The Lumineers ‘Automatic’ World Tour

Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney 16/01/2026

American Alt-Folk pioneers The Lumineers, touch back down-under in celebration of their 2025 album ‘Automatic’, plus said year marking the bands twentieth anniversary (technically 21 years now, but close enough). As soon as the lights dim, the band rocket out onto the stage riding spaceship stage props, with pyrotechnics in their wake, while booming cinematic lighting and video plays on the stage screens, making the crowd go wild!

…Just kidding, that would be a bit silly of a concert like this, however, it still holds an atmospheric quality none the less.

After supporting band The Head And The Heart graced the stage, perfectly complementing The Lumineers’ sound, the audience around me aren’t charged and buzzing like Buzz Lightyear, more that they’re pleasantly in high spirits ready for the main course with eagerness, after the scrumptious appetiser.

Opening with the first track off the bands’ touring album ‘Automatic’, ‘Same Old Song’, my ears are treated to a rich, clear mix of sound, and it may be where I’m situated at the barrier towards the end of the uniquely shaped catwalk, which I’ll get to in a minute, or simply that the sound mixer levelled the sound to be loud yes, but not too harsh. Either way, I actually find myself not needing my protective ear-plugs… except when the crowd scream in joy and applause, that shit is harsh on my ears! Now the stage setup. Instead of the typical catwalk runway coming out from the centre of the main stage, this one instead runs out from the right of the stage, left side if you’re looking at the stage. As well as that, at the end of the runway, if fans out left and right in a sort of anchor or hammerhead shape, and on that anchor, are the bands’ instruments set up on it, as well as the same set up back on the main stage. As a result, where I’m standing in line with the tip of the lefthand anchor point, I get a really nice Dolby Surround Sound-like experience, hearing the music not just on the arena speakers, but from the source of the music to my right at about 4 o’clock (the main stage if I’m standing straight against the barrier), then to my left at 10 o’clock when the band are on the anchor at the end of the runway.

Other than the other-worldly experience of the sound travelling from my 4 to 10 o’clock positions, plus the echo of the sound  reaching all corners of the large arena, the band frequently move from the main stage, up the catwalk and to the anchor throughout the set, not just playing one or two songs on the end of the runway. Instead of moving quickly from one destination to another, the band seemingly float along the runway like defying gravity, connecting with the audience along the way, I’m sure locking eyes with fans here at the front but that’s not something I can confirm first hand, for all I know, they could have been looking me in the eyes while singing and I could’ve just been looking at their chest with a smile on my face? I mean, I can see a blurry shape moving along the runway and I try to aim my gaze for where I reckon their faces would be when they’re up close but who knows…

Other than connecting with fans in their actions, the band talk to us in a humble honest sounding manner between songs. The set is filled with not just songs off the bands latest album ‘Automatic’, but with timeless classics, all the females names you know and love like ‘Angela’, ‘Gloria’ and ‘Ophelia’ plus ‘Strange Love’ and ‘Ho-Hey’, which was placed around the three-quarter mark of the set, not as a finale like is typical of a bands biggest hit, instead, the band placed it in the set where the essence and feel of the song would sit well to complement the energy flow of the set. This also kept the fans interest locked so their minds didn’t float away into space.

Coming back to the atmospheric feel of the show, about half way through the set, the band sets off a confetti cannon, which fans always love as little bits of paper rain down for a few minutes, but what I’ve never experienced before, likely due to me typically facing forward towards the stage not away from it, but as the confetti falls down to my left (keeping in mind I’m standing with the main stage to my 4 o’clock position), the light shining out from the main stage light on the falling confetti, and to me and likely everyone else, it looks like hundreds of little lights falling down from the ceiling like a meteor shower.

“I’ve been to quite a few concerts with my friend here tonight, how many I wonder?” Oh sorry, my mind wondered, (the answer’s 41 if I’ve counted correctly). The set goes for two hours which is fantastic giving fans a wide variety of songs from the bands catalogue of releases, but In the later quarter of the set my mind is starting to wander during some of the bands more somber lesser known songs. Even though this isn’t the type of show for massive production and theatrics, I do think some light video/recordings to fill in the energy flow between songs adding an almost documentary-esque touch to the show might be cool.

Still, when the band finish by touching back down to earth with closing song ‘Stubborn Love’ (I’m pretty sure), I feel very content and satisfied. Even in the bands more popular tracks, the audience were in high spirits of course, but everyone were respectful and kind to one another, letting me and everyone else immerse ourselves in the delicious rich array of complex and diverse layers of sound (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, piano, violin, banjo etc). Plus the band don’t just read my sign and hand a drumstick to security to pass to me, before disappearing, one of the band members comes off the stage himself holding two drumsticks, asks what my name is and upon seeing signatures on the back of my sign asks if he can sign it. That beautiful display of commitment and connection with fans from bands like this, plus experiencing the sound travelling from different places and experiencing the energy and joy of fans singing and dancing along to the music they love is why I love being here at the front making use of my extremely limited sight.

Experiencing the show, not just listening to it. Until next time…

To infinity, and beyond!