There are few artists around who inspire the kind of fervour that surrounds Freya Skye at the moment. With the 16 year old touring Australia for the first time, demand for her shows proved to be so high that the Sydney show had to be upgraded from the Enmore Theatre to the larger Hordern Pavilion, yet the concert still sold out immediately. With her star rising at every moment, the enthusiasm for Skye was immediately apparent from the moment she walked on stage, with some of the biggest screams that I have ever heard accompanying the British singer throughout the night. This was an exceptionally young audience, with much of the crowd in their early teens, but this only added to the joyous atmosphere, with parents struggling to contain children who were absolutely thrilled to see their idol in person.

Skye opened with “Can’t Fake It” before moving into “Petty” and “Why’d You Have to Call?” and immediately had the entire audience singing along with phones held high as fans screamed every word back at her. The songs themselves were incredibly well crafted, with “Why’d You Have to Call?” feeling almost like the quintessential modern pop song in both composition and execution. From the outset, Skye demonstrated herself to be a supremely confident performer, showing poise well beyond her young years as she moved comfortably across the stage and engaged the crowd without any sign of hesitation, displaying the sort of assurance that many artists take years to develop.

“Sydney, I don’t even have the words right now, I think I’m kind of speechless,” said Skye with an authority that made it very clear that she was ready to handle this type of moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that kind of energy two songs in.”

There is sometimes a risk with teenage sensations that vocal shortcomings become apparent in a live setting but Skye demonstrated none of those issues, showcasing the vocal ability that first drew attention during her Junior Eurovision appearance. Skye’s skills were most apparent as she performed “Walk Over”, guitar in hand, which highlighted both her range and control whilst definitely evoking the style of Skye’s idol, Taylor Swift. 

This was definitely an audience which knew their artist, as was made clear when Skye asked whether they had heard her unreleased song “Bad Taste”, to which the response was immediate and deafening as the lyrics were screamed back to the singer with total passion. This was a preview of what was to come later as when she performed “London”, despite having been released only a few weeks earlier, the audience sang every word with remarkable enthusiasm. It was reflective of the joy in the room and the amount of sway that Skye had over her audience, with fervour that could rival her idol at many points. 

“This is quickly becoming my favourite show,” she said.

Skye’s team had every aspect of the production down to a tee, with even her water bottle bejewelled for the occasion, which is a small touch but one that reflected the amount of effort put into the performance. There was also a sense that Skye was keen to establish her own identity beyond her association with Disney with the majority of the numbers coming from her own discography, which proved to be a wise decision because her catalogue already feels remarkably polished and considered for someone so young.

While there was plenty of variety in the set, it perhaps felt a little too short and started slightly too late given the age profile of the audience, with a 10pm finish on a school night not necessarily ideal. Nevertheless, nobody seemed to mind as the crowd remained fully engaged until the very last moment that Skye was on stage. To close the main set, Skye performed “Silent Treatment” which has become her breakout hit and the reaction was powerful, with crowd vocals running through the venue and phones instantly appearing in the air as fans rushed to capture the moment. Skye then returned for an encore of “Gold’s Gone” bringing a fantastic night of music to a fitting conclusion.

Overall, this was a highly impressive show from one of pop’s most promising young artists. There are some artists, like Swift, Delta Goodrem and Olivia Rodrigo where their star quality is evident even from their earliest performances. The same can be said of Skye who combined strong vocals, confident stage presence and genuinely engaging songs with a level of professionalism that belies her age. I feel that we might be heading out to Accor Stadium next time Freya Skye comes to the Harbour City because there’s no doubt that this young performer is a star in the making. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Freya Skye – Hordern Pavillion – 9 June 2026

All photo credits: Jess Gleeson (@jessgleeson)