Faith No More Returns to the Stage: A Down Under Surprise
After years of uncertainty and stalled momentum, the experimental titans are reuniting for a high-profile tour alongside System of a Down.
By Wax Staff · July 27, 2026
"Faith No More has spent decades defining their own brand of chaotic, unpredictable excellence."
Faith No More has never operated according to the standard rules of the music industry. Since Mike Patton first grabbed the microphone in 1988, the group has oscillated between brilliant, boundary-pushing output and explosive, often volatile hiatuses. Now, as the band prepares to return to the road, followers of WAXMGZINE can expect the same erratic energy that has kept the outfit relevant for nearly forty years.
The Long Road Back to the Stage
The band is slated to join System of a Down for a series of four stadium dates in Australia and New Zealand this January and February. These shows mark the group's first live performances since 2016. The road to this reunion has been anything but smooth; past attempts to bring the band together were hampered by the global pandemic, and in 2021, the group scrapped scheduled dates entirely as Patton navigated significant mental health challenges.
During that time away from the fold, Patton remained hyper-active, recording with Dead Cross, touring with Mr. Bungle, and even lending his voice to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles project. However, the internal climate of Faith No More remained nebulous. Keyboardist Roddy Bottum, who spent his recent years balancing a memoir and projects with Imperial Teen, had previously described the band as being in a state of "semi-permanent hiatus."
Untangling the Legacy
The history of Faith No More is rarely straightforward. Following their initial dissolution in 1998, they staged a major comeback in 2009. The subsequent years saw the release of their 2015 comeback album, Sol Invictus, and a revolving door of creative tension and public declarations that often served to distance the members from the band's future viability. Despite grimmer assessments from Bill Gould and Mike Bordin just last year, the group finally silenced the rumors with a cryptic social media tease this June, culminating in the official announcement of the 2025 tour.
For a band whose lineage is defined by such drastic turns, these four dates feel like a test of the waters. While the official itinerary is currently limited to the Trans-Tasman route, the overwhelming volume of interest from fans suggests that the demand for a wider tour is clearly there. Whether this represents a proper second wind or merely a fleeting moment of reconnection, Faith No More remains an essential, albeit untamable, pillar of alternative music.
2025 Tour Dates
- January 22: Sydney, Australia - Accor Stadium
- January 27: Melbourne, Australia - Marvel Stadium
- February 01: Brisbane, Australia - Suncorp Stadium
- February 17: Wellington, New Zealand - HNRY Stadium