STING brings The Last Ship to Brisbane in 2026

In a major coup for Queensland, 17-time Grammy Award winner Sting will take to the stage in his acclaimed musical THE LAST SHIP, with an exclusive Australian season at Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) newest venue, the Glasshouse Theatre, from 9 April to 3 May 2026.

The global superstar will star as Jackie White, the shipyard foreman at the heart of the story, in a renewed version of the production that has been reimagined for its 2026 international tour. Originally developed in 2011 and inspired by Sting’s 1991 album The Soul Cages, THE LAST SHIP draws on his own childhood in Wallsend, a British shipbuilding town. The musical follows a proud community grappling with the closure of its shipyard, weaving together themes of love, loss and resilience.

Sting, who will appear in every performance, has described the show as a tribute to the people and place that shaped him, blending personal storytelling with some of his most beloved songs including Island of Souls, All This Time and When We Dance. The 2026 staging features new material and a company of 28 performers, musicians and choristers, delivering a powerful mix of folk, ballads and rousing choruses.

First premiering in Chicago in 2014 before seasons on Broadway and across Europe and the UK, THE LAST SHIP has been nominated for Tony Awards and praised for its authenticity and emotional depth.

QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy said securing the production was a landmark moment for Brisbane.

Seeing Sting share such a personal story in the intimacy of the Glasshouse Theatre is an unmissable experience, Ms Healy said. It is also meaningful that Brisbane’s own shipbuilding history, with the Evans Deakin yard closing 50 years ago in 1976, resonates with the themes of this production.

Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek added that hosting an artist of Sting’s calibre in QPAC’s new theatre underscored Queensland’s growing reputation as a cultural destination.

We promised the Glasshouse Theatre would attract the world’s best, and Sting certainly delivers on that promise, he said.

With nearly 100 million albums sold and an array of honours including 17 Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, BMI Awards and Academy Award nominations, Sting’s return to the theatre promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime cultural event.

THE LAST SHIP will form part of the Glasshouse’s opening program, with 29 performances scheduled from 9 April to 3 May 2026. The season is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland, with tickets on sale to the public from 18 September 2025.