5 Seconds of Summer is Fully Evolved
Nashville, Tennessee - June 19, 2026
They might be fifteen years in, but there is no denying that 5 Seconds of Summer is still in their prime. Exactly thirteen years after they first graced the stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, while opening for One Direction, the Australian four-piece brought their largest production ever to Lower Broadway.
Bedazzled cowboy hats and rhinestone berets catch the light across the room as the crowd chatters excitedly waiting for the show to begin. Everyone is buzzing with anticipation after the opening act, The Band Camino, showcases just how much of a pop powerhouse they are. The room is loud, and it’s only getting louder.
When the lights finally dim and 5SOS appears, the crowd dissolves into collective chaos. After years on the road, the band knows how to open a show. Hard, fast, loud, and this time, standing atop a baby pink convertible in all their “boyband” glory. “Not OK” plunges the audience into the thick of their most recent album, EVERYONE’S A STAR! “No. 1 Obsession” keeps them there, and “Teeth” introduces a ferality that only a band like 5 Seconds of Summer could incite.
With years of on-the-road experience under their studded belts, 5SOS could teach a masterclass in building a setlist. And throughout the show, they do. With a decade and a half of music to showcase, they divide their setlist into 7 acts: The Peak, The Fall, The Yearning, The Breakup, The Rise, The Beginning, and finally, The Return. Each act takes the room through an era or a feeling, allowing the crowd to immerse themselves in every moment.
Act IV: The Breakup starts like the rest of the acts, with a satirical, self-referential skit. In this particular one, they are reflecting on the band’s breakup, not because it’s actually happened, but because it’s the most absurd way to introduce their solo songs. Luke, Calum, Ashton, and Michael have given themselves space to showcase their solo projects. As the spotlight shines down on one member after another, one thing becomes very clear: this is how they’ve made it this long. Their love for music and each other has always been apparent, but it’s their willingness to take a step back to let one of the others shine that defines them.
The prevailing power of friendship takes the room into the next two acts: The Rise and the Beginning. For the next six songs, 5SOS plays the old ones, but maybe not the expected ones. “English Love Affair” and “Voodoo Doll” make a back-to-back appearance that transports Bridgestone Arena all the way back to those 2013 days.
Act VII: The Return is the encore. The opening notes to “Everyone’s a Star” filter through the room as 5SOS make their reappearance through the back entrance of the room. Calum, Ashton, Luke, and Michael walk through the crowd towards the stage to new levels of pandemonium.
In a room where 5 Seconds of Summer has deemed everyone a star, they are the sun. When Luke Hemmings yells, “Put your hands up,” every hand goes up. “Jump,” and you can almost feel the room shake. Both the band and the fans feed off of each other. Not once over the 105-minute set has anyone taken more than they have been given. It’s the dance that 5 Seconds of Summer has been doing with their fans for years, and they still know every single step.
