Jay Chou will bring his ‘Carnival II World Tour’ to Sydney’s ENGIE Stadium on Saturday, November 21st, following a landmark Melbourne concert that saw the Mandopop star make history at Marvel Stadium.
On October 17th, Chou became the first Mandarin-language artist to headline a solo show at the Melbourne venue, performing to 32,000 fans. It marked his first Australian appearance in two and a half years, and the 19th dat of a tour that began in Hangzhou, China, in April.
Now, the Taiwanese singer-songwriter is preparing a distinctly different experience for Sydney. Under his “One City, One Theme” approach, each stop on the tour takes on its own character. Melbourne’s show was dubbed “Pink Melbourne”, while the upcoming concert will adopt an “Ocean Sydney” theme, inspired by Australia’s coastline.
The Melbourne performance offered a taste of the scale Chou is bringing to Australia. The concert opened with a “Frozen World” sequence featuring lasers, visual effects and a ring-shaped burst of water, before a giant mechanical robot revealed the singer as the “Son of the Sun”.
The stage later shifted into a fairytale landscape featuring a castle, rotating ferris wheel and a recreation of Big Ben.
Beyond the production, Chou worked through a catalogue spanning more than two decades, including fan favourites “Black Humour”, “Sunny Day” and “The Promised Love”. He joined fans for high-fives during “Love Confession”, and invited song requests towards the end of the night, before closing with “Waiting for You”.
Addressing the crowd in English, Chou also thanked Australian buskers who perform his music, and reflected on how familiar songs can offer comfort to people living far from home.
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Since releasing his self-titled debut album in 2000, Chou has become one of Mandopop’s most influential artists. His 2022 release, Greatest Works of Art, topped IFPI’s Global Album Sales Chart, while his touring career has taken him across the globe.
Tickets for Jay Chou’s ‘Carnival II’ show at ENGIE Stadium on November 21st are on sale now through Ticketmaster.
