Gracie Abrams is one of the most exciting artists in the world right now. After supporting Taylor Swift for parts of the Eras Tour last year, Abrams’ fame has skyrocketed as she sold out three nights at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena. 

Before Abrams took to the stage, the crowd were treated to a set from Ashe, who absolutely delivered with a superb display of pop music. 

“My first job is to make you toasty for Gracie,” said the singer. “And my second job is to make you fall in love with me.”

She performed a lengthy opening set, spanning power ballads as well as upbeat numbers with her cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” having the whole crowd singing along as she played on the piano. 

“If someone dragged you to the concert early and you said ‘I don’t know but she better prove herself’, I hope I will do so,” said Ashe and with the quality of her set, there is no doubt that she did. 

She closed her set with “Moral of the Story”, which has nearly a billion streams on Spotify and the crowd was as rapturous for this as they were for much of Abrams’ set, with the privilege of seeing such an established artist in a supporting role not being lost upon those in attendance. I have no doubt that when Ashe returns, on the back of the exposure she will receive from performing with Abrams, that she will be headlining venues almost as big, if not the same as those in which Abrams is currently performing. 

When Abrams hit the stage, the crowd went absolutely wild, reflecting the level of fandom that Abrams now receives. 

“This is so crazy to be here with you selling this room out three nights in a row,” she said. “Thank you so much for welcoming all of us, this is such a dream and I am deeply obsessed with this crowd already.”

Abrams has a light style of singing very much in the vein of Olivia Rodrigo and Swift herself and her songs are incisive, demonstrating a maturity well beyond her years. She began the set with “Felt Good About You” where she showed off her presence as she bounced around the stage, interacting with members of the crowd. 

She quickly moved into “I Love You, I’m Sorry”, which was incredibly well received by the audience, who sung along through their phones as they filmed the transcendental piece. The piano ballad “Gave You I Gave You I” was also very well executed and appreciated by the crowd. 

Abrams played guitar and piano throughout her set, showing off her skill as a musician and she was complemented well by a strong band. One of the highlights of the set though was her acoustic portion where she sat on a makeshift stage in the middle of the arena, which she styled as her bedroom and performed some of her favourite songs. Her surprise song was “This is What the Drugs Are For”, which thrilled her fans before she performed “Cool” and “I Miss You, I’m Sorry.” 

“To scream together, dance together and cry together it’s such a beautiful thing,” she said. “The fact you’ve gathered is such a miracle and I couldn’t feel luckier to know you.”

While Abrams performed a varied set, some covers would have been welcomed to vary the music up a little, especially among some of the lesser-known songs. As a side note, although out of the control of the artist, medical attention had to be called for at least four audience members in the overheated (and overly large) mosh pit. With even Abrams noting how hot it was, some genuine thought really needs to be given to audience safety, especially at concerts where fans queue up for hours for a prime spot on the barricade. At this rate, it seems like a serious incident is perhaps inevitable and so some consideration is definitely required. 

She closed out the night with her two biggest hits “That’s So True” and “Close to You.” The crowd hung on every word of “That’s So True” before jumping in joyous harmony for “Close to You.” 

Overall, this was a great night of music, where Abrams did everything to make her adoring fans leave feeling completely satisfied. As she left the stage, she thanked her audience for “singing every word and dancing with” her. One thing is for certain, those fans will continue to sing and dance as long as Abrams continues on her trajectory as I suspect that when she returns to Australia next, she will have a level of stardom that very few in the pop world can match. 

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Gracie Abrams – Qudos Bank Arena – 3^rd May 2025

All photo credits: Abby Waisler