Bernard Fanning

If good things come in threes, Bernard Fanning just hit the trifecta; first confirming a new album, releasing new single ‘Battleships’ and this morning, announcing a huge national tour throughout July/August.

Hitting 18 shows, across metro and regional areas in every Australian state, The Departures Tour provides fans from Cairns to Canberra the first opportunity to hear the forthcoming album Departures live. First taste of the album ‘Battleships’ has already been embraced across the nation, with the likes of triple j, Triple M, Nova 1069 and B105 pushing it straight onto rotation last week.

Speaking of the tour, Bernard says: “I can't wait to get out into the wide brown land with a new batch of tunes and a new band. This newalbum is much more energetic so it's going to make for a really dynamic show when paired with the stuff from Tea & Sympathy. I hope to see you somewhere out there.”

The Departures Tour marks his highly anticipated return to stage since Powderfinger’s Farewell Tour of 2010 - a run that saw sales in excess of 300,000 tickets and repeat sell outs across the country.

Bernard is thrilled to take a couple of handpicked special guests, Big Scary and Vance Joy along for the ride. “It's a privilege to be taking Big Scary and Vance Joy with us as these are both acts that will be rocking houses and warming hearts for years to come,” he says.

Known and loved for their acclaimed debut of 2011, Vacation, Melbourne’s Big Scary are back in 2013 with sophomore offering Not Art - out June 28. Leading singles ‘Phil Collins’ and ‘Luck Now’ received rapturous welcome from both fans and critics alike, culminating in sold out single launches across the country. Following on from their own national tour, Big Scary will join The Departures Tour - proving their biggest run of shows to date.

Having toured in support of Iceland’s Of Monsters & Men and Australia’s own Julia Stone, fellow Melbournite Vance Joy is fast earning a name for himself, both at home and abroad. His recent SXSW showcase drove single ‘Riptide’ to #1 Most Popular Song on international blog aggregator Hype Machine, with the track attracting a massive 180,000+ plays on Soundcloud in just one month. Vance Joy’s ever-growing mantle includes an equal record at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club, where he sold out four shows as part of his God Loves You When You’re Dancing national EP tour.

Something special to note, fans in Cairns are in for a treat with ‘My Gun’-wielding four piece The Rubens also joining the bill, along with the addition of The Medics and Snakadaktal to the already stellar line up. The whole shebang kicks off at Kuranda Amphitheatre on Saturday, August 17.

For those fans who want to get in early and be assured a ticket, there are two opportunities; the first of which is an exclusive fan club presale on Tuesday, May 7 from 9:00am local time. Join the fan club at bernardfanning.com. The second is a Telstra Thanks presale, powered by BangTango from Wednesday, May 8 at 9:00am for 48hours. Visit www.telstra.com/music from Tuesday, April 30 for details.

The public on-sale kicks off at 12 noon sharp on Friday, May 10.