Sting’s ‘The Last Ship’ Will Sail to Australia In 2026

Sting will steer his musical “The Last Ship” to Australia next year. 

The superstar former Police frontman will take to the stage at Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) newest venue, Glasshouse Theatre, for 29 performances from April 9th through to May 3rd, 2026, for the musical which he developed in 2011, inspired by his 1991 album, “The Soul Cages”.

Per a statement from QPAC this week: “Rooted in his own childhood in the British shipbuilding town of Wallsend, “The Last Ship” tells the moving story of a community of shipbuilders in the northeast of England, faced with the closure of their shipyard – the heart of their existence.

“Sting takes on the role of Jackie White, the shipyard’s foreman whose health is failing just as his leadership is needed most. In this very personal show, the artist immerses the audience in a hometown he was desperate to escape, a world where love, loss, and hope intertwine.”

The original stage production of “The Last Ship” premiered in Chicago in 2014, followed by a Broadway run the same year, before moving through the UK, Ireland, Europe and the US.

“I grew up in the shadow of the shipyard,” Sting said.

“My father wanted me to follow him into the shipyard, but I dreamed of something else… I dreamed of escaping, and I did everything in my power to get away from that life. But the farther I got, the more I realised I needed to understand where I came from and felt I had to give something back. “The Last Ship” is my tribute to the people and the place that shaped me.”

QPAC chief executive Rachel Healy added: “You might have experienced Sting’s amazing stadium performances in the past but witnessing a performer of this calibre sharing a fascinating and deeply personal story in the gorgeous intimacy of Queensland’s brand-new Glasshouse Theatre is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This will be Sting like you’ve never seen him before.”

Tickets for “The Last Ship” go on sale on Thursday, September 18th.