When Roxette last toured Australia in 2015, it was thought that it would certainly be the last time. Indeed, when Marie Fredriksson lost her battle with a brain tumour in 2019, it seemed as though there was no way that the band she fronted could go on as her loss continued to loom large upon the music industry in the ensuing years. 

Yet, in 2024, the band has returned to Australia for a tour showcasing all of their biggest hits, with Swedish pop singer Lena Philipsson taking on the lead vocals. After shows around the country, the band, led by founding member Per Gessle, returned to Sydney for a show at the ICC Theatre in Darling Harbour. 

The atmosphere was buzzing as the band took to the stage and they immediately got into their stride with uplifting and energetic songs like “Sleeping in my Car” and “Crash! Boom! Bang!” getting the audience out of the chairs for the start of the set. While not quite possessing the same power as Fredriksson, Philipsson displayed significant range and texture to her voice, and she was able to use her strong stage presence to get the crowd going from the outset. 

Philipsson’s stage presence prevented the performance from feeling like a cover band performance but even so, the absence of Fredriksson was felt at some of the most poignant moments of the show, with Philipsson dedicating the band’s emotional performance of “It Must Have Been Love” to the late singer. It was fabulously performed, with tenderness and fragility whilst still maintaining power in the soaring high notes and the audience sang along to every word. With such a well-constructed and beautiful song, it was truly special to hear the crowd singing along with the band, which was a nod to Fredriksson and also to the enduring power of music. 

The rest of the band was also in fine form, with Per Gessle displaying his usual whimsical vocals and a great sense of humour, filling the set with stories and anecdotes to keep the crowd entertained. He also took the time to introduce the rest of the band, many of whom had been with the band since the 80s, and the level of musicianship shown on guitars as well as on synthesisers and backing vocals was extremely high throughout. It was clear that this was a group of musicians who simply loved performing and, even after so many years together, were still very much at the top of their game. 

There was some Aussie flair added into the set, with a guitar-driven cover of “Waltzing Matilda” before “Joyride”, which was lapped up by the crowd. The band closed out the set with a lengthy encore, which included a number of the band’s biggest hits including an acoustic version “Spending My Time” as well as “Listen to your Heart.”

Ultimately, this was a fantastic performance, which displayed incredibly high levels of musicality throughout. Roxette’s songs are incredibly catchy and the crowd created a fantastic atmosphere as the band sung through their catalogue with heart and passion. While the loss of Fredriksson will always be noticed when Roxette perform, Philipsson did a fantastic job of mitigating the effect of this, giving a performance for the audience to remember. This was a concert with lots of fun and good memories and while it was not the same as the original Roxette, it had the same heart, soul and connection that the beauty of the songs deserves and for that, it was a superb night. 

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Roxette – ICC Sydney Theatre – 8 March 2025