Of Monsters and Men have been one of the premier bands ever to emerge from Iceland and after their last sold out Sydney show in 2020, they returned to the Enmore Theatre with a newer, mellower sound that has continued to resonate with audiences following a lengthy hiatus.

For many fans in attendance, the night carried particularly warm memories. Their last Sydney performance at the Enmore six years ago ultimately became bittersweet, marking their final Australian show before the band unexpectedly cancelled the following Wollongong date and returned home, later entering a lengthy songwriting hiatus between albums. As such, it was a genuine pleasure to welcome them back together in Australia once more.

Before the show, the audience were treated to a set from Gordi, who also opened for the band on their previous Australian tour. The Australian songwriter revealed a strong connection with Of Monsters and Men, having quickly become friends with members of the band during that earlier run of shows. Once again, she proved an impressive support act, delivering soulful vocals alongside an eclectic mix of synthesised piano. Her music felt ethereal and magical throughout, with well-constructed instrumentals helping create a captivating atmosphere. It was a great start to the night and one the audience clearly enjoyed judging by the strong ovation she received at the conclusion of her set.

Of Monsters and Men took to the stage and immediately showcased the new record with “Television Love” which felt like the perfect opener for the night. Light strings opened the song before rising drums and vocals created a crescendo of sound as the lights lifted across the theatre. It instantly engaged the crowd and set the tone for the evening beautifully, creating an anthemic atmosphere from the very start of the show.

The early part of the set was largely a testament to their newer material, though the band still made time for older favourites like “King and Lionheart” early on, which proved a great way to get the audience engaged. Immediately, the vocals of Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson stood out, with a wonderful blend, tone and timbre between the pair. With a lineup that has changed only once since first forming almost twenty years ago, there was a comfortable familiarity between the members on stage that resonated strongly with the audience, who clearly loved seeing them back after such a long absence.

The Enmore Theatre proved the ideal venue for the band, making the show feel far more intimate than a typical show at the venue, evoking the feel of a lounge room at times, especially during a brief acapella section in the middle of the set. The group connected warmly with the crowd throughout, even showing off some of their more eccentric humour with songs like “Tuna in a Can”, which they cheekily pre-empted by saying it was about canned fish.

“It was a really long flight to get here but you’re definitely worth it. Australia is so nice,” they said.

There was quite a stark difference in the audience reaction to the band’s newer material compared to their older work. Their earlier songs carried a far more energetic and anthemic quality, with the crowd regularly up and singing along, whereas much of the newer material leaned into more introspective territory. While still pleasant and often beautiful, it occasionally led to the set struggling to maintain consistent energy, with some audience members not connecting quite as strongly to this newer side of the band’s catalogue. There were also some technical issues with the sound, especially on the guitars throughout the night but the band largely handled these well. 

The highlight of the night was a superb thirty-minute run during the second half of the set, where the band glided effortlessly through some of the biggest songs from All Is Love and Pain before moving into beloved classics including “Dirty Paws”, “Sloom” and “Little Talks”. “Ordinary Creature” fitted perfectly into this stretch of the performance, with Nanna unleashing some of the rawest and most powerful vocals of the night before energetically dancing around the stage during “Little Talks” as the crowd erupted into a huge singalong. It was a fantastic sequence of songs and one where the band really connected with their audience. 

One of the night’s most beautiful moments came during the acoustic rendition of “Love Love Love”, which translated beautifully to the Enmore Theatre stage and resonated deeply with the audience. It is not a typical Of Monsters and Men song, but the ballad felt intimate, poignant and perfectly suited to the venue. It was a wonderful way to commence the encore before the band closed the evening powerfully with “Fruit Bat”.

Overall, this was a fine return for Of Monsters and Men, delighting their fans who had waited six years to see them in Sydney again. While the set occasionally lacked consistency in energy and connection during some of the newer material, it still showcased both the introspective strengths of their recent work and the enduring power of their older classics. If nothing else, the night served as a reminder of just how much the Icelandic group had been missed in Australia.

Rating: ★★★★

Of Monsters and Men – Enmore Theatre – 19 May 2026

Photo credit: Eva Schram