Chris Brown is going to Australia for the first time since 2015 when he was turned down for a visa because of his “character.” He had pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Rihanna at the time.
The 33-year-old American singer will bring his “Under the Influence” tour to Australia in mid-2023, a source has learned.
A well-placed source in the industry let it slip. Chris has been working with government officials to make sure he can get into the country. Soon, he will announce tour dates for Australia and New Zealand.
He’s been wanting to come back to Australia for ages. It’s all locked in and his visa is approved. He’s spent the past few months working with officials to make sure he is allowed in,
a source said.
Brown’s tour is set to start in February 2023. He will first go to Europe, stopping in London, Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam.
Brown stated on social media recently that he “hasn’t forgotten” about Australia, Japan, or Brazil, and that “tour dates may be announced soon.”
The Grammy winner is expected to make a lot of money when he headlines the show in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth before going to Auckland.
In 2011, as part of his F.A.M.E. Tour, he was in Australia.
Brown had to cancel his 2015 One Hell Of A Night tour of Australia and New Zealand because he wasn’t able to get a visa to enter the country.
After he pleaded guilty to attacking his then-girlfriend, pop singer Rihanna, in 2009, the singer was officially turned down because of his character.
The performer was told in writing that his visa application would not be approved. He had 28 days to appeal the decision, but he chose not to.
Ticketek Australia confirmed the cancellation in a statement that said:
Chris Brown’s December 2015 tour in both Australia and New Zealand will not take place
Mr Brown and the promoters both remain positive that the tour will take place in the near future,
it said.
Chris Brown first talked about the issue on Twitter not so long ago, after it became public that he had trouble getting into the country.
I would be more than grateful to come to Australia to raise awareness about domestic violence,
Brown wrote to his 15.2 million followers.
I’m not the pink elephant in the room anymore. My life mistakes should be a wake-up call for everyone. Showing the world that mistakes don’t define you. Trying to prevent spousal abuse.
He went on to say,
The youth don’t listen to parents nor do they listen to PSA’s [public service announcements]. The power that we have as Entertainers can change lives.
Peter Dutton, who was Australia’s immigration minister at the time, confirmed that the singer was given a Notice of Intention to Consider Refusal. A spokesperson for Dutton said:
People to whom these notices are issued have 28 days to present material as to why they should be given a visa to enter Australia.
GetUp, an activist group, agreed with the decision to stop Brown from entering Australia. They said it sent a strong message that the government is ready to stand up against violence against women.
Australia is at a crisis point with men’s violence against women,
said Sally Rugg, a campaigner from GetUp
Then, Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister of Australia, was asked about Brown’s stops on his tour Down Under.
He was very clear about how he felt about the singer when he said:
This is a government that is not afraid to say no.
