Executive Overview
On one of the most punishingly sweltering summer evenings London experienced in June 2026, the historic halls of Alexandra Palace—fondly known to locals as "Ally Pally"—shed their terrestrial skin. Stepping inside felt less like entering a standard music venue and more like stepping through a dimensional tear into an alien discothèque. The occasion was an eagerly anticipated headline performance by the iconic Australian synth-pop duo Empire of the Sun, supported by the razor-sharp indie-pop sensibilities of Balu Brigada.
The night functioned as an masterclass in immersive world-building. Against the backdrop of a brutal city-wide heatwave, the thousands packed into the venue did not merely endure the climate; they weaponized it, transforming the physical discomfort into an essential component of an ecstatic, communal ritual. Far from a straightforward live music concert, the production delivered a multi-sensory, 360-degree art installation. Complete with theatrical costuming, otherworldly choreography, towering sci-fi projections, and unhinged guitar pyrotechnics, Empire of the Sun proved once again that their cosmic aesthetic is entirely unmatched in modern pop landscape.
Reviewed by Bruno Irace, this mid-summer reckoning set a towering benchmark for live arena spectacles in 2026, bleeding seamlessly into the broader cultural narrative of immersive summer events across the UK capital.
Detailed Chronology: From Indie-Pop Warm-Up to Intergalactic Descent
The Opening Heat: Balu Brigada’s Underrated Resilience
As doors swung open to welcome the sweat-drenched crowds fleeing the London pavements, the evening commenced with New Zealand’s Balu Brigada. Bringing a sharp, infectious indie-pop energy to the massive room, the duo opened their set with an intimate, stripped-back solo guitar moment before rapidly expanding their sonic footprint.
Moving effortlessly through a tight, engaging sequence of tracks—including Golden Gate Girl, Sideways, Politix, Backseat, and So Cold—the band proved remarkably charming and technically precise. Their musicianship was noticeably tighter than some in the room initially gave them credit for.
Regrettably, the performance suffered from pockets of distraction within the audience, as a portion of early arrivals remained preoccupied with socializing rather than engaging with the stage. However, as Balu Brigada locked into the late-set break of Backseat, the dynamic arrangements provided an undeniable lift, officially breaking the ice and warming the room for the sensory overload to follow.
The Portal Opens: Empire of the Sun Take the Helm
When the house lights finally dimmed, the ambient temperature of Alexandra Palace seemed to drop as an electric, anticipatory shiver swept through the floor. Empire of the Sun materialized not merely as musicians walking onto a stage, but as emissaries from an advanced, glittering alien civilization stepping through a cosmic gateway.
The set commenced with an unreleased, heavily atmospheric track reportedly titled Desire. The immediate theatricality of the introduction left no room for doubt; this was a scale of production few contemporary acts would dare to attempt, let alone execute with such precision. Early-set staples The Feeling You Get and Half Mast successfully inducted the audience into the duo’s alternate universe. By the time the shimmering synths of Cherry Blossom bled into the generation-defining chords of We Are The People, Ally Pally had completely surrendered.
We Are The People served as the evening’s first major communal crescendo. Arms reached toward the ceiling, bodies swayed in unison, and the oppressive indoor heat was instantly recontextualized as a holy sweat, fueling the collective euphoria rather than dampening it.
Supporting Context & Production Metrics: A 360-Degree Art Ritual
To categorize the visual landscape of the concert as "elaborate" would be an understatement. Visually, the production was wonderfully unhinged. Giant alien tentacles, winged choreography, and backing dancers moving with the unsettling grace of futuristic fauna populated the stage. Towering sci-fi figures and surreal, high-definition screen projections alternated between moments of breathtaking beauty and striking, futuristic unease. Every costume change, hand gesture, and automated lighting cue bore the hallmark of obsessive, meticulous design. Nothing on that stage was accidental.
Musically, the live incarnation of Empire of the Sun carries a visceral, heavy-hitting force that often surprises casual listeners who only know their polished studio recordings.
- Tracks like Television struck with genuine physical impact.
- Awakening and DNA maintained a relentless, glowing momentum.
- Music On The Radio and Revolve forcefully translated glossy synth-pop into something deeply physical and danceable.
Frontman Luke Steele was far from a passive, costumed figurehead. Acting as the high priest of this sonic ceremony, Steele alternated between driving the cosmic narrative and ripping ferocious, arena-filling guitar solos out of tracks already designed for another dimension. The mid-set delivery of High And Low encapsulated this synthesis: soaring synths, blistering guitar work, cascading visuals, and an adoring, hyper-engaged crowd colliding into absolute glorious absurdity.
Official Statements and Setlist Breakdown
The momentum surged onward with Celebrate and Ask That God, lifting the atmospheric ceiling even higher before the legendary opening chords of Walking On A Dream detonated the room. Even the most exhausted attendees near the back found a final reserve of energy as Alexandra Palace united into a singular, glowing choir.
The encore elevated the stakes further. Standing On The Shore arrived cloaked in stage smoke, dramatic flair, and the distinct mythic gravitas that Empire of the Sun commands effortlessly. This bled straight into Alive—the definitive emotional release valve of the evening, leaving thousands grinning through their exhaustion.
True to form, the night featured a signature moment of rock-and-roll chaos: a custom-built guitar, constructed specifically for the London engagement, was dramatically sacrificed and destroyed on stage. It was an unhinged, completely necessary punctuation mark for a show that continually defied normalcy.
Setlist Overview: Empire of the Sun (24 June 2026)
- Desire (Unreleased)
- The Feeling You Get
- Half Mast
- Cherry Blossom
- We Are The People
- Television
- Awakening
- DNA
- Music On The Radio
- Revolve
- High And Low
- Celebrate
- Ask That God
- Walking On A Dream
- Encore:
- Standing On The Shore
- Alive
Future Outlook: The Labyrinth Legacy and Beyond
This triumphant return to Alexandra Palace carries broader significance for the UK live music calendar. The concert served as the official London summer kickoff for Labyrinth, setting the stage for their upcoming return to the historic Old Royal Naval College this coming August. Last year’s inaugural Labyrinth event was similarly anchored by Empire of the Sun, but witnessing the sheer scale of this production indoors at Ally Pally raises vital questions about what the collective has planned for open-air historic settings.
As the final notes faded and the house lights illuminated the sweat-slicked, ecstatic faces in the crowd, Alexandra Palace ceased to feel like a traditional concert venue. Instead, it resembled the majestic ruins of an alien pop empire, freshly evacuated after a ceremony that bridged the gap between modern electronica and ancient myth.
For Balu Brigada, the night served as a testament to resilience despite a distracted early crowd; for Empire of the Sun, it was a vindication of the immense public demand that warranted an arena-sized London booking. Ultimately, the audience departed carrying more than memories of a standard gig—they carried proof that pop music, when executed with absolute visionary commitment, can genuinely feel out of this world.
