Words by Phoebe O’Brien // Photos by Ashleigh Caygill
As the Australian Open wrapped up its final weekend, AO Live delivered an unforgettable, sold-out series of high energy shows at John Cain Arena.
The Veronicas light up AO Pride Day at AO Live: Friday 30 January
Seeing The Veronicas live in 2026 was like being flung straight back to 2005, in the absolute best way. Twenty-one years after Lisa and Jess Origliasso burst onto the Aussie music scene with 4ever, the Brisbane duo proved at AO Live! that their legacy is alive and well.
Supporting the night were Melbourne’s own Memphis LK, a DJ/producer armed with her dancefloor-ready bangers and American house/EDM duo SOFI TUKKER, the pair behind viral club hits like Purple Hat and Best Friend.
The Veronica’s kicked off with a playful tennis-themed video montage, immediately locking in the sold-out John Cain Arena (all 10,000 of us). From that moment on, it was hit after hit, blending early-career nostalgia with the depth of their later work.
Fan favourites like Popular, Take Me on The Floor, When It All Falls Apart, Everything I’m Not, and Hook Me Up (introduced with a slick nod to Icona Pop) had the crowd singing every word. The emotional peak came with You Ruin Me, as the arena transformed into a sea of phone lights, a genuine wow moment and a reminder of just how deeply their music still resonates.
Tracks like Revolution, On Your Side, and In My Blood showcased their evolution. Then came the “unofficial national anthem,” Untouched. The moment those opening notes hit, the roar was deafening, and the floor literally shook as the entire arena seemed to bounce as one.
Vocally, Lisa and Jess were powerful and raw. They didn’t phone it in or play it safe, and what stood out most was the love in the room, between the sisters themselves, the band and a fanbase spanning generations.
Peggy Gou brings final set fever to AO Live: Sunday 1 February
DJ Peggy Gou’s AO Live set was a fitting farewell as the Australian Open wrapped up last night. Massive production filled the arena, including giant inflated tennis balls bouncing through the crowd, streamers and confetti raining down, all capped with a celebratory fireworks display.
Support came from British singer and DJ Shygirl with her Club Shy party, Jakarta-born, Perth-raised Baby J, and Sydney’s own Bryson Hill, bringing the heat before Gou took over.
Peggy’s late-afternoon set began with the arena roof closed due to rain, locking the space into full rave mode, dark and sweaty. Then, luck was on Gou’s side. Right on cue, the roof opened to a soft blue, cloud-streaked sky. A chill ran through the air, and Gou clocked it too, bare shoulders out, joking she was cold.
Punters danced freely as she spun her house and techno mixes. She worked in deeper cuts and playful remixes, including Corona’s The Rhythm of the Night, a sample of Cake’s Short Skirt/Long Jacket and Bob Sinclair’s Techno Gym, all landing with ease before she dropped her own infamous hit It Goes Like (Nanana). She closed the set with GALA’s Freed from Desire, sending the crowd home on a high.
The earlier dark-rave energy hit hard, especially for committed dance-in-the-dark partygoers, think Nicole Kidman in the Babygirl rave scene, and also nothing like that at all. Around us, the visuals leaned local and surreal, weaving tennis imagery with animated Aussie native animals flickering across the screens. Gou herself remained characteristically nonchalant, casually reapplying lip gloss while the entire arena boogied together.
Effortless, undeniably stylish and a master behind the decks, Peggy Gou closed AO Live exactly how she should have.
