Editor’s Note: On the night of 14 December 2025, Australia experienced one of its darkest moments with an horrific terrorist attack at Bondi Beach targeted at the Jewish community. No words can truly capture the heartbreak and devastation felt across Sydney at this time. We acknowledge the deep grief and sorrow within the Jewish community and offer our deepest condolences. In publishing this review, we have sought to proceed with care and sensitivity in light of these events.

Boy & Bear published the following words as part of their statement on their Instagram page following the show: “Last night was one of our country’s most tragic and it’s hard to process what has unfolded. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. Our love and thoughts go out to everyone impacted by this horror – the families, friends, first responders and our entire community.”

Over the past 15 years, Boy & Bear have steadily risen the ranks of the Australian music scene to become one of the nation’s most loved acts. With the launch of their newest album, Tripping Over Time, this week, the band took to the stage in front of the Sydney Opera House as part of the On the Steps concert series to a near-capacity crowd. 

The night began with sets from Darcy Haven and Hollow Coves, with the latter really beginning to gain some traction in recent months in a style very similar to the headline act. They performed a tight set of their biggest hits before Boy & Bear took to the stage. The band was in fine form from the start with great energy in vocals and instruments, with “Old Town Blues” and “Suck on Light” being early highlights for the die-hard crowd.

The band have an energetic sound which almost resembles Muse at times but with an Australian Angus & Julia Stone style twist to it which was very much appreciated by the crowd as they worked through their setlist of old and new songs. The band premiered some new songs in “Vertigo” and “Roses”, which seemed to resonate well with the crowd with a folksy and more gentle vibe to them but it was the biggest songs in the middle of the set, like “Feeding Line”, which really had the crowd going, with the passion being felt throughout the space.

The band were also enigmatic throughout the set, with lead singer Dave Hosking joking before playing “Lordy May” that he would be retiring his Gibson J-45 guitar after the song before he broke a string and then had to play it again for the rest of the set. Some of the highlights from the set were the covers that the band performed, inviting Hollow Coves back up to the stage to join them for an ethereal version of “Wicked Game”, which showed off both bands’ abilities to harmonise and the depth of their musical skill before inviting Australian icon and frequent touring partner Sarah Blasko on stage for an emotional stripped-back rendition of “Fall at Your Feet”. It was a beautiful moment that captured the audience especially given the band’s vignette that they saw Crowded House play at the very same venue which they considered to be an inspiring moment.

The band saved many of their biggest hits for their encore, with “Hold Your Nerve” and “Walk the Wire” providing a final boost of energy for the crowd before they closed out the night with Blasko back on stage to perform their biggest hit “Southern Sun”. The band were in fine form all night with excellent vocals and superb harmonies especially when performing with their guests as well as top-class musicianship. With a world tour coming in 2026, it will be interesting to see how Boy & Bear incorporate more of their new material into their sets as their sound continues to evolve. Ultimately, this was a beautiful night of music that carried a weight beyond the stage, one that will be remembered as much for its emotional resonance as for the performance itself.

Boy & Bear – Sydney Opera House Forecourt – 14 December 2025

Photo credit: Casey Moore