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Add The New York Post on Google You wouldn’t believe it but The Wiggles have been around for 35 (!) years.
And, while the popular Australian children’s group has undergone many changes in their 3.5 decades — long enough for some fans to become parents — one thing remains the same:
“We have always said the show is for all ages, though we say 0-5 year olds are the key audience,” Lachlan Gillespie, the purple Wiggle, told The Post in an exclusive interview.
“However, with the new generation of Wiggles fans, we are finding that children are staying longer.”
If you’d like to see Lachlan the purple wiggle and his friends Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword the original Captain, Wags, the Dog, Henry the Octopus and more live, they’ll be in the Tri-state all weekend long as part of their ‘Tree of Wisdom Spectacular Tour.’
Up first, the silly Sydney-based entertainers hit New York City’s Beacon Theatre for a pair of shows on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Then, the next day, The Wiggles will swing into Montclair, NJ’s Wellmont Theater where they’ll deliver three performances at 12 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
“Our show is a sparkly colourful, fun-filled hour and ten minutes of interactive joy for both the children and their parents and carers,” Gillespie said.
“It’s a massive show, filled with Wiggles hits, nursery rhymes and inflatable animals that walk out through the crowd and laughs along the way.”
Plus, you can score some sweet swag for the kiddos.
“Our range of merchandise is wonderful,” Gillespie noted. “From awesome quality Wiggly T-shirts and jumpers to Wiggles-themed sporting jerseys to light-up bubble wands to plush Wiggly character toys to back packs, there is a fantastic range…and it’s for the grown ups, too.”
More than anything though, the show is simply magical.
“This is your chance to bring your children along to a concert where you can experience it with them,” Gillespie smiled. “Sing and dance with them and create a lasting memory the whole family will enjoy. Oh, and, you get to wake me up when I fall asleep by shouting ‘Wake up Lachy!’”
For our money, that’s why they’ll be around another 35 years. There’s nothing quite as wholesome and fun as a Wiggles show with your kids.
To learn more, our team has The Wiggles’ complete tour schedule, a complete interview with Gillespie and more below.
A complete calendar including all North American tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.
Make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).
On Aug. 12, The Wiggles performed at Orlando’s Hard Rock Live. According to Set List FM, these are the 24 songs they took to the stage that day.
05.) “I’m John, I’m Strong!”
08.) “Shakin’ Like a Leafy Tree”
10.) “Five Little Monkeys” ([traditional] cover)
12.) “Dance the Ooby Doo (With Dorothy the Dinosaur)”
14.) “Music Box Dancer” (Frank Mills cover)
17.) “Apples and Bananas” ([traditional] cover)
18.) “If You’re Happy and You Know It” ([traditional] cover)
19.) “The ABC Song” ([traditional] cover)
22.) “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” (Jane Taylor cover)
23.) “The Rattlin’ Bog” ([traditional] cover)
24.) “Fruit Salad / Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car”
Gillespie answered a number of questions we threw his way. Here’s what he had to say about Wiggles live shows, his history with the group and more.
Tell us all about the new album and how it will be incorporated into the live show.
Our new album “Sparkle!: Circus Of Lights” is all about the color, lights and atmosphere that you get coming to a Wiggles live show. So many of our audience members are experiencing a “theatre show” for the first time. The lights, the sounds, the sparkle. We have sparkles on our shirts, the lights will be up and down through out the show. The album is full of brand new songs, such as Inflatable Animals, where 30-foot giraffe’s and elephants (very friendly ones of course) will walk past the audience while they are sitting in their seats.
What is your history with The Wiggles?
I toured with The Dorothy the Dinosaur show in Australia and New Zealand for four years playing Captain Feathersword while The Wiggles were touring other parts of the world.
In 2012, I was asked to join The Wiggles main touring show with the Original Wiggles on their Celebration World Tour where they were saying goodbye to audiences as Murray, Greg and Jeff were retiring. I was asked if I would continue to wear the purple shirt and take the role when Jeff retired – and now I am in my 14th year of being the Purple Wiggle. I adore this role and feel very grateful that I can be a part of families lives.
A beautiful family. An extension of my own family. I have known Anthony, Simon and Caterina for a large majority of my adult life. It’s something I reflect on quite often, how many years we have spent together and how much we now know what each other is thinking on stage just by looking at each other. I have become so close to the newer members of the cast in recent years and love everyone. Crew and cast together. We are work so hard on creating a lasting memory for the audiences. It’s a lot to be away from our own families, so being close to our stage family helps tremendously.
How did you choose to be the purple Wiggle?
It chose me. Anthony asked if I would wear the purple. Looking back, Jeff and I share the same qualities. We both play piano, are the quieter more reserved and quirky ones within the group. I suppose it was an energy thing, and I must say I can’t imagine wearing another colour. A lot of world now is purple and I love it.
What was it like replacing the original purple Wiggle, Jeff Fatt?
Incredibly nerve wracking to start. Jeff was and is one of the most popular Wiggles. I think I thought I had to be Jeff at the start which obviously was not going to happen and wasn’t necessary. Once I realised and felt comfortable as myself I relaxed into it a lot more. The most beautiful part of being a Wiggle is the children get to know a slightly heightened version of me, myself. I can be myself, we all can, which encourages children to do the same.
What’s the best part of the job for you?
I love the filming and recording music times we have in Sydney but I equally love being on the road and meeting families. With social media now parents will write to let us know how much of an impact we have in their family life, and it’s something I have never taken for granted. We help bring smiles to people faces and that has to be the best part.
Do you have a favorite story from a live show?
One of my earliest memories singing with the original Wiggles in a live concert. We were singing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and I looked out into the audience and then looked on stage and in that moment it was all just too much and I started to cry. To be there up on stage as a part of The Wiggles was just so special.
What were you doing before you were a Wiggle?
I studied music theatre and was hoping to get work in musicals here in Australia. Soon after finishing university, while working three hospitality jobs I heard of an audition for The Wiggles and the rest in history.
Give us a little bit of backstory about Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus, Captain Feathersword if you can.
Dorothy the Dinosaur is a Rose-a-sorus and loves eating roses. She loves dancing and is best friends with The Wiggles.
Dorothy the character came about way back at the start of the Wiggles journey when Anthony and Murray noticed while teaching early childhood education, just how much children loved dinosaurs. So Dorothy was born.
Wags the Dog is a happy dancing dog who loves dog bones. Sometimes people bring meat bones for Wags, that’s fun.
Henry the Octopus has 8 tentacles and loves dancing. He swims the ocean blue and has a lovely smile.
Captain Feathersword has been sailing on his SS Feathersword for 34 years. He is an incredibly friendly and really funny pirate who tickles you with his feathersword. He is a wonderful person to share being on the road with (and sea) and is just as funny off stage as he is on stage.
We’ve got five shows that are guaranteed fun for the whole family below.
• Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus
Prefer a slightly more adult concert? Check out this list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2026 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
