Avatar return with fire and fury, flanked by Pyrefly and Bulletbelt

Avatar return to Australia and New Zealand in August and September 2026 with their tenth studio album Don't Go In The Forest, supported by Sydney metal band Pyrefly in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and New Zealand's Bulletbelt in Auckland. The Swedish metal outfit plays Adelaide's Lion Arts Factory on 26 August, followed by dates in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland.

**AVATAR** have announced that **PYREFLY** one of Australia's finest metal exponents and New Zealand Metal legends will support them **BULLETBELT **on their upcoming tour!

**PYREFLY** will open proceedings in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Forged in Sydney’s heavy underground, Pyrefly deliver a volatile blend of crushing modern metal, massive hooks and raw emotional weight. From commanding festival stages at Good Things to sharing bills with some of heavy music’s most formidable international acts, the band have built a reputation for explosive live shows that hit with equal parts precision and chaos. At the heart of Pyrefly is a fiercely inclusive community, built around heavy music as a place for outsiders to belong, lose themselves for a night, and leave feeling like they were part of something.

Whilst in Auckland local legends **BULLETBELT **get things underway in Auckland. From sharing stages with international metal heavyweights, tours in Europe and Japan to landing tracks on the *Deathgasm* feature film soundtrack, **Wellington, NZ**'s own **Bulletbelt** remains a defining, high-octane fixture of Southern Hemisphere metal. Having recently road-tested ferocious new material on tour, anticipation is high as the band prepares to unleash their hotly awaited sixth studio album.

"Avatar have evolved into one of metal’s most wildly inventive live forces. They orchestrate chaos on stage with a full-blown metal machine at their base. The set is a masterclass in controlled madness. The songs land like hammer blows, each one bigger than the last. An unmissable spectacle from start to finish – what a night!!" **- York Calling**

"Johannes Eckerstrom is without a doubt one of the greatest frontmen of our time. The flair and theatrics of Alice Cooper crossed with the charisma and vocal ability of Freddy Mercury and Bruce Dickinson, he is a true force of nature to be dealt with on stage" **- Everblack Media**

"The mark of a great show is that it doesn’t end when the lights come up. It lingers, echoing in your bones, reminding you why live music still matters. Avatar didn’t just play a concert in Silver Spring. They staged a war, a carnival, a ritual and for those lucky enough to be there, it was one hell of a night." **- Park Life DC**

**AVATAR ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND TOUR**

Australia… you thought they forgot! They did not. They waited. They sharpened their claws. They let the forest grow wilder, darker, hungrier. Three years is a blink in eternity, yet long enough for the trees to learn your secrets. Now they return not as visitors, but as conquerors. Bring your torches. Bring your madness. Bring your soul laid bare.

Step into the woods and let **The Clown** paint your face with fire. Do not go in alone… because once you enter, you never truly leave.

In 2023, when we declared **AVATAR** one of the greatest live metal bands on the planet, some were incredulous. Then Australia witnessed the crushing the band delivered. ***Dance Devil Dance*** hit **#1 on the iTunes Rock and Metal Albums Charts** (and #6 across all genres), and the doubters vanished.

Now AVATAR return with the triumphant release of their tenth studio album, ***Don’t Go In The Forest***, continuing their legacy of crushing riffs, soaring hooks, masterful songwriting and shadow‑soaked storytelling.

Australia prepare to pledge your allegiance. **The reckoning has arrived.**

**AVATAR 2026 Australian and NZ Tour Dates**

Wednesday 26th August ADELAIDE, Lion Arts Factory
Friday 28th August MELBOURNE, Northcote Theatre
Saturday 29th August SYDNEY, Manning Bar
Sunday 30th August BRISBANE, Princess Theatre
Tuesday 1st September AUCKLAND, Powerstation

**Tickets On Sale Now From:** **[https://thephoenix.au/avatar-2026/](https://thephoenix.au/avatar-2026/)**

![Five members of Avatar stand in dark clothing before a red background with tour dates and venue information for their "Don't Go in the Forest '26" Australia and New Zealand tour.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/08/ff3b476f-c09a-4472-a87c-817d434bdd63.png)