Billy Joel

Melbourne is in the mood for a melody with 71,000 tickets snapped up for superstar Billy Joel’s exclusive One Night Only In Australia concert at Melbourne’s iconic MCG.

Presented by Frontier Touring, the Victorian Government and ALWAYS LIVE, the December 10 concert will set Melbourne buzzing with a phenomenal 52% of ticket buyers from outside of metropolitan Melbourne and 42% from outside of Victoria. The concert is expected to bring millions of dollars in revenue to the state of Victoria with hospitality and accommodation primary beneficiaries.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said:

“Another sold out major event is great news for Victoria – it will support businesses and jobs in our creative, tourism and hospitality industries.
 
 “More than half of ticket buyers will come from outside of Melbourne for this one-night only experience, reinforcing the importance of the state’s major events calendar as a drawcard for visitors.”

ALWAYS LIVE Chair and Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski said:

“Billy Joel is undeniably a superstar and one of the greatest artists of our generation but the speed his MCG concert sold out highlights just how true that is.
 
 “This is a fantastic result for Frontier, ALWAYS LIVE and the state of Victoria. We are incredibly proud to deliver this amazing one night only event and can’t wait to see Melbourne full of life this December.”

An artist who requires little introduction, Billy Joel is one of the biggest concert draws in the world. Having sold over 150 million records and scoring six GRAMMY® wins from 23 nominations, Joel ranks as one of the most popular and respected entertainers in history – the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time, and the third best-selling solo artist.

Performing one Australian show only in Melbourne’s most iconic stadium, the concert is presented in partnership with ALWAYS LIVE, a state-wide celebration of contemporary live music supported by the Victorian Government through Visit Victoria.

Billy Joel’s anthology has soundtracked the lives of millions, his impeccable musicianship and transcendent songs recognised worldwide. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999, Joel received The Kennedy Center Honors (one of the USA’s top cultural awards) in 2013. In 2014, he received both The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and the once-in-a-century ASCAP Centennial Award – the latter presented to American music icons in recognition of their incomparable accomplishments in their respective music genres and beyond. In 2016, the Library of Congress selected ‘Piano Man’ for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, and artistic significance.” He’s the recipient of numerous other awards, including a Tony (for Movin’ Out, a Broadway musical based on his music), MusiCares Person Of The Year, and an inductee in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

‘Piano Man’, ‘You May Be Right’, ‘Always a Woman’, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’, ‘Uptown Girl’, ‘Big Shot’, ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’, ‘Only the Good Die Young’, ‘New York State of Mind’… the hunger to see this highly influential songwriter remains undiminished.

Frontier Touring are excited to announce ARIA Award-winning, multi-platinum-selling VIC singer and songwriter Tina Arena AM will perform as special guest for Billy Joel’s highly anticipated, history-making performance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday 10 December. 

Tina Arena is one of the best-selling artists in Australian history. Famed for her world class vocal skills which see her singing in English, Italian, French and Spanish, she is equally recognised for her passionate support of the arts. Arena has sold over 10 million records across her multi-decade career, winning several ARIAs and inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2015. To date she’s released 12 studio albums, 4 x live albums, 4 x compilations, 45 x singles and 36 x music videos, adding 2 x World Music Awards and an ALMA (American Latino Media Arts Award) to her many accolades.  

‘I grew up listening to Billy Joel. His songbook is a big part of the soundtrack of my life so I really look forward to being a part of this extraordinary, once in a lifetime event.  You don’t want to miss this show.’ – Tina Arena 

With a powerful voice that remains unparalleled after 40 years in the industry, decades after since fans first met her at just eight-years-old on ‘Young Talent Time’, Arena has shared the stage with world-renowned artists such as Lionel Richie, Donna Summer, Marc Anthony, and Andrea Bocelli… and now she’ll take to the stage at Melbourne’s iconic stadium, the special guest of six-time GRAMMY® winner Billy Joel. 

In June 2022 Arena wrapped her role as Artistic Director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, where she also performed in the show Songs My Mother Taught Me. 

This special, one-off major event is part of ALWAYS LIVE, a Victoria-wide celebration of contemporary live music. Supported by the Victorian Government through Visit Victoria it showcases the state as a world-class music hub. Joel is one of the biggest concert draws in the world, having sold over 150 million records as the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time, and the third best-selling solo artist.  

Tickets go on sale Monday 4 July (10am AEST) via frontiertouring.com/billyjoel. Frontier Members can access the Frontier Pre-sale, which starts tomorrow: Thursday 30 June (11am AEST). Tickets in all price categories and packages will be available. 

Billy Joel, live in concert, now with Tina Arena… Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime event!  

Frontier Touring, the Victorian Government and ALWAYS LIVE are thrilled to announce one of the greatest singer/songwriter/composers of modern times, Billy Joel, will perform one night only in Australia on Saturday 10 December, with a history-making performance at the iconic stadium Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). 

An artist who requires little introduction, Billy Joel is one of the biggest concert draws in the world. Having sold over 150 million records and scoring six GRAMMY® wins from 23 nominations, Joel ranks as one of the most popular and respected entertainers in history – the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time, and the third best-selling solo artist. Tickets to this exclusive concert – Joel’s first live performance in Melbourne in 14 years – will go on sale Monday 4 July (10am AEST) via frontiertouring.com/billyjoel. Frontier Members can access the Frontier Pre-sale, which starts Thursday 30 June (11am AEST).  

Telstra Members can also get exclusive access to the Telstra Plus Member pre-sale, which starts 10am AEST Monday 27 June via telstra.com/music. 

Performing one Australian show only in Melbourne’s most iconic stadium, the concert is presented in partnership with ALWAYS LIVE, a state-wide celebration of contemporary live music supported by the Victorian Government through Visit Victoria.  

‘I’m happy to announce that I’m finally coming to Australia to do one exclusive show at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as part of ALWAYS LIVE. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been there, I’m really looking forward to coming and I’m bringing the whole family and we’re going to enjoy it. I’ll see you there.’ – Billy Joel 

Billy Joel’s anthology has soundtracked the lives of millions, his impeccable musicianship and transcendent songs recognised worldwide. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999, Joel received The Kennedy Center Honors (one of the USA’s top cultural awards) in 2013. In 2014, he received both The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and the once-in-a-century ASCAP Centennial Award – the latter presented to American music icons in recognition of their incomparable accomplishments in their respective music genres and beyond. In 2016, the Library of Congress selected ‘Piano Man’ for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, and artistic significance.”  He’s the recipient of numerous other awards, including a Tony (for Movin’ Out, a Broadway musical based on his music), MusiCares Person Of The Year, and an inductee in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. 

‘Piano Man’, ‘You May Be Right’, ‘Always a Woman’, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’, ‘Uptown Girl’, ‘Big Shot’, ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’, ‘Only the Good Die Young’, ‘New York State of Mind’… the hunger to see this highly influential songwriter remains undiminished.  

Says ALWAYS LIVE Chair and Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski: 

‘What a coup for Victoria, the music capital, to have one of the greatest artists of our era perform exclusively in Melbourne at one of the greatest stadiums in the world.  

To work with ALWAYS LIVE to bring his show to the ‘G fulfils a dream my great father and I had... To host Billy here in Melbourne is truly special.’ 

Frontier Touring CEO Dion Brant says: 

‘It is incredibly rare to have stadium level artists travel all the way to Australia to play one off shows. To announce Billy Joel for one night only at the MCG after the success of the Foo Fighters early this year is a great coup for Victoria and something that our team at Frontier are proud to be able to deliver.’ 

As the first-ever music franchise at New York City’s Madison Square Garden (other franchises being the New York Knicks and New York Rangers), Joel began his record-breaking residency at the storied arena back in January 2014, performing one show every month “as long as the demand continues”. Incredibly, October 2022 will see Joel performing his 84th monthly and 130th show at The Garden, before he heads down to Melbourne for the one-off AU show. 

‘For nearly 2 ½ hours Joel, clad in his usual uniform of black suit and tie, hopscotched through 50 years of hits... Playing on his traditional open-backed stage, Joel’s piano slowly rotated every few songs to ensure facetime with fans on all sides’ – USA Today 

‘Joel closed out the regular setlist by strapping on a harmonica and performing his biggest – and first – hit, Piano Man. The opening keys brought the stadium to its collective feet, and by the time the song’s final chorus came around, Joel stopped singing and let the crowd take over.’ – Las Vegas Sun 

‘There’s no real precedent in rock history for Joel’s monthly Madison Square Garden residency ... a key part of the New York City cultural scene, as important as any Broadway musical or jazz club’ – Rolling Stone 

Revered not just by critics and fans but also by fellow musicians, Joel’s songs have been covered many times, each version a fascinating insight on his impact and lasting influence. 

Frontier Touring, the Victorian Government and ALWAYS LIVE are thrilled to welcome back the inimitable Billy Joel for this exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime stadium event. Don’t miss this magical performer, live at the MCG!