Suzi Quatro and Baby Animals at Speers Point Park

There's a big outdoor show landing in the Hunter this spring, and it's the kind of double bill that'll pull a crowd. Suzi Quatro is bringing her Down Under 2026 Tour to Speers Point Park on Saturday 14 November, with the Baby Animals joining her as special guests. It's a proper outdoor concert for anyone in the region who lives for a loud guitar, and the pairing is a bit of a no-brainer.

For anyone who needs the background, Suzi Quatro has sold more than 55 million records worldwide. Her run started in earnest with 'Can the Can' hitting number one globally in 1973, and from there came '48 Crash', 'Devil Gate Drive' and 'Stumblin' In'. She's also a familiar face from the screen, playing Leather Tuscadero on Happy Days from 1977. The 2026 tour comes on the back of a busy year for her: she's released the album Freedom with her son Richard Tuckey and recorded a version of MC5's 'Kick Out the Jam' with Alice Cooper. The Hunter date is part of a wider Australian run that takes her to Rooty Hill Coliseum Theatre on the same day, the Sydney Opera House on 15 November, Hobart's Wrest Point Entertainment Centre on 19 November, The Star Gold Coast on 20 November, Roma Street Parkland in Brisbane on 22 November, the Palais Theatre in Melbourne on 2 December (which is already sold out), the Adelaide Festival Theatre on 5 December and Fremantle Prison on 6 December (also sold out and 18+).

Sharing the bill are the Baby Animals, the Sydney hard rock band that first burst onto the scene in 1989. Their self-titled debut dropped on 2 September 1991, entered the ARIA Albums Chart at number six and spent six weeks at number one, eventually going eight times platinum. Shaved and Dangerous followed in 1993 and reached number two. They've picked up three ARIA Awards along the way, including Album of the Year and Best New Act in 1992. The band split in 1996 and reformed in 2007, and they're still going strong today, fronted by Suze DeMarchi on vocals and lead guitar, with Dave Leslie on guitars, Dario Bortolin on bass and backing vocals and Ricki Rae on drums and percussion, who joined in 2024. They've come off the back of two Red Hot Summer Tours in 2026, sharing stages with the likes of ZZ Top, George Thorogood, The Living End, ICEHOUSE, Noiseworks and Wolfmother, and they've got a new studio album due later this year.

The whole thing is being put on by Face to Face Touring, one of the busier promoters in the country, which came together in 2023 when Zaccaria Concerts & Touring and Regional Touring merged. They're part of the Live Nation family and run the Red Hot Summer Tour among other brands, so they're well-versed in putting on a big outdoor show. Between a global rock legend and one of Australia's most enduring hard rock bands, it's shaping up to be a big night out at Speers Point Park.