Khun Narin, the multi-generational psychedelic ensemble from rural Thailand, will play the Utzon Room on Thursday 4 March as part of the Sydney Opera House’s summer music season. Making their debut Australian headline tour, the band has developed a global cult following for their euphoric live performances and hypnotic sound.
Hailing from the valleys of Thailand’s Phetchabun Mountains, the band began as a celebration ensemble for rural ceremonies and fire rituals, and their electrified sound remains deeply tied to the musical tradition of the Isan people of northeastern Thailand. Guided by bandleader Khun Narin, the group has a rotating line-up of musicians ranging from high schoolers to members in their 60s. Their performances centre on a handmade sound system and a towering stack of horn speakers mounted on wheels, creating a moving stage that draws villagers into a spontaneous procession. At the core of their sound is the phin – an electrified three-stringed lute with piercing, serpentine melodies that cut through a dense wall of percussion and amplification.
Khun Narin’s third album, III (2026), produced by Tommy Brenneck (Amy Winehouse, Beyoncé), is their first recorded in a professional studio and captures the raw intensity of the band’s live sound. Since the band reached a global audience with a grainy YouTube video in 2014, its champions have included Gilles Peterson, Bonobo and Floating Points, with Texan trio Khruangbin citing them as a major influence.
Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music Ben Marshall said: “Before Khruangbin – whose sound is directly inspired by vintage Thai funk – sold out three Concert Hall shows and conquered the world, they played a now-legendary performance at the 400-capacity Oxford Art Factory. Now, experience Khun Narin in the phenomenally intimate setting of the Utzon Room.
“Beginning as a hyper-local tradition, Khun Narin has grown into a global cult phenomenon and a powerful live force. Their seismic performances combine music, ritual and community to create a collective euphoria – all the more transcendent in the intimacy of the Utzon Room.”
Khun Narin joins an awe-inspiring music program at the Opera House that also includes José González, Geese, Suede, The Avalanches, Madness, Leon Bridges with special guest 54 Ultra, Heilung, Ólafur Arnalds, Damien Rice, Angus & Julia Stone, Dijon, Cat Power and Tara Clerkin Trio.
Khun Narin’s Electric Phin Band
Thursday 4 March 2027
Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House