Keith Urban might sing songs like “I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas” and “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” during the holidays, but those songs definitely aren’t an accurate depiction of his Christmas. In fact, the New Zealand native’s favorite way to celebrate is at the beach, at least when he is with his family in Australia.
“We still love going to the beach at Christmas time, as long as we’re in Australia, because it’s like the Fourth of July,” Urban tells UMG Nashville. “It’s huge. Everybody’s out. It feels very celebratory. It’s in the 90s. It’s crazy, but having grown up with that, it feels very natural to me. Albeit it, we still had all of the same Christmas songs, so we’re in like 90-degree heat with shorts and tank tops singing ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland,’ and I remember getting Christmas cards of like Santa on a surfboard, so that probably explains a lot.”
The father of two, who grew up in Queensland, Australia, can still fondly recall the Christmases he had growing up.
“I have great memories of getting up early and going and jumping on your parents’ bed and getting them up,” Urban shares. “And then of course you tear open the presents and then it’s done and it’s like 8:00 in the morning, and you’ve got all morning now to sort of wish you had more presents to open. We had great Christmases growing up. I really, really enjoyed them. Mostly, we’d go to the beach, ’cause there it’s summertime. Load up the station wagon and head off to the beach.”
Urban made Christmas more memorable for a few Nashville charities this month, before he returned to Australia to finish his The Speed Of Now World Tour. The Grand Ole Opry member donated $250,000 to several local charities, including Music Health Alliance, Thistle Farms and more.
“I have a deep-seated respect and feeling of gratitude for the work that all of these organizations do to make people’s lives more manageable,” Urban said of the generous gift. “Their commitment to community, what they do for Nashville, and for others across the country, is not only inspiring, but it shows how much we can accomplish when working together.”
Urban will embark on his Keith Urban: The Las Vegas Residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Friday, March 3, 2023. Find all of his music and tour dates at KeithUrban.com.
