José Carreras to play Gabba show with Robbie Williams

Spanish tenor José Carreras will mark his 80th birthday with a major all-star concert at The Gabba in Brisbane this December, organisers announced on Wednesday.

In Carreras & Friends, the Spanish tenor will lead a line-up featuring Robbie Williams, The Corrs, Ronan Keating, Anne Wilson of Heart, Darren Hayes of Savage Garden, Natalie Imbruglia, Sheppard, as well as fellow opera singers Katherine Jenkins and Mark Vincent.

The show will feature a mix of collaborations and individual performances, all backed by over 90 musicians from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, culminating in an "all-star finale".

Music back at the Gabba

The Gabba, which is set to be demolished following the 2032 Olympics, is seldom used for live music.

Carreras & Friends will be the first concert held at the ground, which is usually used for cricket and AFL, since Taylor Swift and Charli xcx performed there in 2019 and Adele in 2017.

Some of the artists have toured Australia recently: The Corrs were here in February 2025, while Robbie Williams will perform at the city's Lang Park two weeks before the Gabba show.

But the government is still banking on the unconventional line-up to generate significant interest from those outside of Queensland. 

Andrew Powell, Queensland's minister for tourism, believes the concert will bring an estimated $11 million into the Queensland economy.

"José Carreras is one of the world's most celebrated performers and this exclusive Queensland event will attract more visitors, support local businesses and showcase our state to audiences around the globe," he says.

The concert is promoted by Echo Pacific Entertainment, the latest venture from promoter Andrew McManus, who serves as the company's chief executive.

McManus's last large-scale event was Pandemonium Rocks, a travelling festival that faced significant criticism when many of the acts booked were removed from the line-up, and a privacy breach leaked the details of ticketholders seeking refunds.

Following Pavarotti's footsteps

The concert bears some resemblance to Pavarotti & Friends, the series of charity concerts fronted by Carreras's Three Tenors partner Luciano Pavarotti in the 1990s and 2000s.

While those line-ups featured the likes of Elton John, Queen, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton and the Spice Girls, Brisbane's take on the concept will be a bit humbler.

Mark Vincent, one of the Australian acts on the line-up, says the opportunity to see with Carreras has been a longstanding dream.

"It's personal for me," he says.

"My grandfather, may he rest in peace, said to me this day would come and I never believed him.

"I used to sit at home watching the DVD of the Three Tenors, it was like religion. I studied the voices of José, Luciano [Pavarotti] and Placido Domingo and he said to me and my grandmother, 'One day you'll be up there with those incredible artists'. To think that one of those dreams has come true to perform with José Carreras, I'm honestly so grateful."

The broad undercard is particularly appealing to Brisbane band Sheppard, one of the local acts asked to be a part of the concert.

"It's a pinch-yourself moment where you get the call up to be amongst some of these legendary icons," vocalist and keyboardist Amy Sheppard says.

"I think 10-year-old Amy would be pinching herself up there with The Corrs, and Darren Hayes of Savage Garden has really inspired our music, so it's a dream gig for us."

Carreras will perform alongside most of the artists on the line-up, which could make for an interesting collaboration.

"Let's see if we can get José singing Geronimo," frontman George Sheppard says.

Carreras & Friends happens at the Gabba on Saturday, December 5.