TOMMY EMMANUEL, CGP
  • DATE & TIME Apr 29, 2026 7:30 PM
  • LOCATION Tom and Janet Ikeda Theater
  • PRICE $39.50 | VIP AVAILABLE

Guitar icon Tommy Emmanuel C.G.P. is no stranger to iconic stages from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to London’s Royal Festival Hall and Paris’ L’Olympia. The legendary entertainer has dazzled audiences across the world. But there is something truly magical about the Sydney Opera House, and the magic of Tommy’s performances there has finally been capture on his new album Live at the Sydney Opera House.

“The moment and power in these hours spent playing music, is perfectly preserved here on this record.” Tommy says. “I hope you can feel the intensity of our musical and spiritual relationship… a bond built on a life freely given to all”.

 Tommy performed two spellbinding shows on the Concert Hall stage in May 2023, with the best of both performances represented here. The setlist showcases the most beloved songs of Tommy’s career – classic compositions like “Tall Fiddler,” “Mombasa” and “Country Wide,” recent fan favourites like “Fuel” and “Sail On” and his now iconic arrangement of “Classical Gas” and his thrilling “Beatles Medley.”

Tommy has a Grammy Award, multiple ARIA Awards and countless accolades, but nothing means more to Tommy than the three letters Chet Atkins designated at the end of Tommy’s name: C.G.P. The title of Certified Guitar Player was the highest honor Atkins could bestow on another player – a signifier that the recipient had not only mastered the instrument but taken it to new vistas and become a guiding light for the next generation of pickers. Like Tommy, Chet had never gone to a university, and the C.G.P. was his version of a PHD or a Doctorate of the guitar. He gave the honor to Tommy and only five other handpicked players.  

As a songwriter and a performer, Tommy is a melting pot of influences across genres, form pop to bluegrass and jazz to rock n’ roll. To him, music is rhythm and emotion, all other distinctions are meaningless. Anyone who has seen Tommy play will tell you, the vocalist is there, as is the drummer, the bass player and the rhythm and lead guitarists. In a way that must often be seen to be believed, Tommy plays all the parts of a full band simultaneously, his fingers dancing around the fretboard with a dexterity and speed that would seem impossible if you weren’t witnessing it.

Tommy’s determination to entertain and move audiences through the power of music, remains undimmed as he closes in on his seventh decade as a performer. He can turn a jazz café into a cathedral or a radio station performance into the Ryman. But there is still something that a truly iconic venue like the Sydney Opera House – a mecca for music; that brings out the best in him. To have witnessed the pin drop silent audience hanging on every note of “Sail On,” the propulsive rhythm of “Classical Gas,” the impossible bluegrass speed-picking on “Tall Fiddler” and the delicate wringing of melody out of Paul Simon’s immortal “American Tune,” is to experience the communion of music at its most pure. That is Tommy Emmanuel, Live at the Sydney Opera House.

Front Row VIP Meet and Greet: $273.32: All Fees Included

  • Premium reserved ticket in the front row
  • Pre-show Meet & Greet with Tommy Emmanuel CGP
  • Autographed 8x10 photo
  • Early venue entry
  • Early access to merch table

VIP Meet and Greet: $179.71: All Fees Included

  • Premium reserved ticket in the first 15 rows
  • Pre-show Meet & Greet with Tommy Emmanuel CGP
  • Autographed 8x10 photo
  • Early venue entry
  • Early access to merch table

Package details subject to change without notice. All VIP packages are NON-TRANSFERABLE; NO NAME CHANGES will be permitted under any circumstances; NO REFUNDS or EXCHANGES; all sales are final. Please note this offer is not valid for tickets purchased via Fan to Fan Resale. By participating in any event with Tommy Emmanuel, you hereby agree that your name, photographic and/or video image, and voice may be used in any media, whether now known or hereafter invented, throughout the world for any purpose whatsoever. Non-ticket package elements will be subject to the non-transferable restrictions listed above. You will receive an email 2-3 days prior to the performance date with instructions on how to redeem your VIP Experience. Additional communication regarding your purchase may be sent via SMS text message to the phone number you provided during the purchase process. VIP programming may take place up to 3-4 hours before show time. Check-in details will also be posted HERE when confirmed. Exclusive VIP merchandise items will be shipped directly to the address you provide with your order or distributed on-site at the VIP event. If the merchandise is distributed on-site, we cannot ship your items if you choose not to pick them up. Shipped merchandise is not guaranteed to arrive before your show date. By purchasing a VIP package, you agree to share your information with the VIP provider in order to receive communications regarding your VIP experience and to receive VIP merchandise by mail. Any shipped merchandise not claimed within 90 days is subject to availability. RELEASE: You release, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless, Tommy Emmanuel, and its respective members, officers, directors, employees and agents (the "Released Parties") from and against all claims (known and unknown), liabilities, injuries, death, loss and/or damages of any kind arising from your participation in the VIP Package and/or meet & greet, or the acceptance, possession or use or misuse of the package or any related prizes. You assume all risks associated with the VIP Package or use or misuse of any related prizes, and you agree that the Released Parties will not be responsible or liable for any injury, harm, death, damages, costs, or expenses. If you have questions regarding your VIP package, please reach out to Please & Thank You’s Customer Success team at help@please.co or text +1 (916) 655-9270. If you have any questions regarding the ticket portion of your purchase or have not received your confirmation email, please email vip.tickets@ticketmaster.com or call 877-4-VIPTKT (877-484-7858). Please note this offer is not valid if this ticket was purchased via Fan-to-Fan Resale.

Guitar icon Tommy Emmanuel C.G.P. is no stranger to iconic stages from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to London’s Royal Festival Hall and Paris’ L’Olympia. The legendary entertainer has dazzled audiences across the world. But there is something truly magical about the Sydney Opera House, and the magic of Tommy’s performances there has finally been capture on his new album Live at the Sydney Opera House.

“The moment and power in these hours spent playing music, is perfectly preserved here on this record.” Tommy says. “I hope you can feel the intensity of our musical and spiritual relationship… a bond built on a life freely given to all”.

 Tommy performed two spellbinding shows on the Concert Hall stage in May 2023, with the best of both performances represented here. The setlist showcases the most beloved songs of Tommy’s career – classic compositions like “Tall Fiddler,” “Mombasa” and “Country Wide,” recent fan favourites like “Fuel” and “Sail On” and his now iconic arrangement of “Classical Gas” and his thrilling “Beatles Medley.”

Tommy has a Grammy Award, multiple ARIA Awards and countless accolades, but nothing means more to Tommy than the three letters Chet Atkins designated at the end of Tommy’s name: C.G.P. The title of Certified Guitar Player was the highest honor Atkins could bestow on another player – a signifier that the recipient had not only mastered the instrument but taken it to new vistas and become a guiding light for the next generation of pickers. Like Tommy, Chet had never gone to a university, and the C.G.P. was his version of a PHD or a Doctorate of the guitar. He gave the honor to Tommy and only five other handpicked players.  

As a songwriter and a performer, Tommy is a melting pot of influences across genres, form pop to bluegrass and jazz to rock n’ roll. To him, music is rhythm and emotion, all other distinctions are meaningless. Anyone who has seen Tommy play will tell you, the vocalist is there, as is the drummer, the bass player and the rhythm and lead guitarists. In a way that must often be seen to be believed, Tommy plays all the parts of a full band simultaneously, his fingers dancing around the fretboard with a dexterity and speed that would seem impossible if you weren’t witnessing it.

Tommy’s determination to entertain and move audiences through the power of music, remains undimmed as he closes in on his seventh decade as a performer. He can turn a jazz café into a cathedral or a radio station performance into the Ryman. But there is still something that a truly iconic venue like the Sydney Opera House – a mecca for music; that brings out the best in him. To have witnessed the pin drop silent audience hanging on every note of “Sail On,” the propulsive rhythm of “Classical Gas,” the impossible bluegrass speed-picking on “Tall Fiddler” and the delicate wringing of melody out of Paul Simon’s immortal “American Tune,” is to experience the communion of music at its most pure. That is Tommy Emmanuel, Live at the Sydney Opera House.

Front Row VIP Meet and Greet: $273.32: All Fees Included

  • Premium reserved ticket in the front row
  • Pre-show Meet & Greet with Tommy Emmanuel CGP
  • Autographed 8x10 photo
  • Early venue entry
  • Early access to merch table

VIP Meet and Greet: $179.71: All Fees Included

  • Premium reserved ticket in the first 15 rows
  • Pre-show Meet & Greet with Tommy Emmanuel CGP
  • Autographed 8x10 photo
  • Early venue entry
  • Early access to merch table

Package details subject to change without notice. All VIP packages are NON-TRANSFERABLE; NO NAME CHANGES will be permitted under any circumstances; NO REFUNDS or EXCHANGES; all sales are final. Please note this offer is not valid for tickets purchased via Fan to Fan Resale. By participating in any event with Tommy Emmanuel, you hereby agree that your name, photographic and/or video image, and voice may be used in any media, whether now known or hereafter invented, throughout the world for any purpose whatsoever. Non-ticket package elements will be subject to the non-transferable restrictions listed above. You will receive an email 2-3 days prior to the performance date with instructions on how to redeem your VIP Experience. Additional communication regarding your purchase may be sent via SMS text message to the phone number you provided during the purchase process. VIP programming may take place up to 3-4 hours before show time. Check-in details will also be posted HERE when confirmed. Exclusive VIP merchandise items will be shipped directly to the address you provide with your order or distributed on-site at the VIP event. If the merchandise is distributed on-site, we cannot ship your items if you choose not to pick them up. Shipped merchandise is not guaranteed to arrive before your show date. By purchasing a VIP package, you agree to share your information with the VIP provider in order to receive communications regarding your VIP experience and to receive VIP merchandise by mail. Any shipped merchandise not claimed within 90 days is subject to availability. RELEASE: You release, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless, Tommy Emmanuel, and its respective members, officers, directors, employees and agents (the "Released Parties") from and against all claims (known and unknown), liabilities, injuries, death, loss and/or damages of any kind arising from your participation in the VIP Package and/or meet & greet, or the acceptance, possession or use or misuse of the package or any related prizes. You assume all risks associated with the VIP Package or use or misuse of any related prizes, and you agree that the Released Parties will not be responsible or liable for any injury, harm, death, damages, costs, or expenses. If you have questions regarding your VIP package, please reach out to Please & Thank You’s Customer Success team at help@please.co or text +1 (916) 655-9270. If you have any questions regarding the ticket portion of your purchase or have not received your confirmation email, please email vip.tickets@ticketmaster.com or call 877-4-VIPTKT (877-484-7858). Please note this offer is not valid if this ticket was purchased via Fan-to-Fan Resale.

Plan Your Visit

Mesa Arts Center is located at One East Main Street in Downtown Mesa, at the southeast corner of Main and Center Streets.

Click here for a map and directions.

Open Tuesday–Saturday, 12–5 PM
Call 480-644-6500 or email boxoffice@mesaartscenter.com

Downtown Mesa parking can be limited during busy events. Parking is $10 and is available in our south lot or in the Sirrine Street Garage (only open for public parking after 5 PM on weekdays, and anytime on the weekends). To secure an accessible parking spot, we strongly recommend arriving at least one hour before showtime.

Click here to view a parking map.

From sensory kits to assisted listening devices, Mesa Arts Center is committed to making its performances and facilities accessible to all our patrons.
Learn more about all our accessibility offerings here.

All visitors are subject to screening upon entry.

Theater Events Bag Policy:

Clear plastic bags (max size 12” x 6” x 12”)

Small bag or clutch (max size 8.5” x 5.5”)
Click here to learn more about our security measures.

Information and seating charts for each theater at Mesa Arts Center. 

Explore Downtown Mesa’s local restaurants before or after your show.
Click here to explore dining options.

Plan ahead with our interactive virtual campus tour.
View MAC Campus

Apr 29, 2026

7:30 PM

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