Singing Across the Seas: Alfie Boe’s Australian Return

World-renowned tenor and stage and screen star Alfie Boe is returning to Australia in June 2026, bringing his extraordinary career spanning opera, Broadway, and chart-topping albums to audiences across the country. Best known for his iconic portrayal of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, a career-defining role he has performed across major international productions, including the celebrated 25th Anniversary Concert.

Boe has become a global figure in both the classical and musical theatre worlds, with an extensive discography that includes acclaimed albums such as Bring Him Home, Alfie, Storyteller, and As Time Goes By, as well as best-selling collaborations with Michael Ball. With 11 Top 10 UK albums, including multiple No. 1s and several platinum certifications, he has proven his ability to connect with audiences far beyond the theatre stage.

This new tour marks the next chapter in Boe’s career, with performances featuring a mix of greatest hits, fan favourites, and selections from his forthcoming solo album Facing Myself — a project described as a powerful reflection of his artistry, resilience, and enduring passion for music. Joining him on stage throughout the tour is soprano Amy Manford, celebrated for her performances as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera.

With the new album on the horizon and tour on the way, Alfie sat down with us to reflect on his journey and share what Australian audiences can look forward to.

Are you excited to come back to Australia?

Alfie: I’m thrilled to be coming back. I love Australia very much; the audiences are wild. The response that we got during that time doing Les Mis was phenomenal. When you play a city or a country the way that we did, why not come back? It’s great because I really want to build my relationship with Australia so much and be an ambassador for the country, to bring my music over and to really build a strong connection with you guys. I love the culture. I love the people. Everything about you, really!

Australia has such a deep love for Les Misérables. How did it feel to step into that legacy with Australian audiences?

Alfie: I think, if I’m not mistaken, Australia was the first location and first destination for Les Misérables after it opened in London. To have that close affiliation to a new musical, since the birth of the show, and to come back and perform the role in Sydney and Melbourne and Brisbane was a joy, absolute joy. To see the response that it got was tremendous. I’m hoping that I can get as big a response — or a percentage of a response — for my own performance there.

How has your relationship with Les Mis and Valjean changed over 15 years?

Alfie: It’s life that changes it for you. Your personal life changes it for you. You go back into a role and you reminisce about the last time you sang it and where you were at that stage, and you accept where you are right now and adapt it and throw it into your performance. Recently, I’ve seen a lot of old footage of myself in previous performances at different stages of my life, and it’s been emotional to connect with those days. My daughter was three years old when I first started singing the role, and my son was about to be born the following year. That was a very different stage in my life. My children have always been there to support me, wherever I’ve been across the world. This role really does humble you. It’s quite an emotional character and show, and it keeps you grounded. I don’t take it for granted, that I have this gift and the loyalty to the show. The chance and opportunity to play this role is such a gift. It keeps you firmly rooted to who you are as a human being, not just as a performer.

How did you go about selecting the setlist for your show?

Alfie: I obviously want to come over with music that everybody knows. The majority of the show will be musical theatre numbers that I’ve been singing over the years solo and with Michael Ball. There will be a big Les Misérables medley, Phantom of the Opera medley. There’ll be some fun things, maybe a Queen medley to celebrate We Will Rock You. I will have an album out as well by that time, so there’ll be some original music which I’d like to perform for the audience. Some cover songs from my new album as well. It’s going to be a real mix of repertoire. I have a wonderful duet partner and guest, Amy Manford, who I’ll be touring with, and we’ll do a number of duets as well: a duet from Once called “Falling Slowly,” Come What May from Moulin Rouge! My connection with Baz was that I performed in his production of La Bohème on Broadway, which was a great joy. Throughout my career I’ve had such a bond with Australia and Australian performers and creative people. I performed with Olivia Newton-John at the Sydney Opera House as well. Having all these connections has meant so much to me over the years, and to keep that connection going is important.

Are there any songs in the show that audiences may not expect from you?

Alfie: I think on my album there are some covers that people may know, may not know, but they’re songs that touch my heart and are very emotional. There’s one in particular called “Trying to Find a World That’s Been and Gone.” It was written by Noel Gallagher. It’s a gorgeous song. Melody and musically it’s fantastic. I’m going to perform that to introduce that side of my interest in music and introduce them to a song they might not associate with Noel Gallagher. There are lots of cover songs that have deep, meaningful messages. There’s a John Hiatt song called “Have a Little Faith in Me,” and it’s about being there to support someone in need. It’s things like that that feature on my album that I want to put across in the concert—deep, meaningful songs and emotional ones that touch the heart. On a fun side, I’ll probably throw in a Queen medley. A few rock songs, a bit of association to The Who because I performed in The Who’s Quadrophenia. I might throw in a couple of rock songs from that show.

Do you have any pre-performance rituals?

Alfie: I don’t have any superstitious rituals or anything like that. I want each show to be its own individual world, its own individual development. If something is different from the night before, I really love that. I like the excitement and the spontaneity of something happening. I don’t have any routines that every show has to be the same. If you come away with everybody feeling happy and fulfilled and having had a good time, no matter what goes on, that’s more important. If there’s anything I do before a show, I take a good five or ten minutes just to sit in silence before I walk on stage. That’s me going through a process where I visualise myself on stage. When I can visualise myself performing with my band in front of the audience, then I know I can do it. It makes what’s about to happen a reality already. Visualising performing makes it easier to walk out there when I have to.

How does changing countries, cultures, or theatres impact the way a show feels to perform?

Alfie: The structure of the show never changes: your choreography, the words you’re singing, the melody. But you’re going into a show at a different stage in your life. When I started singing Les Misérables, it was 15, 16 years ago, and I was in a very different place. Now I’m 15 years on, gone through so much that it’s speaking to me in a different way. I’m in a reflective stage right now. That’s why my show is called Facing Myself. I want to expose the real me and be reflective of the past and how I’ve got to where I am today. The main difference with travelling from country to country is the audiences. The response can be different. I’m in Shanghai right now, and at the end of the show everybody goes crazy, clapping away, and then the applause dies down and stops while you’re still taking your bow. That’s because everybody’s reached for their phones to start filming. They’re filming the curtain call, so they can’t applaud. You have to eliminate that from your mind and just carry on with the bowing and know in your heart that they’ve appreciated it. It’s very different, but it’s equally exciting.

What do you hope Australian audiences will take away from your concert?

Alfie: Primarily, I would like them to feel entertained, feel happy, feel fulfilled about coming to see an Alfie show. To any young kid out there, it’s a great Christmas present and Mother’s Day present and Valentine’s gift to buy for your friends and family. The fact that I’ve called the show Facing Myself and it being an opportunity for myself to reflect on my life and my musical journey, I’d also like the audience to feel free to face themselves as well — to face their problems, trials, personal journeys, ups, downs, good times, bad times, and to address and embrace it all. Appreciate what’s happened in their lives to get them to where they are today and give them the strength to continue on their journey.

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Alfie: [jokingly] Never sing with Michael Ball [chuckles]. I would say be kind. Embrace every opportunity. Keep your feet on the ground. Don’t forget who you are, where you come from. Learn from your mistakes. I’m not going to tell you what your mistakes are, but learn from them. We all have to go through that in life. It’s a vital lesson. Enjoy every moment. Life’s short, and it’s a good life.

---

Alfie Boe will be touring to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide in June 2026.

For tickets and more information, visit the Live Nation website.