Joan Baez To Return To Australia For National Concert Tour

Legendary singer-songwriter and activist Joan Baez has announced that she will return to Australia for a national concert tour this September, her first visit since completing her lauded world tour in 2013-14.

Baez, whose career has spanned more than five decades and drawn accolades as both a creative and cultural icon, will get her southern sojourn started in the nation's capital, at the Royal Theatre, Canberra, on Thursday, 17 September, and go on to grace high-profile stages at venues in Sydney (20 September), Melbourne (24 September), Hobart (27 September), Perth (30 September), Darwin (4 October) and Brisbane (7 October) on her way to her final Australian show on Monday, 12 October, at Adelaide's Festival Hall.

With most recent album Day After Tomorrow proving that the veteran performer is far from running out of steam yet - the full-length picked up a Grammy nomination in the wake of its release - Aussie fans are in for an undeniable treat with their latest opportunity to bask in the presence of Baez, an utterly remarkable woman who was present when Martin Luther King Jr delivered his historic "I have a dream" speech, stood with Nelson Mandela on his 90th birthday, attended Barack Obama's inauguration and - for her voluminous musical achievements, of which Aussie fans can expect to hear a broad selection - was recognised by the Folk Alliance International in 2011 when they bestowed upon her that year's Lifetime Achievement Award.

"It's been a long time since I've had an entire album of songs that speak to the essence of who I am in the same way as the songs that have been the enduring backbone of my repertoire for the past 50 year," Baez said in a statement, letting through the genuine sense of enthusiasm she evidently possesses for her newest work.

Baez will be backed for all shows by son Gabriel Harris on percussion, and multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell on banjo, guitar, keyboard and fiddle.

Tickets for Joan Baez's 2015 Australian tour go on sale Monday, 4 May, through a variety of outlets. See The Music App or hit up theGuide for more information on venues, bookings and dates.