Entertainment
14 June, 2026
What’s next for vocalist?
AFTER 50 years in music and 20 albums, Graeme Connors says looking ahead remains his greatest motivation as he prepares to bring his ‘What Next?’ tour to audiences in 2026.
Mr Connors will perform at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC) on Saturday 15 August.
The acclaimed Queensland singer-songwriter will perform songs from his latest album alongside career favourites following his sellout My Lyrical Life national tour in 2024/2025.
Mr Connors is also promoting a new single, ‘The Best Day of My Life’, which has been released to radio following the announcement of the latest tour dates.
“Writing has always been the best way for me to work through my thinking,” Mr Connors said.
“Once the job is done, it’s done, and I find looking back makes me weary. Looking forward gives me a sense of excitement,” Mr Connors said.
“So, while I’ve still got that energy, and while the ideas still flow, I just keep doing what I do.”
The Mackay-based artist said songwriting continued to inspire him because of its ability to connect with people.
“Songs are strange beasts. When you get a good one, they really reach out and connect you with other people, and there’s something special about that.”
The new tour will blend audience favourites including ‘A Little Further North Each Year’, ‘The Road Less Travelled’ and ‘The Ringer and the Princess’ with material from his latest release.
“When I’m putting a show together, there are obviously songs that the audience have come to hear,” he said.
“I’m trying to intersperse those with some new music that keeps my band and myself excited to be presenting something new.”
Mr Connors said his connection to North Queensland remained central to his songwriting.
“I choose to live where I live, and I love where I live, so as a consequence, the sense of the tropics oozes through my music,” he said.
“The images that I have, whether it’s mango trees or wetlands, or whatever happens to be, that’s what I know and understand.”
Reflecting on his recent My Lyrical Life tour, Mr Connors said revisiting his catalogue allowed him to broaden the conversation with audiences beyond his best-known songs.
“It enabled me to have a broader conversation with my audience, and that was rewarding, I think, for both of us.”
The What Next? tour will see Connors continue a career that has earned ARIA, APRA and PPCA recognition, while introducing audiences to new music inspired by the people and places that have shaped his songwriting for half a century.
Tickets available online through the CPAC website and Ticketlink.
