Britpop icons Pulp to light up the Forecourt for two euphoric nights in March

Sydney — Monday 3 November 2025

Era-defining Britpop legends Pulp will make their Sydney Opera House debut next year – as will Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, also announced today – joining an electrifying summer line-up that includes Ludovico Einaudi, Basement Jaxx, The Streets, Ganavya, Perfume Genius, Alex G, Lucy Dacus and Cameron Winter.

On Friday 6 and Saturday 7 March, Mercury Prize-winning icons Pulp will return to Australia for the first time in 15 years. Over two euphoric nights under the stars, Jarvis Cocker and the band will bring their arch observational lyrics and unmistakable glam swagger to the Forecourt, performing a career-spanning set of anthemic indie hits and cult classics, alongside new material from their acclaimed 2025 album More.

Formed in Sheffield in 1978 by the charismatic Cocker, Pulp rose to global fame from the fringes of Britain’s post-punk scene with their Mercury Prize-winning Different Class (1996) – an irresistible fusion of social satire, disco-infused grooves and radio-ready hooks that produced the classic anthem Common People and turned Cocker into a pop culture hero. While often grouped within the Britpop pantheon, Pulp have always stood apart for their art-school sensibility and theatrical flair as well as Cocker’s sardonic take on class, sex and British life. In 2025, they released More, their first studio album in 24 years. 

"We are very excited to be getting down Down Under once more: heading back to Australia and playing brand new music plus old favourites, on the steps of the iconic Sydney Opera House" – Pulp

On Thursday 12 March, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek will bring their intoxicating blend of 70s psychedelia, Anatolian folk grooves and cosmic funk to the Utzon Room, performing songs from their celebrated new album Yarın Yoksa (2025). 
 
Led by the magnetic German-born Turkish vocalist and bağlama player Derya Yıldırım, the boundary-pushing group unites French musicians Graham Mushnik (keys) and Antonin Voyant (guitar/bass) with Berlin-based South African drummer Helen Wells. They conjure an entrancing, cross-cultural sound that threads traditional Turkish melodies through dreamy psych-pop textures and infectious grooves. Since their 2019 debut Kar Yağar, the band have cultivated a devoted following across Europe’s underground and world-music scenes. Their latest release Yarın Yoksa (If There Is No Tomorrow) – produced by Leon Michels (El Michels Affair, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Wu-Tang Clan) – marks a bold leap forward: a stirring, soulful fusion of tradition and innovation that transforms personal pain and collective struggle into music of resilience.

Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall, said: “It’s a genuine buzz to finally welcome the inimitable majesty of Pulp to the Opera House. Jarvis Cocker and the band in full flight are sharp, subversive and joyously alive. Their summer Forecourt shows will be unforgettable communal celebrations in a sweeping setting under the stars. Meanwhile, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek are a riveting Khruangbin-esque kaleidoscope of sound, pulsing with life. Derya’s mesmerising vocals and the band’s vibrant 70s psych-rock flair honour the past while creating something thrillingly new and compelling live in the intimacy of the Utzon Room.”