Written by Holly Brown
5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) returned to Glasgow last night with their Everyone’s a Star! Tour, featuring a jam-packed setlist with new material, the old classics and even a solo section. It was the third show of the tour for the Aussie pop-rock band, with two previous gigs in Dublin and Belfast. The support acts were perfect picks, South Arcade and Haiden Henderson got the crowd ready with a similar musical vibe, preparing the audience for the show to come.
South Arcade in particular, were very interactive with the audience and knew how to get them hyped up for the main set, talking about the band members and teasing the upcoming performance. When the lights dimmed and the screen came on, screams erupted from the crowd of eager superfans who now filled the pit.
They then took to the stage and continued the song, with the crowd instantly jumping up and down, screaming every word. The stage setup was creative and unlike any other layout I have seen before. The drumkit was inside of a limo; quite on theme for the show as it was thematically about the rise, fall, and prime of the world’s biggest boyband, with the mainstage in front and a walkway circling the set.
The show started with a video; Act 1: The Peak. This set the tone for the rest of the show; It was a playful, theatrical production, with videos dividing the songs into different acts to mirror a fake documentary. The band began their first song ‘NOT OK’ in the back of a car, with bassist Calum Hood sporting a Scotland football strip and kilt, and drummer Ashton Irwin drinking from a can of Irn Bru, a personal touch for their only Scottish show.
This concert was one for the nostalgic girls. As a fan for 13 years who first saw them when they opened for one direction, hearing the band play some of their biggest hits from the beginning was so emotional and made me feel like a teenage fangirl again. ‘Ghost Of You’ in particular pulled at my heartstrings, and evidently everyone else around me who were crying and teary eyed.
I must admit, I had not listened to much of their new album prior to the show, but since attending I have fallen in love with the songs. The title track, ‘Everyone’s A Star!’ is my personal favourite and sounded even better live than on record. During this song, the boys walked through the crowd led by bagpipes to put another playful Scottish spin on the show. ‘Boyband’ was another stand out song. The band accepted a phony trophy one stage for boyband of the year, fitting the next few songs into their documentary style show. Another fun and playful element was when the band had four blow up replicas thrown into the pit as if they were stage-diving with the video in the background stating it would be their last show due to traumatic injuries caused by the incident, a creative way to interact with the fans and make them laugh.
Overall, the show was a real treat and one you do not want to miss whether you’re an old fan, new fan or unfamiliar with the band. 5 Seconds of Summer are on tour until the sixth of November 2026, where they will play the final tour of the show in Perth, Australia.
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