u2019s foundational artists perform live more than 20 years after his breakthrough.<\/p>\n
Tour Dates
26 November 2026, Perth, Perth HPC
28 November 2026, Brisbane, Eatons Hill Outdoors
1 December 2026, Adelaide, Hindley Street Music Hall
4 December 2026, Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens
5 December 2026, Sydney, On The Steps At Sydney Opera House Forecourt
6 December 2026, Byron Bay, Beach Hotel
8 December 2026, Auckland, Shed 10<\/p>\n
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Melbourne tickets go on sale Thursday, 9 July at 1pm AEST via Ticketmaster.
Presales begin Wednesday, 8 July at 12pm AEST through Live at the Gardens<\/a>, MG Live and Live Nation.<\/p>\n
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