Ben Lee’s Awake Is The New Sleep Tour Tickets On Sale
Anniversary shows with reimagined classics surprise guests and Australian music fest vibes
Ratika holds a master's degree in commerce and a post-graduate diploma in communication and journalism from Mumbai University. She has 6 years of experience writing in various fields, such as finance, education, and lifestyle.
Read full bio of Ratika Pai
Image: Instagram
Announcing The 20th Anniversary Tour
This week, Australian singer-songwriter Ben Lee took to Instagram to share that tickets are officially on sale for his “Awake Is The New Sleep” 20th Anniversary Tour. In a snap captured by photographer Cybele Malinowski, Lee sports his signature guitar and a grin, simply captioning, “Tix on sale now for the #AITNS20 tour. Link in bio 🤘.” Link directs fans to dates kicking off later this year across Australia and New Zealand, marking two decades since his breakthrough LP first hit shelves in 2005.
A Reimagined Anthem: ‘catch My Disease 2025’
Alongside the tour reveal, Lee dropped news of a fresh take on his breakthrough single. His Instagram post announces the release of “Catch My Disease 2025,” a shoegaze-inflected reworking created in collaboration with Phantom Planet and producer Ninajirachi. In his caption, Lee recalls writing the original anthem backstage in Pomona back in 2003 and teaming up with Alex from Phantom Planet for the new version. He also gave shout-outs to Aussie artists Mallrat and Miss Kanina, and enlisted backing vocals from Lara Meyerratken, Sadie Dupuis, Alex Lahey, Khatumu and Tim Blunt of FVNERAL.
Why ‘awake Is The New Sleep’ Matters
Originally released in September 2005, “Awake Is The New Sleep” was Ben Lee’s fifth studio album but his first to break through on a global scale. The record peaked at No. 22 on the ARIA Albums Chart and won the ARIA Award for Best Pop Release in 2006. Tracks like “Catch My Disease” and “Gamble Everything for Love” landed Lee top-ten radio play and cemented his status beyond the indie scene he’d first emerged in as a teenager fronting the band Noise Addict in the early ’90s.
Behind The Tour Visuals
Fans getting a taste of the tour’s aesthetic might have caught a peek via a recent Instagram carousel marked #AITNS20. Shot by FilmPainting, the images show Lee rehearsal-jamming under moody lights and rehearsing choreography for a live string section. Those visuals promise more than a standard guitar-and-amp setup—expect onstage strings, layered harmonies and nods to the album’s original arrangement.
On his Wikipedia profile, Lee is noted as a prolific figure in the Sydney music community, grappling with songwriting since age 14 and speaking candidly about environmental activism, personal growth and the musician’s journey. This tour not only celebrates one landmark record, but also Lee’s two decades as an independent titan, balancing indie cred with mainstream resonance.
What Fans Should Know
Tickets for the #AITNS20 shows are available now via Lee’s official site. Early bird pricing applies through the first two weeks of sale, with VIP add-ons including a soundcheck pass and limited-edition vinyl. Dates span major capitals including Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, with a handful of regional stops echoing the album’s grassroots spirit.
Lee’s move to remix his signature hit and ring in 2025 alongside a nostalgic setlist taps into a wider trend of artists revisiting pivotal albums on landmark anniversaries. Yet where others rely on digital flash, Lee promises an analog warmth—reassembling the same musicians who recorded key album overdubs, plus special guests announced closer to each date.
As he wrote in his post, “Hit link in bio for ticket info for upcoming Awake shows. Big love,” Lee sets the tone: a friendly meet-cute between performer and audience, two decades in the making.
That friendly ethos extends on the road, with Lee hosting Q&A lounges before select performances and pledging a portion of proceeds to Australian youth music programs. This tour is more than a trip down memory lane; it’s a living, breathing anniversary party.
Whether you first danced to “Catch My Disease” in 2005 or discovered Lee’s catalog last month, the #AITNS20 run promises a reawakened set of songs, fresh perspectives and a slice of indie-pop history brought to life.
Now grab your ticket link and prepare for a night where nostalgia and reinvention meet under one roof. Join Ben Lee in celebrating 20 years of “Awake Is The New Sleep”—it’s time to wake up all over again.
Read full bio of Ratika Pai
