RÜFÜS DU SOL have nailed the rarest live trick. Turning precision into chaos, and making electronic music feel completely alive.

The first of three Melbourne shows felt less like a tour stop and more like a victory lap. You could sense it before they even walked out. That low hum in the air when everyone knows they’re about to see something special. And when it hit, it hit hard.

The formula is simple on paper: drums that hit you in the chest, synth lines that feel like they’ve been sanded smooth over a decade, and a light show that actually respects the music instead of wrestling with it. In practice, it’s something else. The beats don’t just “drop”, they roll forward, constantly, like the band is allergic to dead air.

The new material held its own early. “Lately” into “Breathe” was a smart opening run. Tight, moody, no fat on it. But the gig properly tipped over when the familiar hooks started to appear.

“You Were Right” turned the arena into one big, off-key choir. “On My Knees” dragged things into darker territory, the kind of track that makes you realise how rare it is to see electronic music this heavy and this controlled live. “Next To Me” gave everyone a chance to feel something other than bass in their sternum.

And then there’s “Innerbloom”. The drop is so baked into Australian festival folklore at this point it could easily feel tired. It doesn’t. The tension is still there, the release still lands, and for a few minutes Rod Laver feels weightless. It’s the closest thing they have to a national anthem, and they know it.

The crowd got the memo. No one is sitting. Even the polite seated sections gave up on pretending this was a “watch and clap” night about two songs in. For a school night show, it was loud, loose and, at times, genuinely rowdy.

What cuts through all the lasers and smoke is a pretty simple truth: this is a world-class act representing Australia in a genre we’re not usually allowed to be smug about. You walk out of the arena a bit proud. Proud they’re ours, and slightly annoyed every overseas festival poster doesn’t just have their name printed in bigger font.

A stunning, dialled-in performance from a band that’s worked out exactly what they’re best at, and then turned it up as far as the PA will allow.

RÜFÜS DU SOL Australian Tour
With support from SG Lewis (Live)

Fri 7 Nov 2025 – RAC Arena – Perth, WA
Sat 8 Nov 2025 – RAC Arena – Perth, WA
Tue 11 Nov 2025 – AEC Arena – Adelaide, SA
Thu 13 Nov 2025 – Rod Laver Arena – Melbourne, VIC
Fri 14 Nov 2025 – Rod Laver Arena – Melbourne, VIC
Sat 15 Nov 2025 – Rod Laver Arena – Melbourne, VIC
Thu 20 Nov 2025 – Qudos Bank Arena – Sydney, NSW
Fri 21 Nov 2025 – Qudos Bank Arena – Sydney, NSW
Sat 22 Nov 2025 – Qudos Bank Arena – Sydney, NSW
Tue 25 Nov 2025 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre – Brisbane, QLD
Wed 26 Nov 2025 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre – Brisbane, QLD
Sat 29 Nov 2025 – Western Springs (Outer Fields) – Auckland, NZ

Tickets now on sale

REVIEW: RÜFÜS DU SOL - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne