Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance Returns to Australia in 2025
Media Release
Michael Flatley’s Global Dance Phenomenon Lord of the Dance Returns to Australia in 2025 with a Spectacular New Production
The world’s most successful dance show, Lord of the Dance, is set to return to Australia for the first time since 2015, exploding onto stages across the country in August and September 2025. This breathtaking new production will open in Melbourne on Saturday, August 30th, before travelling to Brisbane, Newcastle, and Sydney.
Tour Dates and Venues:
Melbourne – Saturday 30th August, 7pm – Margaret Court Arena
Melbourne – Sunday 31st August, 2pm – Margaret Court Arena
Brisbane – Wednesday 3rd September, 7pm – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Newcastle – Thursday 4th September, 7pm – Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Sydney – Friday 5th September, 7pm – ICC Sydney
Sydney – Saturday 6th September, 2pm – ICC Sydney
Tickets go on sale at 11am on Thursday 10th April from TICKETEK.
Following a triumphant 2024 world tour with more than 250 dates, Lord of the Dance continues to captivate audiences, seamlessly blending tradition with cutting-edge innovation. State-of-the-art technology, dazzling special effects, and updated costumes bring a glamorous, contemporary energy to this reimagined production.
The 2025 Australian tour will showcase 40 of the world’s most outstanding young dancers, led by veteran performer Matt Smith in the role of The Lord, under the direction of Michael Flatley, with music composed by Gerard Fahy.
Michael Flatley said: "Australia has always held a special place in the heart of Lord of the Dance. It’s incredible to see how this show continues to evolve while staying true to its roots, and I know Australian audiences will be blown away by this spectacular new production."
Michael Flatley first stunned audiences with Riverdance at Eurovision 1994, before revolutionizing Irish dance with Lord of the Dance in 1996. Since then, the production has sold out more than 1,000 theatres, arenas, and stadiums worldwide, with over 60 million people experiencing its magic in 60 countries across every continent. Lord of the Dance has played in legendary venues such as Madison Square Garden, London’s O2 and Wembley Arenas, Paris’ Accor Arena, and the historic Temples of Baalbek in Lebanon. In 1998, the show set a record with 21 consecutive sell-out performances at London’s Wembley Arena—a feat it still holds today—earning Flatley a place on Wembley’s prestigious Square of Fame. He has also set Guinness World Records for the fastest tap speed at 35 taps per second and for being the highest-paid dancer in history.
The timeless story of Lord of the Dance unfolds in the dreams of the Little Spirit, where the noble Lord of the Dance must battle the evil Dark Lord and his army of Warlords. The temptress Morrighan threatens to come between The Lord and his true love, Saoirse, while Erin the Goddess gives voice to the emotions expressed through dance. With high-energy choreography, spellbinding storytelling, and breathtaking music, the production continues to push the boundaries of Irish dance and remains one of the most exhilarating stage experiences of all time.
Produced in Australia by TEG Van Egmond and Big Deal Touring, Lord of the Dance is an experience like no other—blending history, innovation, and pure exhilaration into one breathtaking show.
“Your jaw is in your lap watching their feet move almost as fast as sound itself.” – LondonTheatre.co.uk
“Fascinating, rewarding & above all entertaining.” – New York Post
“An awesome sight.” – The Hollywood Reporter
“A 5-star evening of entertainment.” – LondonTheatre.co.uk
For further Information Visit:
www.tegvanegmond.com or www.lordofthedance.com
LORD OF THE DANCE TIMELINE
Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance officially debuted on July 2, 1996, at The Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.
From Dublin the show went on to a run of four sold-out weeks at the London Coliseum, sold-out within days of going on sale in Australia, and broke all known box office records in South Africa.
America fell under its spell in March 1997, with thirteen consecutive sell-out shows at New York's prestigious Radio City Music Hall.
In Los Angeles in March, Michael and the troupe delivered a scintillating performance at the 69th Academy Awards Ceremony in Hollywood before a global television audience estimated at over 2.5 billion.
1998 was another record-breaking year for Lord of the Dance. The show performed 21 consecutive sell-out shows at London's Wembley Arena - a feat for which it still holds the record.
Michael breaks his own Guinness World Record of 25 taps per second with an incredible 35 taps per second.
In July 1998, Michael took Lord of the Dance to the next artistic level and presented the "turbo-charged" version, the spectacular Feet of Flames, to an audience of 25,000 on the historic Route of Kings in London 's Hyde Park.
Due to popular demand the show expanded forming several Lord of the Dance troupes which would tour North America and Europe including a five-year residency in Las Vegas and a contract with Disney for Lord of the Dance to perform at Epcot in Walt Disney World for the summers of 1999 and 2000.
Michael was recorded in the Guiness Book of World Records as the Highest Paid Dancer and also having the Highest Insurance Policy on his legs at $40,000,000.
After Hyde Park, the public demanded more and, in the summer of 2000, Michael launched his new version, the Feet of Flames 2000 World Tour which played to over four million people in Western Europe and performed before an audience of over 100,000 in Budapest, Hungary. The last show of the European leg, a spectacular finale at Stormont in Belfast, Northern Ireland, proved that hearts united through music and dance pay no heed to historical boundaries.
In June 2001, Michael brought Feet of Flames - The Victory Tour, to 20 American cities. The highlight of the tour was the fulfillment of Michael's dream to perform at New York's Madison Square Garden. All who were fortunate enough to get a ticket said Michael was truly at the pinnacle of his art.
Lord of the Dance debuted in China in November 2004 at the Beijing Exhibition Hall Theatre.
In July 2005, in Budapest, Hungary, Michael unveiled Celtic Tiger, an epic masterpiece that fused the spirit and history of Ireland with music and dance fulfilling Michael’s life-long ambition, to showcase Irish dance as a dynamic, powerful art form. In September 2005 Celtic Tiger premiered in the US at Madison Square Garden where Michael and his troupe gave the audience a stunning performance that received five standing ovations.
In 2010 after a long road to recovery from a mystery illness, Michael Flatley returned to the stage with Lord of the Dance with arena performances in three major cities across Taiwan.
In 2011 Lord of the Dance was filmed for the first time in groundbreaking 3D.
Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games premiered on London’s West End at the historic Palladium Theatre in September 2014. After a sold-out run, Michael Flatley was honoured to be inducted into the Palladium Theatre “Hall of Fame”.
A year later the show moved to the Dominion Theatre and subsequently the Playhouse Theatre on the West End before embarking on tours of Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
On July 4th, 2015, Michael made his final UK performance at Wembley Arena as spectacular as his first. With the cast of two productions performing onstage together for the final number in the show. In recognition of his record-breaking performances at the iconic venue, Michael was invited to leave a lasting mark in history by having his feet cast for the Arena’s “Square of Fame”.
In November of the same year the show debuted on Broadway at the Lyric Theatre for a limited run which was the first time for Michael and the cast to perform on Broadway.
After a tour of the US, Michael made his final stage appearance with the show in March 2016 at the magnificent Coliseum at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas.
In 2019, by invitation of the Vice President of China, Lord of the Dance performed at the Beijing Expo.
In early 2022, with a cast of 100 dancers Lord of the Dance returned to Taiwan to perform Feet of Flames in arenas across the country.
2023 saw the show return to Dublin at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre to celebrate 25 Years of Lord of the Dance. In Dublin the Michael Flatley and the original cast gathered onstage to celebrate 25 Years since the premiere in Dublin. For the first time ever the Young Lords, aged between 7 and 12 years performed Lord of the Dance onstage. They were all children or dance students of the original cast
TEG Van Egmond are synonymous with high-quality and hugely successful shows, marketing, logistics and production with a history built on relationships. A market leader for more than 45 years in touring, special events, event merchandising, marketing, ticketing and promotion with a ‘hands on’ approach, TEG Van Egmond have presented and produced some of Australia’s largest entertainment events. Specialising in concerts, exhibitions, theatre, merchandising and special events, it has established itself as a leader in entertainment worldwide. A reputation for attracting high-yielding events to the Australasian marketplace is second to none with productions in Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan & Japan. TEG Van Egmond is owned by TEG, a global leader in live entertainment, ticketing, digital and data which sits at the heart of the live event experience for millions of fans. TEG operates globally and includes TEG Live, TEG Sport, TEG Rugby Live, TEG Experiences, TEG Dainty, TEG Van Egmond, TEG MJR, Laneway Festival, Handsome Tours, TEG Lifelike Touring, TEG TES Live, TEG Europe, TEG Asia, TEG North America, Qudos Bank Arena, Ticketek, Ovation, FAN+, VIP NOW and SXSW Sydney.
BIG DEAL TOURING is owned and operated by Sam Righi. Sam is one of Australia’s most well-known promoters. He has been in the industry for over forty years, having toured Andrea Bocelli (2008 & 2014 ) David Copperfield, Elvis The Wonder Of Your 2017, Everton Soccer Club, Gypsy Kings, Havasi, Katherin Jenkins, Kym Wylde, Paul Young, Placido Domingo, Priscilla Presley, Sarah Brightman, to name a few.
Sam was part of The Frontier Touring Company as a Shareholder/Director formed in 1979 The company has presented several big acts, including Billy Joel, Billy Idol, Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Coldplay, Eminem, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, Sammy Davis Jr, Guns N’ Roses, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Moby, Nickelback, Pearl Jam, P!NK, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rod Stewart, Shaggy, The Eagles, The Police, and Van Halen, to name a few.
