Billie Eilish skips Adelaide during her Australian tour over carbon footprint concerns

Billie Eilish has become the latest music star to give Adelaide a miss during her Australian tour – but her excuse may leave people scratching their heads.

Eilish has booked 12 arena concerts in Australia – in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne – as part of her Hit Me Hard and Soft world tour. Picture: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Critically-acclaimed US singer/songwriter Billie Eilish has become the latest megastar to skip Adelaide as part of her 2025 Australia tour, with industry sources suggesting limiting her carbon footprint and logistical issues as the main reasons for the snub.

Eilish has booked 12 arena concerts in Australia – all in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne – in early 2025 as part of her Hit Me Hard and Soft world tour.

The Grammy and Oscar-winning pop force will open the Australian leg of the tour at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on February 18, 19, 21 and 22 followed by four shows at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena (February 24, 25, 27 and 28) and another four concerts at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on March 4, 5, 7 and 9.

These will be the only shows in the country with no possibility of adding extra dates.

Industry sources have suggested adding shows beyond the east coast would not only blow out the tour’s carbon footprint but also its profitability due to the cost of transporting her production around the country.

According to sources, there is an increasing likelihood big artists will continue doing east coast-only shows when visiting Australia due to freight costs. Picture: Kevin Mazur Getty Images for Coachella

Like many major international artists including Pearl Jam and Coldplay and recent tourists Taylor Swift and SZA, Eilish is skipping Adelaide and limiting her Australian visit to the east coast.

According to sources, there is an increasing likelihood big artists will continue doing east coast-only shows when visiting Australia due to high cost of freight production for the amount of tickets available to be sold in SA.

The What Was I Made For? superstar is committed to reducing the environmental impacts of touring and releasing music.

Aussie fans will have five shots at buying tickets, which will be in huge demand particularly post her award-winning, chart-topping Barbie song What Was I Made For?

First up will be the American Express Members pre-sale on May 1, followed by Frontier Member, Live Nation and Vodafone pre-sales on May 2.

The general ticket sale will be on May 3.

Eilish, who also snubbed Adelaide on her last visit when she played 12 shows on the Australian leg of her Happier Than Ever tour in 2022, will again team up with environmental non-profit Reverb.

Their partnership on her previous tour resulted in more than $1 million in donations to support climate action, reduce greenhouse gas pollution and single-use plastic waste.

The change-maker also promotes plant-based food options via Support+Feed, which was founded by her mother Maggie Baird.

Her new record Hit Me Hard and Soft, which is out on May 17, will be available on vinyl made from recycled and bio materials.

How to get tickets.

American Express Member pre-sale.

Opens on May 1 with staggered times depending on the location of the show. See Amex.com.au/Experiences for all details.

Frontier Member pre-sale

Opens May 2 again with staggered times to reduce ticket sites crashes. All details via frontiertouring.com/billieeilish

Live Nation pre-sale

Opens May 2 with staggered times per venue. More details via livenation.com.au

Vodafone pre-sale

Opens May 2 via vodafone.com.au/ticket with specific times per city.

General sale – May 3

Brisbane Entertainment Centre (February 18, 19, 21 and 22)

Tickets go on sale at 2pm via ticketek.com.au

Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney (February 24, 25, 27 and 28)

Ticketeks go on sale 1pm via ticketek.com.au

Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne (March 4, 5, 7 and 8)

Tickets go on sale at 3pm.