5 Seconds of Summer in Concert: A 6-Act Show Full of Energy
by Mars Dalys
Photo by Derek Bremner
A few months after the release of their sixth studio album EVERYONE’S A STAR!, 5 Seconds of Summer started their headlining world tour of the same name. On April 9, 2026, they performed at the Accor Arena in Paris, France, to the delight of the fans. It had been 10 years since they last came to the massive hall and filled its 20,300 seats and the Australian band was determined to show just how much they had grown since then. Trading skinny jeans for leather jackets and baggy pants, the band was back to business.
The first songs to echo in the room were not by 5SOS but by their first opener: Master Peace. The British musician wasted no time in delivering his upbeat compositions, a smile on his face, in front of a crowd already warming up. By the time he performed his last song “Home,” he had the crowd singing in unison and yelling the chorus back at him.
The energy continued with South Arcade, the second opener, making their entrance on stage. More linked to pop punk and heavier instrumentals, the band set the room on fire with their hits “HOW 2 GET AWAY WITH MURDER” and “2005.” Lead singer Harmony Cavelle impressed the audience with her dynamism and stage presence, controlling the crowd effortlessly. They left the stage in thunderous applause after offering a peek of their new song “SUPERMAN.”
Only then, after the lights dimmed and excitement was at a maximum, did 5SOS enter the stage. Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood, and Ashton Irwin emerged from the roof of a car placed in the middle of the stage, singing the first lyrics to “NOT OK.” Immediately, the whole arena came alive and jumped to the rhythm of the catchy instrumental. This first part set the tone for the rest of the show: Visuals bursting with colors and camera effects were displayed on the giant screens, lights were projected all around the venue, and the stage extended into the crowd, allowing the band to come closer to the audience.
In the pit, you could find fans dressed with the band’s colors, donning merch, and stars drawn on every inch of skin available. Starting way back in 2011 as teenagers allowed the band to grow a dedicated fanbase over the last 15 years: Fans knew all the lyrics by heart and were not afraid to show it. Each interaction with the crowd was followed by enthusiastic screams and laughter.
The night went on, rhythmed by a fake documentary tracing the career of the band—the Peak, the Fall, the Yearning, the Breakup, the Rise, and the Beginning. Played in snippets between songs, the mockumentary created continuity and transitions between different eras and moods of their music. With a lot of self mockery regarding their own past as a popular boyband, 5SOS proved that music can also be fun. They prepared a PowerPoint on “How to have a good concert,” played on inside jokes, and even went as far as allowing the audience to vote on a surprise song and reveal it through a briefcase opened by someone in the crowd.
The setlist was over two hours long, with 27 songs ranging from older hits like “She Looks So Perfect” and “Youngblood” to the more recent “Evolve” and “Telephone Busy” and even to solo works like Clifford’s “enough” and Hemmings’ “Starting Line.” Whether people were older or newer fans, they were guaranteed to have a good time.
The concert ended with an encore in an explosion of confetti and huge star-marked balloons floating around in the pit, leaving everyone euphoric and emotional. With their new album, the band signals a new era: glossy and confident while still definitely pop rock. But the tour has only just begun so we have yet to see what they have in store for the rest of the tour as they bring their well-crafted performance through Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia.