REVIEW: 5 Seconds of Summer give NZ a night of neon lights and nostalgia

The last time 5 Seconds of Summer came to NZ, I was ‘just a baby’ (I was 19, but it feels like forever ago).

Since then, I’ve become quite a fan of their music, thanks to my partner, who is a day-one die-hard welded into their fandom. So when I found out they were finally making the trek back over here to play at Spark Arena, I knew I had to see them in person!

And they absolutely did not disappoint. My expectations were beyond exceeded; these guys sound inCREDIBLE live.

After a great opening from another Aussie group called Cub Sport, a large QR code was put on screen for everyone to scan and vote for the ‘secret song’ for the evening.

For those out of the loop, 5SOS pluck a random, deep-cut song from their vault to play at every show on this tour. We had four options to choose from, and while my partner's top choices ('Disconnected' and '18') were not there, she was still excited to see ‘Try Hard’ on the list.

Now we just had to cross our fingers and wait to see what would be chosen later in the night… (more on that later).

The stage design was quite fun! There were stairs on both the left and right with an array of RGB LEDs that changed colour with the rest of the room. And dead centre was a pink inflatable limousine, which is part of their branding for this tour and album.

It reminded me quite a lot of The Wiggles in the early 2000s when they had their Big Red Car in the centre of the stage during their shows (they are both Australian, so maybe 5SOS were inspired…).

The show itself was presented like a Netflix-style mockumentary. Very much a satire, taking the piss out of themselves with a seven-part structure showcasing the ‘Peak, Fall, and Resurrection’ of the band in a very satirical way.

These guys are hella funny; they could easily make a comedy special if they wanted to.

The first Act, Peak, started with the band breaking out into the lead single from their latest album, ‘NOT OKAY’, the perfect song to begin the show. It has a great build-up and is a great way to hype the crowd up and get everyone jumping. I could’ve lost my voice right there and then if I wanted to, lmao.

After singing through a new song and a throwback to 'Teeth', which featured on the soundtrack for '13 Reasons Why', lead singer Luke Hemmings talked to the crowd before the whole band went through a slideshow of things they’d done to prepare for their visit in NZ, including drinking their weight in L&P and eating hāngī, as well as trying to meet up with Lorde (to no avail, lol).

This is the third time 5SOS have headlined a show in New Zealand and, as mentioned, the last time they played was at the Logan Campbell Centre in 2018. Since then, their fanbase has grown even more, and they’ve built a whole new wave of younger fans from their online presence. 

These new fans would not have seen them live before, so when Luke asked the crowd if it was their first time seeing them, a majority of Spark Arena erupted in a big cheer.

They then broke down the vibe for the night ahead, which was simply: Sing, Dance, and “Go Fking Crazy”.

Say less!

The next couple of hours were just a whole lot of fun! There was confetti, and even giant inflatable balls were thrown around the GA mosh.

The band sang a variety of songs from all across their discography. We had songs like 'She’s Kinda Hot' from their second album, songs from all four of their solo careers (amply played during the “Break Up” Act of the show, even though they never broke up lol), and of course tracks from their latest record.

They had some incredible visuals to match the energy on stage. There was definitely a big Y2K influence, and a lot of flashing lights (genuinely had to put on sunnies at points).

During Act V: 'The Rise', they slowed things down and spoke to the crowd in a spotlight. Calum Hood took to the mic to say:

This is pretty much a hometown show for me. I have whānau in the crowd somewhere. So thanks for showing up; I think they’d be pretty worried if you didn’t.

Before getting into the final act, we were finally given the famous “Secret Song” of the night! Much to my partner’s disappointment (and guitarist Michael Clifford's), “Heartbreak Girl” was the winner (JUSTICE FOR 'TRY HARD'). The majority of the crowd was not disappointed though and sang their hearts out.

The last Act of the show, Act VI: 'The Beginning', was a homage to all the OG fans. They sang 5 OG 5SOS songs back-to-back, including my personal favourite “Don’t Stop” and the all-time classic, chart-topping “She Looks So Perfect”, before thanking the crowd and heading off stage.

Naturally, they weren’t done yet; they suddenly appeared through the main doors to GA on the floor (along with plenty of security) and began singing the tour’s title track “Everyone’s a Star” whilst walking alongside the mosh and hyping them up before returning to the stage and belting it out with the crowd screaming it back.

Luke concluded that the crowd support at Spark Arena during 'Everyone’s a Star' was one of the best of the tour yet. He then thanked the Kiwi crowd for showing up for them after all these years.

New Zealand was our first international show we did when I was 15 years old. We played at Zeal in 2012 to 200 people. And today, in 2026, we’re playing to 6000 people, so thank you very much for being here.

The night ended with their biggest hit to date, 'Youngblood'. I understand why they ended with this song, but I think a number like 'She Looks So Perfect' would have been a better finale. Maybe that’s just me because 'Youngblood' isn’t a favourite of mine… but it just doesn’t have the same fun, upbeat, dance energy that 'She Looks So Perfect' has.

Overall though, 5SOS’s 'Everyone’s a Star' show at Spark Arena was an absolute hoot! A night of jumping, dancing, and lots of nostalgia for the die-hard fans who grew up with them and have finally got to see them in the flesh again after 8 long years.

It’s safe to say it was well worth the wait!

Photos: Spark Arena // Mahmoud Alhasan

5 Seconds of Summer setlist at Spark Arena

Act I - The Peak

• NOT OK

• No. 1 Obsession

• Teeth

Act II - The Fall

• Easier

• More

• istillfeelthesame

• No Shame

• She's Kinda Hot

• Boyband

• Telephone Busy

• Evolve

Act III - The Yearning

• Bad Omens

• Ghost of You

• I’m Scared I’ll Never Sleep Again

Act IV - The Breakup

• Starting Line (Luke Hemmings song)

• Have U Found What Ur Looking For? (Ashton Irwin song)

• Don’t Forget You Love Me (Calum Hood song)

• enough (Michael Clifford song)

Act V - The Rise

• Amnesia

• Heartbreak Girl (Secret Song)

Act VI - The Beginning

• English Love Affair

• Voodoo Doll

• Don't Stop

• Jet Black Heart

• She Looks So Perfect

Act VII - The Return (Encore)

• Everyone's a Star!

• Youngblood