International superstar Sting comes to Brisbane to play  a lead role in this deeply personal musical, for which he wrote music and lyrics. Inspired by Sting’s childhood in the industrial town of Wallsend in the UK, The Last Ship tells the moving story of a community facing the closure of its shipyard, on which so many jobs depend. Sting plays Jackie White, the shipyard’s foreman whose health is failing just when his leadership is needed most. He is joined by reggae
icon Shaggy as the enigmatic Ferryman. Combining raw folk, rousing choral numbers and intimate ballads, the show moves to New York’s Metropolitan Opera after this season at QPAC’s new Glasshouse Theatre.

Limelight Editor’s Choice

Acclaimed musical THE LAST SHIP, written, composed and starring international music icon Sting, will be presented for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere in QPAC’s magnificent Glasshouse Theatre in 2026.

Inspired by Sting’s childhood in Wallsend in the United Kingdom, and drawing on his own musical roots, THE LAST SHIP tells the piercing story of a community facing the disappearance of their shipyard – the heart of their existence. In a world where past and future collide, themes such as loss, pride and connectedness echo.