OneRepublic are finally back in Australia for The Sweet Escape Tour, gifting Melbourne a wonderfully amusing evening through excellent chart-topping hits and phenomenal vocal runs.
Melbourne fans eagerly waited in massive lines to enter Melbourne’s iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl, with some fans in the front pit getting there as early as 9am to nab the best spot, the Melbourne audience keen to see the American hit makers for the first time in three years since their last tour.
Kickstarting with ‘RUNAWAY’ from their latest album Artificial Paradise, it wasn’t long before confetti was flying and everyone was up on their feet dancing to ‘Feel Again’.
Lead-singer and songwriter Ryan Tedder joked about wanting a free Australian citizenship and to move here, openly sharing that he’s visited Australia many times before but there’s something special about Melbourne that he and his bandmates thoroughly love. Unsurprising, as we’re the music capital of the nation and proved as such when everyone burst into song, shamelessly singing along at the top of our lungs to ‘Stop and Stare’.
‘Secrets’ with its iconic cello introduction was a fan favourite, but you’d be hard pressed to find a OneRepublic song that isn’t adored. ‘Something I Need’ and ‘Apologize’ were proudly sung word-for-word by Melbourne fans, while songs such as ‘Rescue Me’, ‘Run’ and ‘Sunshine’ had everyone dancing.
Displaying his songwriting finesse, Ryan Tedder performed Beyoncé’s ‘Halo’, Leona Lewis’ ‘Bleeding Love’ and even a snippet of ‘Happier’ that he wrote with Ed Sheeran, inspired by a fan with a sign that she could’ve seen Ed Sheeran in Sydney, but she chose to watch OneRepublic in Melbourne instead, which Tedder was thoroughly amused by and shared with the Melbourne audience that he was going to take a photo of the sign and text Ed later about it.
The wicked banter from Tedder was consistent throughout the night, including self-depreciating jokes, openly dedicating ‘I Need Your Love’ to Melbourne baristas due to his love for Australian coffee, and even kicking three signed Australian rugby team ball (signed by the band, not the sportsmen) into the Melbourne crowd, and joking that it cost $25 AUD, but after being signed by them, it’s now surely at least $30 AUD.
Although, the choice of the football not being an AFL one, especially with the concert taking place in in the heart of where AFL is from, was a tad questionable. This probably needs to be rectified during OneRepublic’s next visit to our shore. If the decorated Aussie sporting league were clever enough, they’d invite the American band to a match, next time if both tour and football season coincide with one another. Or perhaps even have them perform at the next AFL Grand Final? The possibilities are endless. After all, they do love Melbourne so much.
Ryan Tedder is the ultimate frontman. Whether he’s impressing you with his insane vocal runs, his multi-instrumental talents, or just cracking silly jokes and connecting with the Melbourne audience, he has a way of making everything feel intimate, special and personal, like he’s only talking with you. An incredible amount of gifts married with natural talent and charisma that is undeniable.
Highlights of the evening included a gorgeous acoustic guitar solo by Zach Filkin that had Melbourne patrons collectively mesmerised and frozen in awe. I also became quite teary when ‘I Lived’ was performed, a song that helped me get through the death of my father when he passed after suffering from Multiple System Atrophy. The song is special to me, and it was wonderful hearing it sung so passionately and live in such an iconic Melbourne venue and atmosphere. Honestly, it felt like being embraced and wrapped up in a tender warm hug, but with music.
Concluding the evening with the stellar ‘Counting Stars’, the upbeat ‘I Don’t Wanna Wait’ and ‘Calling (Lose My Mind)’, before performing the final song of the night ‘If I Lose Myself’, OneRepublic successfully provided Melbourne fans with a fantastic concert that was both satisfying and yet still left us wanting more. The globally loved American powerhouse expertly reminded us of why exactly they are one of the best in the business. Hopefully next time, we don’t have to wait another three years though. Until then, I, like many, eagerly await their return to our shores.
Proudly presented by Live Nation Australia, OneRepublic’s The Sweet Escape Tour is currently touring Australia. OneRepublic performed in Melbourne at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Sunday the 15th of February with their final Australian headline show on Wednesday the 18th of February at RAC Arena in Perth.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.onerepublic.com/tour
https://www.livenation.com.au/onerepublic-tickets-adp2253
https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/event-archive/2026/contemporary-music/onerepublic-the-sweet-escape-tour
Photography by Grant Alexander.
