After six long years, cult-favourite band The Growlers return to Australia as part of their first global run since 2019—a highly anticipated revisit that fans old and new have been waiting for.

The 2026 global tour kicks off in Australia, where the band will perform across the East Coast with Melbourne’s very own The Grogans supporting.

Fronted by the compelling presence of Brooks Nielsen, The Growlers’ return opens a new chapter in a story rooted in Southern California underground mythology. The band built a devoted global fanbase by pioneering the “Beach Goth” aesthetic — a fluid mix of surf-garage-pop-punk — and became legendary for early club and warehouse tours aboard their now-mythic school bus “Lizzie,” much in the spirit of the Merry Pranksters’ Furthur.

The Growlers have made records with both Dan Auerbach and Julian Casablancas, and their studio evolution reached a high point with the Casablancas–produced album City Club alongside the earlier Chinese Fountain. And now, with longtime drummer Richard Gowen back in the fold, the chemistry that defined their best live shows has returned.

While The Growlers paused full touring in 2019, Brooks Nielsen kept the creative engine running. Over the past few years Nielsen has released five solo albums and played hundreds of shows worldwide. That prolific solo era recently concluded with two sold-out nights at the Hollywood Palladium on October 30 & 31, 2025, setting the stage for The Growlers’ return.

The band’s resurgence arrives with fresh music: the swaggering new singles “Feel My Funk” and “Crisis” deliver the familiar mix of groove and grit fans expect, and the recent Beach Goth Tape archival release shows they’re dialling in both nods to the past and bold moves ahead.

The Growlers are back — ready to celebrate the songs, the fans, and the legacy that’s brought them here.

Brian Taranto22 January 2026