Benjamin Clementine, the Mercury Prize-winning British artist known for his arresting voice and commanding stage presence, will perform in Australia for the first time with his Back to Basics Australian Tour. Adelaide opens the tour in October 2026, with Clementine taking the stage at Adelaide Festival Centre.
Clementine’s concerts are not conventional live shows. Built from silence, voice, piano, poetry and sudden emotional force, his performances move from barely audible notes to rhythmic urgency and near-operatic release with little warning. It is this remarkable control of space, silence and intensity that has established him as one of contemporary music’s most compelling live performers.
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO Kate Gould says the venue is pleased to welcome Clementine for his Australian debut. “Benjamin Clementine is a unique artist who we are pleased to welcome to Adelaide for the first time, to open his debut Australian tour at Adelaide Festival Centre,” she says. “The British composer, pianist, singer-songwriter and filmmaker joins the ranks of internationally renowned artists from across the world coming to our venues in the coming months — including world-class guitar virtuoso Julian Lage, jazz supergroup AZIZA and Māori soul phenomenon TEEKS.”
From Paris streets to international stages
Born in London to parents of Ghanaian descent, Clementine developed his musical voice while performing in the streets, bars and Metro stations of Paris. His debut album, At Least for Now, won the 2015 Mercury Prize, followed by I Tell a Fly in 2017 and And I Have Been in 2022.
His expressive voice has drawn comparisons to Nina Simone, while the darkness and theatricality of his songwriting have been linked to Nick Cave. His piano arrangements call to the minimalism of French composer Erik Satie, though Clementine’s sound and stage presence remain unmistakably his own. In 2019, he was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in recognition of his contribution to the arts.
New music
The tour arrives alongside Clementine’s latest single, “Pizza Mind”, a surreal and satirical meditation on the desire for wisdom, fulfilment and originality without the labour or sacrifice required to achieve them. Transforming “peace of mind” into “pizza mind”, Clementine uses images of ovens, dough, crusts, heat and flavour to examine modern passivity, armchair expertise and the fear of making difficult choices. Whimsical on the surface but quietly severe underneath, the song continues his distinctive use of wordplay, philosophy and emotional directness.
For those who appreciate live performance that demands attention and rewards it in full, Clementine’s Adelaide debut is one to note.
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