Live Report: 5 Seconds of Summer dazzle the 3Arena with an upbeat and nostalgic show

Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) performed at Dublin’s 3Arena on Friday, March 27, as part of their Everyone’s A Star! World Tour, in support of their album of the same name.

The four-piece band were formed in 2011, posting covers on YouTube and quickly gaining recognition online. Catching Louis Tomlinson's attention, the group supported One Direction on their Take Me Home Tour in 2013. Since then, 5SOS have continued to grow in popularity, becoming one of the most famous boy bands worldwide. However, from the start of their career, they have continuously fought against this boy band label. Pretending to accept this title, in Everyone's A Star, the band portray themselves as the greatest boy band in the world.

Supporting 5SOS, British alternative-indie musician Master Peace, and English alt-pop-rock y2kcore band South Arcade’s sets were a phenomenal start to the show.

Master Peace's set was magnetic and irresistible, making it impossible not to dance with its driving rhythm, electronic synths and powerful drums.

South Arcade's drum-driven track ‘FEAR OF HEIGHTS’ was reminiscent of Avril Lavigne through lead vocalist Harmony Cavelle’s raspy and gritty vocals. As well as performing other of their most well-known tracks, including ‘2005’, ‘Nepo Baby’, ‘Supermodels’, and ‘stone cold summer’, the band treated the crowd with the first ever performance of the unreleased track ‘Superman’.

Young and energetic, both of their sets had everyone warmed up for 5SOS’s performance.

South Arcade supporting 5 Seconds of Summer at 3 Arena on March 27th, 2026. Copyright Jason Doherty/www.hotpress.com

During the changeover, the crowd had a bit of time to appreciate 5SOS's unique stage set. Surrounding the stage was a circular runway, half of it taken up by the main stage, which had a pink limousine in its centre, the bonnet of which was occupied by a set of drums. The stage set embodied the entire aesthetic of Everyone's A Star with the luxurious car taking centre stage and the lit-up runway representing their stardom status.

The show kicked off as all of the lights in the venue turned off, and a documentary-like video began to play. The short clip ended with the words "Act I - The Peak" - one of many acts that made up the gig. The screen turned black, and the arena was in pure darkness. The lights of the limo turned on as the car growled and the first notes of the hard-hitting and punchy ‘NOT OK’ rang out. None of the band members were on stage, but images of them singing in the car, holding pints of Guinness, appeared on the screens, before the car's roof opened and the band walked out of the vehicle.

5 Seconds of Summer at 3 Arena on March 27th, 2026. Copyright Jason Doherty/www.hotpress.com

After the drum-rich, infectious and upbeat ‘No.1 Obcession’, from Everyone’s A Star!, the band performed the track ‘Teeth’. The track had everyone on their feet, clapping to the beat and singing along. Simple black, white and red visuals that looked like they had been corrupted or distorted flickered in the background, pairing beautifully with the cymbal-rich industrial pop track and its scratchy guitar riffs.

To kick start the second act - The Fall - 5SOS performed ‘Easier’, a moody yet infectious percussion heavy, bass led track about heartbreak and unstable, toxic relationships with lyrics like: “Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go?/ I don’t wanna know, oh/But I know that I’m never, ever gonna change/ And you know you don’t want it any other way”.

5 Seconds of Summer at 3 Arena on March 27th, 2026. Copyright Jason Doherty/www.hotpress.com

Pretending to embrace the boy band label now in their sixth album, the band did a skit during their show, where a fan honoured them with the Boy Band Of The Year Award. This was followed by the drum-driven, synth-rich danceable track ‘Boyband’ with its satirical lyrics: “Boy band, boy band, make that monkey dance/Let me see you clap your hands, it’s your favourite (boy band)”.

One of the highlights of the 5SOS show was during the third act - The Yearning - namely when they performed the beautiful emotional song ‘Ghost Of You’. The group took fans from laughs to tears, performing the melancholic pop-rock ballad that, with its stripped-back production, let the poignant lyrics shine: “So I drown it out like I always do/ Dancing through our house/ With the ghost of you”. Accompanying the song were simple blue-hued visuals of the band members, and confetti that sparkled with the reflection of the flashlights of the fans’ phones.

5 Seconds of Summer at 3 Arena on March 27th, 2026. Copyright Jason Doherty/www.hotpress.com

During the fourth act - The Breakup - members of 5SOS took turns, each one performing a track from their personal projects. One by one, they took the centre of the circular runway, rotating places as they sang their solo tracks.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Luke Hemmings sang ‘Starting Line’, drummer Ashton Irwin performed ‘Have U Found What Ur Looking For?’, bassist and vocalist Calum Hood played a rendition of ‘Don't Forget You Love Me’, and lead guitarist Michael Clifford belted out ‘enough’.

5 Seconds of Summer at 3 Arena on March 27th, 2026. Copyright Jason Doherty/www.hotpress.com

They then reunited in the following act - The Rise - singing ‘Amnesia’ in the centre of the runway together. The performance of this track was simple yet beautiful. The four members sang the track accompanied by an acoustic guitar, turning the arena into an intimate space, where we seemed to invade a private jam session.

After performing ‘She Looks So Perfect’, the group pretended to end the concert only to then walk through fans, returning to the stage. The apex of their performance followed suit, when, after they sang the fast-paced ‘Everyone’s A Star!’, they performed fan favourite ‘Youngblood’.

It was an incredible way to end the show. The band went all out with the percussive, guitar-rich, upbeat track, which, with its punchy lyrics, had everyone jumping and singing. Colourful confetti fell as trippy colourful visuals with the lyrics flashing throughout filled the screens, ending the show in a wonderfully overstimulating yet nostalgic way.