When one thinks of the classical crossover genre, there are probably two names that come to mind: Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban. But in a way, even Bocelli is still much more on the classical side, meaning that when one thinks of a genuine classical crossover artist, Groban really is at the forefront and has been for the past 25 years.

It has been 10 years since Groban last performed in Australia, so those at his concert at the TikTok Entertainment Centre in Sydney were absolutely ecstatic to see the man from Los Angeles in the flesh.

Groban mixed original music with his classic covers throughout the show, commencing with the quasi-inspirational, gospel-tinged “You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)” before moving into a beautiful cover of “Pure Imagination” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was in this latter number when Groban felt at his best on the night, with a really simple song that provided a vehicle for Groban’s magnificent voice to come through and really shine. It was the perfect song for his voice and incredibly well executed.

With Bad Bunny, Grace Jones, Hilltop Hoods and Mardi Gras all on in Sydney on this jam-packed Saturday night, Groban acknowledged his gratitude for all who attended his show on a special night in the Harbour City. 

“It’s not what I would have done but c’est la vie,” he said to laughter from the audience. 

After some more original songs, including the heartfelt “February Song,” which spoke of Groban in a really dark place and was really quite poignant and beautiful in connecting with the audience, as well as a piano piece that he wrote when he was 12 years old, Groban stood up from behind the piano to perform a cover of Robbie Williams’ “Angels.” He assured the audience that he had the tick of approval from the British star himself, who sent Groban a bouquet of white roses to thank him for the cover. It was a great moment, with Groban’s smooth and pristine vocals providing a very different auditory experience to those familiar with the rocky, raspy vocals of Williams. Which version one would prefer is a matter of taste, but it was a great rendition and one that was incredibly well received by the audience.

From there, the show faltered a little bit as Groban became slightly more esoteric with his song choices. A cover of Céline Dion did not quite land, nor did “Alla luce del sole,” where Groban’s diction was lost slightly in the TikTok Entertainment Centre (which may have been a fault of the venue rather than of Groban but it did make it hard to pick up the enunciation of the Italian in particular). 

A duet of “All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera with Amy Manford, who will be starring in Opera Australia’s production on the harbour and touring with Alfie Boe later in the year, was also slightly underwhelming, as the beauty and richness of the song didn’t really come through as much as it could have despite the obvious talents of both performers on stage.

At times, it seemed as though Groban was trying a few new things and while that was appreciated to an extent after a while the audience yearned for some of the theatre classics that Groban has become known for. A particularly strange moment was when Groban sat down at the drums to perform a drum solo which might work at a Bruno Mars concert but felt incredibly out of place in a Josh Groban show. After the solo, Groban explained the purpose of it quite succinctly: “I did it because it’s my show and I can,” which pretty much encapsulated the audience’s bemusement at it.

With that said, Groban was incredibly personable throughout the show, explaining to one concertgoer who had brought a sign requesting a particular song that he hates to say no to requests but with a full orchestra and choir behind him it was simply not feasible. That said, another concertgoer asked for his drumsticks for which he was happy to oblige. These moments of connection were a great way to break up the show and a way for Groban to connect with his audience after being away from Australia for so long. Amusingly, one person had actually seen him in Las Vegas and told him to come to Australia, as we found out during the show.

The show picked up again when Groban performed some film classics off his forthcoming album, with “Brucia la terra” from The Godfather feeling particularly powerful and dramatic, as did his cover of “Skyfall” from James Bond (although admittedly it is hard to touch Adele on that particular number). A beautiful rendition of the Richard Marx-penned “To Where You Are,” which launched Groban into superstardom, was another highlight, with many in the audience in tears as he sang the funeral classic. Groban was also very understanding of his audience in that number, wishing anyone who had found some sort of meaning from that song comfort as he performed it. Groban’s cover of “The Book of Love” was another highlight, showing off his stunning tone at its best. 

Groban closed out his main set with the classic “You Raise Me Up,” which he performed exceptionally as he was well backed by the Metropolitan Orchestra Sydney and the Rejoice Gospel Choir. It was a beautiful and heartfelt way to conclude the main set as the audience sang along with the choir and orchestra. Groban returned for the encore with “Be Alright” before ending with “Bridge Over Troubled Water” on the piano, which was a nice way to end what had been a beautiful night of music.

Overall, this was a night of quality musicianship, with Groban showing the audience just how beautiful his voice was and captivating them with his tone and his timbre through some of his most well-known songs. Some of the original music and pop covers fell a little flat in this performance, with the dearth of musical theatre numbers that Groban does so well feeling a little glaring. But this was still a great night of music, showing off Groban’s beautiful voice and delighting those in attendance. One can only hope that it is not 10 years before Groban is back again, as there is clearly a huge audience for what he does in Australia and many who are truly captivated by him. A great start to a festival of music in Sydney this weekend. 

Rating: ★★★★

Josh Groban – TikTok Entertainment Centre – 28 February 2026

Photo credit: Sami Drasin