If Ennio Morricone swaggered onto a Tijuana dancefloor, with a touch of Melbourne dust kicked up in the process, chances are the end result would sound exactly like Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s 2025 full-length The Ballad Of Monte Loco. And in 2026, this bustling collection of desert-soaked ska and reggae songs is set to take full flight, with the ARIA Award-winning collective today announcing a huge run of Australian headline shows this August, September and October, along with the, as yet unannounced, release of deluxe version of The Ballad Of Monte Loco, aptly dubbed Monte Loco Rides Again.
Commencing on Friday August 7 in Adelaide, Melbourne Ska Orchestra will be bringing the signature big band party experience through Fremantle, Geelong, Mt Evelyn, Hobart, Forth, Sunshine Coast, Brunswick Heads, Brisbane, Melbourne, Castlemaine, San Remo, Sydney, and Cairns, and will also feature Mexico’s very own Out Of Control Army at their Melbourne show on Friday October 2. Tickets for Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s Monte Loco Rides Again Tour 2026 are on sale now from http://www.melbourneskaorchestra.com/.
Reinvigorating the golden age of ska through a modern and cinematic lens, Melbourne Ska Orchestra boasts some of the country’s most revered performers and musicians, spearheaded by the charismatic Nicky Bomba (John Butler Trio, Bomba, Busyamento) at the helm. Forming in the early 2000s, Melbourne Ska Orchestra have spent decades weaving creative magic, from their self-titled debut which sparked sold-out national tours and international festival appearances through to two ARIA Award wins and several nominations, millions of streams, and a reputation as being one of the country’s most celebrated and cutting-edge exports.
Perpetually pushing the boundaries of ska and reggae, with the group also comprising up to 26 members spanning vocals, horns, keys, percussion, woodwind and more, Melbourne Ska Orchestra most recently dazzled with their new full-length, 2025’s The Ballad Of Monte Loco; a collection of songs soaked in rich storytelling, Western smoulder and an inescapably infectious energy that once again expanded the group’s sonic identity into tantalising new territory. And it’s this very album that is set to be given the MSO live treatment in technicolour fashion this August, September and October, as Nicky Bomba reveals, “This whole era is the Ballad of Monte Loco. Think Ennio Morricone meets a Tijuana dance floor, with a little Melbourne dust kicked up in the process. It’s cinematic, it’s got swagger, it’s got heat. We’re bringing the full show: the costumes, the horns blazing, the rhythm section rattling the walls. Fans can expect to sweat, dance, and leave with a massive grin on their face. That’s the guarantee.”
A joyful and unstoppable creative force to be reckoned with, the reality of life on the road for a band like MSO, brandishing an army of musicians (or “the full wagon”, as the band puts it) at all times is not without its own unique logistics when it comes to touring and life on the road. But, as Bombareveals, there’s no downside to taking this village of insatiable professionals on the road after all this time, and the upcoming Monte Loco Rides Again Tour is no exception. “I’ve gotta say, it’s always INCREDIBLE,” Bomba enthuses of life on the road with MSO. “There’s nothing like the feeling of MSO getting back on the road. It’s like herding the most talented, beautiful cats you’ve ever seen. We’ve got 20-something musicians, crew, gear… it’s basically a small village on the move. But honestly? That’s the magic of it. Everyone in this band is a pro, everyone loves what we do, and the moment we hit the stage together it all makes complete sense. The logistics are wild but the music makes it worth every lengthy spreadsheet and 6am lobby call.”
“We’re a bunch of musos who fell in love with ska, reggae and Latin music and just never stopped,” Bomba adds. “There’s no ego, just energy. When 20-odd people lock into a groove together and the room starts moving, that’s what we are. That feeling, right there.”
Adding some extra star power to the upcoming run will be none other than Mexico’s Out Of Control Army; a high-octane group set to tick off their first ever Australian performances in 2026. Bringing some ska, Latin fire and plenty of punk vibes to proceedings later this year, it will also mark a reunion for Out Of Control Army and Melbourne Ska Orchestra after both bands raised the roof in Mexico in 2024 together for some massive joint shows. “Aaah Mexico! What a place!” says Bomba. “The Mexico shows were some of the most electric nights of my life. Playing to a Mexican crowd who already know your music, who SING it back at you, it’s humbling and insane at the same time. Out Of Control Army are legends of the Mexican ska scene and they brought their whole community to that show. There was so much love in the room. We knew straight away we had to get them to Melbourne, let our crowd experience what we experienced. It’s a real cultural exchange, a genuine connection between the dedicated ska scene in Mexico and the music loving multicultural melting pot that is Melbourne.”
Also primed to release Monte Loco Rides Again ahead of their tour sharing the same name, this upcoming deluxe edition of The Ballad Of Monte Loco will expand the MSO cinematic and sonic universe featuring Live recordings of their classic repertoire, capturing the real active energy that has earned them international accolades. Bomba elaborates, “Monte Loco Rides Again feels like a sequel to a grand Western. It’s all of the great tunes from our 2025 album but upgraded with a stack of extras and unreleased tunes from the original Studio sessions. Apart from the live recordings where the band was at peak match fitness, there’s some cheeky little extras like honky tonk piano versions of MSO classics. The original was a statement, but this version fills out the world: more tracks, more colour, more of the story. It deepens the narrative of Monte Loco as a character, as a vibe. If the original was the film, this is the director’s cut. Fans who loved it are going to find new corners of goodness.”
Set to transport you into a world of saloon-ready soundscapes, Latin licks, hazy desert swoon and so much more, do not miss your chance to revel in the unforgettable creative world of Melbourne Ska Orchestra this August, September and October. Throw on your dancing shoes and/or spurs, and prepare for an experience like no other when the Monte Loco Rides Again Tour rides through a town near you in 2026.
“Just come dance,” Nicky Bomba concludes. “Seriously. Life’s heavy right now for a lot of people and we want MSO shows to be the place where you leave all of that at the door for two hours. We put everything into these shows, every night, every city. See you on the floor.”
Tickets for Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s Monte Loco Rides Again Tour 2026 are on sale now from http://www.melbourneskaorchestra.com/.
MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA – MONTE LOCO RIDES AGAIN TOUR DATES:
Tickets available at melbourneskaorchestra.com
FRI 07 AUG | THE GOV, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
SAT 08 AUG | PORT BEACH BREWERY, FREMANTLE WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
FRI 21 AUG | EUREKA HOTEL, GEELONG VIC | 18+
Tickets available from tickets.avclive.com.au
FRI 04 SEP | YORK ON LILYDALE, MT EVELYN VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
FRI 11 SEP | ALTAR, HOBART TAS | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au
SAT 12 SEP | FORTH PUB, FORTH TAS | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
THU 17 SEP | KINGS BEACH TAVERN, SUNSHINE COAST QLD | 18+
Tickets available from tickets.avclive.com.au
FRI 18 SEP | HOTEL BRUNSWICK, BRUNSWICK HEADS NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au
SAT 19 SEP | CROWBAR, BRISBANE QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
FRI 02 OCT | NORTHCOTE THEATRE, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au
FRI 09 OCT | THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
SAT 10 OCT | WESTERNPORT HOTEL, SAN REMO VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
FRI 16 OCT | CROWBAR, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au
SAT 24 OCT | TANKS ARTS CENTRE, CAIRNS QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.ticketlink.com.au
