“It’s your favorite boyband!”
More than 15 years into their career, 5 Seconds of Summer are still finding new ways to surprise fans. Their latest world tour, Everyone’s A Star, is a celebration of everything the band has built together, while simultaneously poking fun at the entire concept of fame. Equal parts rock show, comedy sketch, and theatrical spectacle, it’s easily their boldest live production to date.
From the moment Everyone’s A Star arrived last November, this comeback felt different. Bigger. More Conceptual. More Confident. Across their career, 5SOS have evolved from the pop-punk roots of their self-titled debut into dance-pop and alternative territory on albums like Youngblood and CALM. Their newest record ties all of those eras together, blending pop, rock, punk, dance, and alternative influences into one of their most ambitious releases yet. Pair that with an incredibly creative press rollout, satirical marketing, and merch inspired by ’80s new wave and punk aesthetics, and Everyone’s A Star quickly became one of the year’s most anticipated tours.
We caught the first Southern California stop at Anaheim’s Honda Center on June 27th, and it exceeded every expectation. Even before the show began, fans had plenty to take in. The stage was centered around a massive pink limousine surrounded by a circular runway, immediately hinting that this wouldn’t be a standard arena production. Screens around the venue displayed a QR code that let fans vote for one of four surprise songs from the band’s catalog to be performed later in the night, making everyone feel like part of the show before the lights even went down.
Opening the evening was The Band CAMINO, who delivered an energetic 40-minute set spanning their 11-year career while spotlighting tracks from their latest release, HOLLY. Between songs, the band expressed their gratitude to 5SOS for bringing them along on their biggest arena and stadium tour yet before wrapping things up with a crowd photo that perfectly captured the night’s excitement.
Just after 9PM, the final notes of the arena’s pre-show Macarena faded out, a hilariously perfect transition. The opening lyrics of “NOT OK” echoed through the venue. On the screens, the band appeared inside a car cruising through Los Angeles before emerging from the pink limousine onstage. Everyone’s A Star fully embraces theatrical satire. The show lovingly mocks celebrity culture, pop star clichés, and even 5SOS themselves. Longtime fans were rewarded with countless inside jokes, from references to Ashton’s infamous bandana era to playful callbacks about “the punk jump” and the legendary opening note of “She Looks So Perfect.”
Despite all the comedy, the show also maintained a genuine deep audience connection. Each show features a personalized segment where the band shows how they immersed themselves into the city’s culture. During the Anaheim show, they joked about spending time at Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Little Saigon while weaving local references into the performance. Fans also became part of the production itself. Audience members were invited onstage to help present the band’s fake “Boyband of the Year” award, while another lucky fan earned the honor of opening the briefcase that revealed the night’s surprise song.
Visually, Everyone’s A Star is one of the strongest productions of the band’s career. Giant screens exploded with bold colors, grunge-inspired graphics, animated lyrics, and playful visuals that perfectly matched the show’s satirical tone. Whether performing new favorites like “No. 1 Obsession” and “istillfeelthesame” or longtime staples like “Teeth,” “She’s Kinda Hot,” and “More,” every song felt like part of one immersive universe where 5SOS truly ruled the stage.
One of the evening’s most heartfelt moments came during the show’s ironic ”disbandment” segment. Since every member has released solo music, the band leaned into the running joke by giving each member a chance to perform one of their own songs. Luke performed “Starting Line,” Ashton sang “Have U Found What Ur Looking For?,” Calum delivered “Don’t Forget You Love Me,” and Michael closed the segment with “Enough.”
The four reunited for an emotional acoustic performance of “Amnesia,” creating one of those arena moments where thousands of voices became one. Any fake breakup rumors quickly faded away as the crowd sang every word back to them.
The night’s fan-voted surprise song ended up being the fan favorite always-divisive “Heartbreak Girl,” sending longtime fans into absolute chaos. That nostalgic energy continued with older deep cuts like “English Love Affair,” “Voodoo Doll,” “Waste the Night,” and “Jet Black Heart,” proving that no era of 5SOS was left behind.
For the encore, the band leaned all the way into the show’s over-the-top celebrity concept with the title track “Everyone’s A Star” before closing the night with the global anthem “Youngblood.”
Throughout the album rollout, the band joked that there may never be another tour quite like this one. After seeing it for ourselves, we believe it! We almost never go back for a second stop on the same tour, but this might be the exception.
If you have the chance to catch Everyone’s A Star, don’t miss it! Check out available tickets at venues near you on the official tour page at https://5sos.com/pages/tour
