'Exciting times for Liverpool' - I chat to Jason Donovan about Sefton Park & new Everton stadium ahead of tour

Jason Donovan has revealed what he loves the most about Liverpool, ahead of visiting the city during his upcoming Doin’ Fine 25 tour.

With a career spanning over three decades, Jason’s huge new tour promises to be an unforgettable show of entertainment and musical memories, featuring a selection of the Neighbours star’s most beloved songs.

Named after his first world tour of the same name in 1990, Donovan fans can expect hits from the Rocky Horror Show, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as well as much-loved pop hits such as ‘Any Dream Will Do’ and ‘Too Many Broken Hearts’.

With less than two months until he takes to the stage at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall, I chatted to Mr Donovan - who as it turns out is a huge fan of our city.

The Doin’ Fine 25 tour kicks off on February 14 in Cardiff - though Jason did tell me this was a coincidence rather than a nod to Valentine’s Day - before arriving in Liverpool on March 22.

I was really excited to hear about you bringing your tour back with a date in Liverpool. Are you excited?

“Yeah I was there before Christmas - you’re probably aware of that - for Rocky Horror. Liverpool’s a great town except before Christmas it was pouring down with rain. So yeah Liverpool, Doin’ Fine 2025, where does the time go?

“I think it will be core audience. I get excited about putting a show together and seeing how the songs and seeing how my voice sits and the rhythm of the show. I mean I see a show from out front you know, being in theatre.

“We’ve done quite well with our tickets so that makes me very happy. You know if you're struggling with that it’s not a great sign - especially your own show - but I’m too not worried about that which is great.”

You've had a very impressive career. Why have you chosen now to be the time to bring Doin’ Fine back - what's the significance of 2025? Why 35 years on?

“I did the tour in 1990 and it was the first real live experience I’d had as a music artist. When I was thinking of tour titles, that was put in front of me and it was relevant to the time. It's a short, sharp, positive message and it's also a bit of history. For a lot of fans it would have been their first live tour back in 1990.

Liverpool is known for lively, chatty people. What’s it like performing here?

“Liverpudlians are very upfront, they have a lot of confidence and I'm looking forward to feeling that energy. I've always had a great response in Liverpool and you know I'm excited to be coming to that part of the world and the Philharmonic is a great venue venue. It's gonna be nice, it's gonna be a good show - sold well too.”

What's your favourite thing about Liverpool? Where do you like go to eat or explore?

“I got introduced got to Lark Lane the other day, there was a great little Pan Asian type restaurant there. My daughter's boyfriend has got a house near there and we went for a walk around Sefton Park, that was lovely.

“I love the waterfront too I think there is development happening there that’s really gonna change that whole riverfront. The Everton Stadium, the Titanic Hotel down there - I think the whole neighbourhood will change, which will be lovely.

“I love the River Mersey, it’s a fantastic spot and there’s a lot more potential there. It’ll be amazing. I’ll be in my 60s before I see the fruition but it’s exciting times for Liverpool, and about time.”

What are you planning on doing differently to previous tours - other than not wearing brightly coloured coats? How do you want the audience to feel?

“I want it to be authentic. I want it to be me. The version of myself I think I can present - and I think the audience would like to see - I want to show that version of me at this moment in time.

“My choices of songs, the couple of cover songs I’ll be doing - I think I've got that right this time. There might be a little special moment that involves footage I had from my dad. I haven't dug so deep in the past. I don’t envisage myself doing another tour for a while so I really had a bit of time to think about it.”

What’s next for Jason Donovan after Doin’ Fine?

“I’ve got some more Rocky Horror Show performances then I'm looking forward to a bit of time with my family and I'm looking forward to getting a sun tan. I've missed vitamin D a lot this year.”

Jason Donovan 2025 Doin’ Fine tour dates

FEBRUARY 2025

• 14th: Cardiff - New Theatre
• 15th: Cheltenham - Town Hall
• 16th: Birmingham - Symphony Hall
• 18th: Torquay - Princess Theatre
• 20th: Truro - Hall For Cornwall
• 21st: Poole - The Lighthouse
• 22nd: Portsmouth - Guildhall
• 25th: Aylesbury - Waterside
• 28th: Guildford - G Live

MARCH 2025

• 1st: Southend - Cliffs Pavilion
• 3rd: London - Palladium
• 4th: Worthing - Assembly Hall
• 5th: Basingstoke - Anvil
• 7th: Bradford - St George’s Hall
• 8th: York - Barbican
• 9th: Salford - The Lowry
• 10th: Glasgow - Royal Concert Hall
• 12th: Norwich - Theatre Royal
• 13th: Wrexham - William Aston Hall
• 15th: Gateshead - The Glasshouse ICM
• 17th: Edinburgh - Usher Hall
• 18th: Darlington - Hippodrome
• 20th: Buxton - Opera House
• 21st: Hull - City Hall
• 22nd: Liverpool - Philharmonic
• 24th: Bury St Edmunds - The Apex
• 25th: Bury St Edmunds - The Apex
• 26th: King’s Lynn - Corn Exchange
• 28th: Canterbury - Marlowe Theatre
• 29th: Reading - Hexagon
• 30th: Northampton - Derngate

APRIL 2025

• 4th: Cork - Opera House
• 5th: Dublin - The Helix
• 6th: Belfast - Ulster Hall