Sam Garrett has announced a spring 2025 kirtan tour spanning New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia. The tour launches at NZ Spirit Festival in Auckland on March 29, continues with shows in Sydney, Melbourne, and Byron Bay in early April, and concludes with performances in Bali and Kediri in mid-April. Most Australian and Indonesian dates feature collaborative performances with Equanimous and Franko Heke.
Sam Garrett's 2025 tour kicks off on Saturday, March 29 at the NZ Spirit Festival in Auckland, New Zealand. This opening show marks the beginning of a month-long circuit across the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, bringing kirtan—call-and-response devotional chanting—to audiences across multiple time zones and cultural contexts.
The Australian leg begins in early April with a series of interconnected shows:
- Thursday, April 3 – Sydney, NSW at Roundhouse Sydney (7:00 PM)
- Saturday, April 5 – Coburg, VIC at The Industrique (7:00 PM)
- Sunday, April 6 – Byron Bay, NSW at The Northern
The Indonesia portion follows immediately after, with performances in Bali and East Java.
Most dates feature a collaborative three-artist lineup: Sam Garrett, Equanimous, and Franko Heke. This configuration appears across all Australian shows and the Bali performance, suggesting a curated ensemble designed to deepen the participatory experience of kirtan as a communal practice. Each artist brings distinct musical and spiritual sensibilities to shared repertoire, creating layered vocal textures typical of contemporary kirtan ensembles.
The Sydney, Melbourne, and Byron Bay venues all explicitly note the presence of Equanimous and Franko Heke, indicating these are not solo performances but group offerings. The collaborative format reflects a broader trend in Western kirtan culture toward ensemble-based presentations rather than individual artist-centered events.
In Australia: The tour centers on three key regions—Sydney, Victoria, and northern New South Wales. Roundhouse Sydney is a known venue in the city's inner west; The Industrique serves Coburg in Melbourne's northern industrial area; and The Northern is located in Byron Bay, a spiritual and creative hub on the NSW coast.
In Indonesia: The tour concludes with shows in Bali (venue: Ubud, Bali, April 12 at 5:00 PM) and Kediri (venue: nuanu, April 16 at 7:00 PM). Ubud is Bali's cultural center and a long-established destination for yoga, meditation, and kirtan seekers. Kediri represents an expansion into East Java, indicating broader regional outreach beyond tourist-oriented yoga hubs.
Kirtan is a Sanskrit term for call-and-response chanting, rooted in Hindu and yogic devotional traditions. In contemporary Western contexts, it has evolved into a participatory musical practice where a lead vocalist (or ensemble) sings a mantra or chant phrase, and the audience responds, often accompanied by instruments like harmonium, drums, and guitars.
The format creates a direct, embodied experience of collective singing and spiritual intention. Unlike passive concert formats, kirtan asks participants to actively vocalize sacred syllables and phrases, creating a shared sonic and energetic field. This practice has grown significantly in yoga studios, meditation centers, and dedicated kirtan venues across Australia and the Pacific region over the past two decades.
All tour details and ticket information are available at samgarrettmusic.com/tour/. This centralized resource provides real-time updates on venues, times, and any lineup or schedule changes. Given the international nature of the tour, checking the official site before traveling is advisable, especially for the Indonesia dates, which may have different promotional channels than the Australia and New Zealand shows.
If you're interested in attending any of these dates, visit samgarrettmusic.com/tour/ to secure tickets and confirm current information. For those new to kirtan, the ensemble format of these shows—with Garrett, Equanimous, and Franko Heke—offers an excellent introduction to the practice in an established, artist-led setting. Whether you're based in Auckland, Sydney, Byron Bay, or traveling to Bali, this tour provides a concentrated opportunity to experience contemporary kirtan with recognized teachers and musicians during a single month in spring 2025.
