5 Seconds of Summer at Kings Park Botanical Gardens Perth, Western Australia 6th November
Perth turned on the sort of evening that makes you forgive the long walk back to the car. On Friday, 6 November, Kings Park Botanic Garden hosted the final Australian date of 5 Seconds of Summer’s EVERYONE’S A STAR! WORLD TOUR. The four lads—Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings and Michael Clifford—are heading on to dates across Southeast Asia, with more stops around the world to follow.
For a bit of band history: 5SOS formed in Sydney in 2011, first building an audience through YouTube before breaking out internationally. Their 2014 debut album reached No. 1 in 11 countries, and they’ve since become one of Australia’s biggest pop-rock exports. Among their achievements, they won the ARIA Song of the Year for “She Looks So Perfect” in 2014, then took home three ARIAs in 2018—including Song of the Year for “Youngblood”—and won again for “Teeth” in 2020. Not a bad run for four Sydney mates who started out posting covers online.
Fans arrived early to claim a spot as close to the front rail as possible, ready to feel the energy coming off Calum, Ashton, Luke and Michael. The crowd spanned a gloriously broad spread of ages, united by one clear mission: have a good time and sing like the neighbours can wait. The energy stored and released by that crowd could have powered a small town for weeks. Sustainable energy providers, take note: perhaps the future is several thousand people singing in unison.
And sing they did—mouthing the words without missing a beat, with the commitment of a 5SOS fan clearly second to none. The big screen gave us glimpses of the lads’ Perth trip: Cottesloe, paragliders, the obligatory quokka photo, and a proper appreciation of Kings Park’s outdoor setting. There was even a cheeky Swan Draft in hand. Perth tourism has rarely had such enthusiastic, guitar-backed ambassadors.
The setlist was packed tight, mixing new songs with old favourites. The band knew what the fans wanted, and delivered. Cheeky videos between songs gave everyone a chance to catch their breath, while the lads took every opportunity to take the piss out of themselves and drop a little lore. “Not OK” (released 24 September 2025) kicked things off early and sent the crowd into chaos. Some might say too early—the pace was already blistering.
“Teeth” (21 August 2019) remains one of my favourites: edgy, punchy and greeted with a roar that said I wasn’t alone. “Boyband” (released 16 October 2025) brought the fun and playful energy, helped along by its video on the screen.
“Ghost of You” (from the Youngblood album, released 15 June 2018) shifted the mood towards loss and longing without dragging the night down. Then “Amnesia” (released in 2014) lifted the crowd again, showing how naturally the band can change direction and keep everyone with them.
“Jet Black Heart” (2015) was a massive highlight for me: emotionally charged, full of feeling, and the sort of song that gets your blood pumping and goose bumps rising. “She Looks So Perfect” (2014) squeezed another level of excitement out of a crowd that surely thought it had already given everything. And then, the only possible finale: “Youngblood” (released in 2018), a darker, iconic anthem sung with purpose, feeling and plenty of attitude. You can see why it won the ARIA Song of the Year in 2018 and rightly so…. it is brilliant!!!!
Thank you to every fan who showed up and shared the singalong with me—even when I didn’t know every word. And thank you to 5 Seconds of Summer management, Live Nation and Face to Face Touring for the access. We all found what we were looking for.
