Dua Lipa
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday, March 22nd
Dua Lipa has staked her claim as the hardest working person in showbiz. Four nights into a Melbourne residency, the artist has resumed her Radical Optimism world tour, which began its first leg in Asia and has been on hiatus since early December.
The show starts with a huge wave taking over the video screens. As Dua arrives centre stage, the band lean into a deconstructed version of ‘Training Season” that would fit a Bond-esque title sequence. It’s a sucker punch as the band shift a couple of gears and we’re led into a full-force take on the track.
Opening with a Radical Optimism double, “End of an Era” is next. Match-fit and back in business, from the opening gambit the show is bigger than Ben-Hur, a stunning exercise in grand-scale staging.
The dancers outnumber the band. The catwalk is in full use throughout the night, and the mid-centre B Stage is where at least half of the action happens.
It might say ‘pop star’ on Dua’s CV, but she’s got a rock star sensibility and attitude. In spite of the confetti cannons, the laser show, the dance numbers, and the linking films that dominate the screens, it’s all eyes on her.
Dua Lipa at Rod Laver Arena, 22nd March 2025
Splitting the show into five distinct acts, her collaboration with Calvin Harris, “One Kiss”, closes out Act One while turning the arena into a club and providing the night’s first audience singalong roof raiser.
The transitions between the acts are a little slow, but each new set builds on the mood of the last. Act Two opens with “Whatcha Doing” and “Levitating”. Then, to lift the energy in the room even higher, Dua brings on a guest.
At each of these Melbourne dates, Dua has performed an Australian song. Previously there’s been AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell”, Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn”, and Kylie’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”.
Tonight she brings out Troye Sivan to perform “Rush”. The venue goes nuts. Then Troye lets us in on a secret: he and Dua worked on a remix of “Physical” about five years ago that was never released. Dua has the track on a USB and the pair go into the crowd looking for a fan who can leak it online (it’s on YouTube now).
Highlights from the third act include “Hallucinate”, and a killer version of “Illusion”. Fire was the centrepiece of Act Four. Like the Johnny Cash song, there was a burning ring and Dua was in the middle of it. During “Love Again” she floats over it and you think this entire spectacle is as visually ambitious as anything in the history of showbiz since Pink Floyd set up their gear in Pompeii.
The setlist for the tour has evolved since the initial run through Asia. It’s a shame to see “Cold Heart” has been sidelined, and why “Dance the Night” is offered as a truncated version is a mystery.
As the show rolls towards the final act, there’s no place for ballads or album tracks. “New Rules” and “Don’t Start Now” are terrific, but there’s only one song to close a night built on a foundation of solid gold hooks. Retreating to the main stage with a phalanx of dancers, Dua closes with a stunning take on “Houdini”.
There’s shredding galore as the intensity builds before the band finally stops on a dime and Dua disappears into the darkness.
A triumph.
