Canberra rock heavyweights Hands Like Houses are turning the spotlight outward this April, launching a nationwide search for local acts to open each date of their upcoming Lótus Tour. In a move aimed at strengthening Australia’s grassroots live music community, the band is inviting emerging artists from every tour stop to apply via social media or through an online submission form for the chance to join the bill.
The initiative comes at a time when international tours are flooding Australian venues, often leaving limited room for homegrown talent to step onto bigger stages. Determined to shift that narrative, Hands Like Houses are using their platform to create meaningful opportunities for the next wave of alternative and heavy acts.
The Lótus Tour will see Hands Like Houses join forces with post-hardcore icons Dream On Dreamer for a powerful co-headline run across the country. The tour kicks off in their hometown of Canberra at The Baso on Thursday 16 April before heading to Manning Bar in Sydney, Princess Theatre in Brisbane, Kings Beach Tavern on the Sunshine Coast, Beer Deluxe in Albury, 170 Russell in Melbourne, UniBar in Adelaide, and wrapping up at Magnet House in Perth on Sunday 26 April.
Fresh off a landmark year that delivered a #2 ARIA-charting album and a #4 ARIA deluxe release, along with national tours supporting The Used and The Butterfly Effect, Hands Like Houses are entering this run with serious momentum. Armed with their latest single, “Love & Affection,” and a revitalised live show that blends new material with fan-favourite anthems, the band are poised to deliver one of their most dynamic headline tours yet.
For Hands Like Houses, however, the Lótus Tour is about more than just celebrating their own success. It’s about paying forward the opportunities that helped launch their career.
“There are a lot of stacked international tours rolling through right now (which is awesome), but real opportunities for local Aussie bands to play bigger rooms are still super limited,” the band explains.
“So we want to do this properly. We started our career opening for touring shows through Canberra, and we understand the confidence and momentum it can help build for any artist. We’ll check every submission — stats don’t matter, music does. Every selected support band will be PAID. Always. Much love, support local, support Aussie music.”
By ensuring that every chosen support act is paid and selected on merit rather than metrics, the band is reinforcing a values-driven approach that has defined much of their fifteen-plus-year career.
Since forming in Canberra, Hands Like Houses have grown into one of Australia’s most enduring alternative rock exports. With multiple ARIA-charting releases, sold-out headline tours, more than 280 million Spotify streams, and a loyal global fanbase, the band have continually evolved their sound while maintaining a deep connection to the local scene that shaped them.
The Lótus Tour stands as both a celebration of that journey and a commitment to the future — a reminder that Australia’s alternative music ecosystem thrives strongest when artists lift each other up.
The Lótus Tour Australian Dates, With Special Guests Dream on Dreamer
April 16th - Canberra, ACT
April 17th - Sydney, NSW
April 18th - Brisbane, QLD
April 19th - Sunshine Coast, QLD
April 23rd - Albury, NSW
April 24th - Melbourne, VIC
April 25th - Adelaide, SA
April 26th - Perth, WA
