Joel and Benji Madden have had a love affair with Australia from the moment they started their career with Good Charlotte. Australia was the first place they ever came outside of the US and it was the first place where they received the chart-topping success which launched them into superstardom. More recently, the brothers were coaches on The Voice Australia back in the day when it was the most watched show in the country and so, as a result, they are very much part of the Australian public consciousness, even if they haven’t been on The Voice for the past 10 years.

Now, with a new album out, the band returned to Sydney after a relatively lengthy hiatus, with the crowd almost selling out Qudos Bank Arena for their return. This was a huge step up from their last show at the Hordern Pavilion in 2018 and a testament to how well their music has stood the test of time, with the nostalgia factor for punk rock fans of the early 2000s beginning to kick in as well.

The crowd was first treated to a set from Yellowcard, who would be headliners on most tours in their own right. Having played in Sydney last year, the band was in fine form as the opener, with lead singer Ryan Key showing off an incredible vocal range and the band feeling incredibly cohesive throughout the night. A highlight was when Joel Madden himself came out to perform “Bedroom Posters” which was the band’s latest single. Unfortunately, there were some mic issues, which meant no one in the crowd could really hear Joel but it was still a great moment. Even in a short set, it was so clear how many hits the band have had, with the crowd lighting up at every song. With a star-studded ending of “Lights and Sounds”, “Better Days” and the classic “Ocean Avenue”, this was the best curtain-raiser to the show one could imagine.

When Good Charlotte took to the stage, they were greeted with rapturous applause. Often bands will ease into their set but Good Charlotte did not do this at all, launching straight into “The River”, “Dance Floor Anthem” and “Last Night” as their first three songs. “Dance Floor Anthem” in particular, was electric, having the whole crowd up as Joel sang the iconic tagline. I’ve rarely seen that much energy in a crowd, especially so early on in a set, but it was truly special. It felt like the venue was shaking, and the Maddens were in fine voice, hitting the notes probably the best they have in the last 20 years.

“Last Night” kept up that energy with a pounding performance with the rocky, upbeat nature of the song bouncing through the arena. The crowd was up for it from the start, with mayhem in the mosh pit (perhaps a little too much mayhem), which meant the atmosphere was completely electric, with everyone going absolutely wild from the opening moments. The band’s vocals were strong throughout, and while there was definitely some noticeable autotune on the mic, this only added to the experience, because it meant the band felt freer and more able to connect with the audience, not missing a single note.

As they went through their setlist, the breadth of the band’s discography became apparent, with “Girls & Boys”, “The Chronicles of Life and Death” and “Like It’s Her Birthday” all appearing within the first eight songs of the set. They showed off some newer material through the middle before returning to a Madden Brothers classic in “We Are Done”, which was exquisitely performed, showing a lighter side to the Maddens, with their harmonies perfectly on point in the number.

The energy remained high until the very end of the set, with “I Just Wanna Live” revving the crowd back up again before “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” closed the main set and “The Anthem” finished the night off.

Overall, this was an awesome night of music, with the crowd fully locked in and engaged and the Maddens doing everything to feed off that energy. The vocals were insane, the instrumentals were amazing and the energy was as good as I’ve ever seen at a concert. This really was some of the most fun I’ve had at a concert recently (and I’ve reviewed quite a few in the past few years). It is very clear that punk rock is not dead in Australia. One can only hope the band are back in Australia very soon because this was a spectacular concert.

Rating: ★★★★★

Good Charlotte – Qudos Bank Arena – 25 February 2026