In his four-and-a-half decade-long career as a musician, Sonu Nigam has won several awards, including the coveted Padma Shri. Now, the singer is set to add another feather to his cap. On June 10, Nigam will perform two back-to-back shows at the prestigious Sydney Opera House in Australia, a first by any solo musician. This also marks his debut at the venue.

Talking about the upcoming feat, the singer, who’s currently touring the UK, tells us exclusively, “I’m overwhelmed beyond words by the realization of what’s happening. God has been smiling at me for many decades, but the last two years have been exceptional and very humbling. To have two shows at a prestigious venue like the Sydney Opera House in a single day, with both being sold out a month before the concert, is only divine intervention.”

Nigam would be performing two concerts of three-and-a-half hours each. “That’s the challenging part. I am a one-man show, and I put such mammoth effort into each show like there’s no tomorrow. But I have been noticing lately that even after performing for three hours at a stretch, I feel I can go on for another show. That’s why I gave my consent for the second show on the same day. My combined singing hours for the day, including my riyaaz, will be nothing less than eight hours. I am happy that God wants me to take up this challenge,” says the singer who gave us the hit Papa Meri Jaan (Animal, 2023).

A happy coincidence is that Nigam and the Sydney Opera House both turned 50 last year. “I figured that out when I did some research on the venue. We were destined to meet in our 50th year. I can’t wait for the celebrations,” he ends.