Upcoming Porter Robinson dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Who Porter Robinson is
Porter Robinson is an American electronic producer, singer and songwriter whose concerts are built around his own albums rather than a club DJ set. Born in Atlanta on July 15, 1992, and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he taught himself to produce at 12 and signed with Skrillex's OWSLA label at 18. His 2011 EP Spitfire was the label's first release and topped Beatport's overall chart.
His three studio albums define three eras of his live show. Worlds (2014) and Nurture (2021) both reached number one on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and Nurture topped The Fader's list of the best albums of 2021. Smile! :D followed in July 2024. Along the way he co-wrote Zedd's top 10 hit "Clarity," won mtvU Artist of the Year in 2015, appeared on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list for seven straight years, and earned a Grammy nomination for "Ghost Voices," released under his alias Virtual Self.
What a Porter Robinson show is like
The defining feature of a Porter Robinson concert is that it is a live performance of songs. Starting with the Worlds Live tour in 2014, he moved away from formula DJ sets toward a show in which he sings, plays synthesizers and triggers samples himself. He has said that he grew tired of dance music written around timed builds and drops, and the shows reflect that: melody, vocals and visuals carry the night as much as volume does.
Each era has its own format:
- Worlds Live (2014): his first live show, drawing on the anime and video game influences that run through his music.
- Shelter Live (2016 to 2017): a nearly year-long joint tour with the French producer Madeon, the two performing together onstage.
- Virtual Self (2017 to 2018): a separate persona playing faster, trance and hardcore-influenced sets.
- Nurture Live (2021 to 2023): "live edits" of songs from Nurture and Worlds.
- Smile! :D (2024 to 2025): a more guitar-forward era; in February 2025 he performed with his live band on triple j's Like a Version.
Expect crowds that sing along to the vocal hooks. That makes the show feel closer to a pop or indie concert than a rave, even in a festival tent.
Porter Robinson tours and festivals, dated
The runs below are documented in the sources for this page. Any current dates appear in the live event list.
- Language Tour (2012): supported by Mat Zo and the M Machine.
- Worlds Live (2014): his first live show, which headlined festivals including Ultra Music Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival and Coachella.
- Shelter Live Tour (2016 to 2017): with Madeon; it was nominated for Live Act of the Year at the 2017 Electronic Music Awards.
- Utopia System (2018): a two-month North American tour as Virtual Self, after festival sets at Ultra, Electric Daisy Carnival and Bonnaroo.
- Nurture Live (September 2021 to November 2023): North America in 2021, Europe in April 2022, Asia in March 2023, a closing North American set at Coachella in April 2023, and Australia in November 2023.
- Smile! :D World Tour (2024 to 2025): his first world tour, more than 70 shows starting in August 2024, with Ericdoa opening in North America, Galileo Galilei in Tokyo and Osaka, Ninajirachi in Australia and Underscores in Europe.
Second Sky
Second Sky is the one-day festival Robinson curates in Oakland, California, first held in 2019 at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park and co-presented by Goldenvoice. A second day was added during the 2019 presale after the original date sold out quickly. The festival returned in 2021, when he premiered his Air2Earth side project there, and again in 2022. During 2020 and 2021 he also ran Secret Sky, an online festival. For a fan, Second Sky is the most concentrated version of his world: his own lineup choices, a full headline set and a crowd that came for him specifically.
Where to stand or sit for Porter Robinson
Seating depends on the building, so check the seating map on each listing. Electronic shows commonly sell the floor as general admission (GA, standing room with no assigned spot), with reserved seats in the tiers above. That split shapes the choice.
GA floor
- Front third: the most energy and the closest view of him performing, but it is crowded and requires an early arrival to claim.
- Center, near the sound desk: often the best-balanced sound and a full view of the screens and lighting, which carry much of the show's storytelling.
- Rear floor: room to move, and easy access to exits and bars, at the cost of seeing the stage mainly through the screens.
Reserved seats
Because so much of a Porter Robinson show is visual (screen content and lighting), a seat facing the stage from the lower tier is often a better experience than a crowded spot at the back of the floor. Avoid extreme side angles, where the main screen can disappear behind stacks of speakers or rigging.
Festival sets
At festivals there are no seats. Arrive during the set before his, and position yourself in line with the center of the stage rather than off to the side near the speaker towers.
How demand for Porter Robinson tickets behaves
Robinson tours in distinct album cycles with long gaps between them, and that pattern drives demand:
- Cycle-driven runs. Tours follow album releases (2014, 2021, 2024), so a new run concentrates years of pent-up demand into a short on-sale window.
- Early-buying fans. His audience is young, online and organized; the 2019 Second Sky presale sold out the first day fast enough that a second day was added.
- Presale tiers. Larger shows and festivals often release tickets in waves, with earlier tiers going first; resale fills the gap once a tier sells out.
- Weekend and big-market dates. Friday and Saturday shows in major cities typically move first; weeknight dates in smaller markets leave more options closer to the show.
Resale prices can sit above or below face value and tend to shift in the final week as buyers confirm plans. GoodSeats orders include free shipping and no digital transfer fees. For announcements, see Porter Robinson's official site.
Frequently asked questions
Does Porter Robinson DJ or perform live?
His headline shows are live performances: since the Worlds Live tour in 2014 he has sung, played synthesizers and triggered samples himself, and his Smile! :D era added a live band.
What is Second Sky?
Second Sky is the artist-curated festival Porter Robinson hosts in Oakland, California, first held in 2019 at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park and co-presented by Goldenvoice.
What are Porter Robinson's albums?
His studio albums are Worlds (2014), Nurture (2021) and Smile! :D (2024). He also released music as Virtual Self, including the Grammy-nominated Ghost Voices.
Is the floor general admission at a Porter Robinson concert?
Electronic shows commonly sell the floor as standing general admission with reserved seats above, but it varies by venue. Check the seating map on the specific listing.
Who is Porter Robinson?
He is an electronic producer, singer and songwriter born in Atlanta in 1992 and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, known for the albums Worlds and Nurture and the single Shelter with Madeon.