Jimmy Barnes announces return to stage two months after open heart surgery

Jimmy Barnes performs at Now and Forever at Shepparton Showgrounds on October 06, 2023 in Shepparton, Australia. Photo / Getty Images

Jimmy Barnes, the Australian rock star who is also the lead vocalist for Cold Chisel, has announced that he will be making a return to the stage less than two months after he announced he would be undergoing emergency open heart surgery.

Barnes, 67, made the announcement in an Instagram video shared to the platform on Sunday. In the video, he said that he will be taking his Hell of a Time tour across Australia to play for his fans, beginning with a performance at the Bluesfest music festival at Byron Bay in March.

“I can’t wait to get back on stage, in front of the band and playing for you all,” Barnes said.

“So I’m happy to announce that my first show back on stage this year will be at the legendary @bluesfestbyronbay, where I’ll be playing a special Flesh and Wood 30th anniversary show.”

“It’s also Bluesfest’s 35th anniversary so it’s going a lot of fun. Grab your tickets and I’ll see you there in just over a month.”

Barnes said that he would then kick off his Hell of a Time tour, with stops all around urban and regional Australia.

Jimmy Barnes revealed in December that he would be undergoing open heart surgery and would have to cancel upcoming shows for the foreseeable future. Photo / Instagram

“It will be a stripped back, intimate, regional theatre tour starting in June in Perth, and going through until mid August where I’ll be finishing at the Sydney Opera House,” he added.

“Tickets for the Hell of a Time tour will go on sale at 10am (local time) on Monday February 19.”

“Finally, I really want to thank everyone for their support and good wishes while I was ill. The family were passing on your messages of care and it really lifted my spirits.”

The rock star announced on Instagram in December 2023 that he was heading in for emergency open heart surgery after a bacterial pneumonia infection had spread from his lungs to his heart.

After his surgery, the Aussie rock star - originally born in Glasgow but who moved to Australia at the age of 5 - shared an update on Instagram to inform supporters that he was was in good spirits and feeling poised to make a full recovery.

Barnes was originally forced to cancel his headline appearance last year at cruise festival Rock the Boat in Noumea, New Caledonia, after he was hospitalised with the bacterial infection.

He was then forced to cancel his slot at By The C music festival in Torquay on December 2 after his health continued to deteriorate.

Barnes had multiple sold-out shows and performances booked through January and February, which included a number of stops on the Red Hot Summer Tour festival.

However, when his doctors discovered the spread of his bacterial infection, he confirmed that his shows in the foreseeable future would be cancelled.

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