Esther Perel wants to put you in a room full of strangers

Esther Perel, the psychotherapist and bestselling author behind the podcast Where Should We Begin?, last toured Australia in 2022 to sold-out crowds. Strangers, Friends, and Lovers is her first outing here since, and it arrives in the same year her 2006 book Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence turns 20.

Esther Perel: Strangers, Friends, and Lovers

• 11 December – Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney, NSW
• 13 December – The Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, VIC
• 17 December – Great Hall, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, QLD

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The tour is billed as a fully immersive experience rather than a straight talk, leaning on audience participation and the small rituals of connection between friends, lovers and strangers. It marks the show’s Australian premiere, a shift from the lecture-style dates that filled venues here in 2022.

The night looks at how relationships are changing, why belonging can feel harder to reach, and whether being permanently online has left people more isolated in person. Perel made her name with Mating in Captivity, which argued that the closeness and predictability love relies on can also flatten desire.

From Hinge to Mating in Captivity

Away from the stage, Perel runs a therapy practice in New York, consults for Fortune 500 companies and advises dating app Hinge and workplace platform Culture Amp. She speaks nine languages, her TED talks have passed 50 million views, and books including The State of Affairs have been translated into more than 30 languages. Where Should We Begin? has run for close to a decade and drawn listeners in the millions.

An Esther Perel fan presale opens 29 July at 1pm local time, followed by a TEG Dainty presale on 30 July. General tickets go on sale 31 July at 1pm local time through Ticketek, with all three cities opening at the same time.

For more information, head here.