Iconic Noughties Band Announces Major Regional Gig and Teases National Tour

Iconic US rockers Good Charlotte are heading Down Under next year for a series of concerts, including a surprise show in regional Victoria.

The hitmakers have announced a concert at the Bendigo Showgrounds for February 21 after teasing an Australian tour over the weekend.

There are also reports that the group will play shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth as part of their Motel Du Cap World Tour 2026.

The band have yet to make any official announcement, but Blunt magazine reported on Monday that the group is set to play arenas in major metro centres through February.

According to the publication, Good Charlotte is booked to kick off their Aussie tour at the RAC Arena in Perth on February 17, before heading to Queensland for a gig at The Brisbane Entertainment Centre on February 19.

Following a show in Bendigo on February 21, the band will finish off their jaunt Down Under with a concert at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on February 25.

Meanwhile, Ticketek has launched a Good Charlotte waitlist page to keep fans updated on details about the upcoming tour, while pre-sales for the Bendigo show are already available.

The Good Charlotte Bendigo show was partly funded ‘by taxpayers’ via a fee paid by the state government, reported the Herald Sun on Monday.

The gig appears to be part of a broader effort to draw fans to regional Victoria, with Lenny Kravitz set to play in Mildura in November, as well as the upcoming one-day music festival, Ok Rochester, in Rochester, 196 km from Melbourne.

Good Charlotte teased an upcoming Australian tour last week.

The American rockers left their mark on Sydney when signs began to appear in high-traffic areas with a message from the band.

In photos shared with Daily Mail by Whatslively on Friday, one particular sign could be seen hanging on a bridge over a busy roadway.

‘Sydney, this song is dedicated to every kid who ever got picked last in gym class,’ the message read for passing drivers.

Good Charlotte last toured Australia in September 2012, when they performed at the Fat As Butter Festival, as well as in Sydney and Melbourne.

The upcoming tour coincides with the recent release of the new Good Charlotte album, titled Motel Du Cap, in August this year.

It was the first music released by Good Charlotte since 2018, with the band going on a five-year hiatus until they reunited in 2023 to play at a very special gig.

Band members—Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Paul Thomas, Billy Martin and Dean Butterworth—teamed up to play the wedding of Joel’s sister-in-law, Sofia Richie.

Sofia, the sister of Joel’s wife Nicole Richie, tied the knot with his good friend, record label boss Elliot Grainge.

Good Charlotte were asked to get the band back together and play at the milestone event, with the musicians saying the gig brought their group back to life.

The hiatus prior to Motel du Cap was the second break the band has taken, with the first coming in late 2011 following the release of their Greatest Hits album and their 2010 Cardiology album.

Twin brothers Joel and Benji, 46, said they took a break to focus on family and other projects, with Joel admitting upon their return in 2016 that they needed to figure out who they were outside of the band. 

Good Charlotte formed in 1995 in Waldorf, Maryland, with the band’s line-up remaining consistent since 2005.

They released their self-titled debut album in 2000.

Tickets go on sale for Good Charlotte’s Bendigo show on Thursday.