10 February 2026 – The Tivoli, Brisbane – words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi – pictures by Bec Harbour
It was a wonderful night of disco-pop inspired joy at the Tivoli delivered by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Holiday Sidewinder. Yes. It’s her real name – Holiday Sidewinder Carmen-Sparks. There were references to Donna Summer, ABBA, and Madonna. The crowd was a real mix of genuine music fans and with an album and setlist that blended Perimenopop bangers with the best hits of her 25-year solo career, Sophie Ellis-Bextor rocked the show like the indisputable disco diva she is with her infectious charisma and mellifluous vocals.
The evening opened with the sounds of Madonna’s ‘Holiday’ playing over the PA. The palm trees with fairy lights decorated the stage. And Holiday Sidewinder made a jubilant welcome back to Brisbane start. Holiday Sidewinder is an Australian musician, and she is a fantastic indie-pop singer-songwriter and record producer. She was the founding lead singer of the band Bridezilla back in the day that ended in 2013. She took off to Europe to develop her own career in the electronic music scene and become an outstanding songwriter of pop music songs.
Holiday Sidewinder’s glossy, emotionally direct pop music warmed the room. She was relaxed as she chatted about divorce, her being worried that her Godson was at the gig and what he must be thinking and enjoying sitting through her set. Her set leaned into the summer vibes setting the tone for the night without overstating it. She played a range of songs from her new solo material 2026’s Unrelatable and her 2024 album, the outstanding The Last Resort.
Holiday Sidewinder – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
Her set commenced with ‘Leo’ and was quickly followed by ‘Baby Oil’ and the brilliant ‘Ripe’. It was great to hear Holiday Sidewinder’s songs live and here in Australia as she continued by blending songs together with ‘Cliffhanger’ and the wonderful ‘Strawberry Daiquiris’ performed. Her best songs were left to near the end of the set with ‘Die Hard’ (minus the slip), ‘Boys Will Be Toys’ and the Greek island dreaming of ‘Crystal Bay’.
Holiday Sidewinder’s performance was full of high energy and prime the crowd perfectly. And her perfect pink vinyl albums were also a necessary purchase for music fans as she graciously mixed with fans at the merch desk.
Then, the Tivoli stage was stripped of palm trees and instruments like violins were put in place. Setlists were taped to the floor, and the stage was turned into a dancefloor with a disco ball, glitter-soaked lights for Sophie Ellis-Bextor to celebrate her first-ever Brisbane headline show.
The stage background lights up were full of vibrant colours and dramatic visuals to welcome Sophie Ellis-Bextor and her ultra-tight band. Her band really were amazing and comprised of Richard Jones (bass), Pablo Tato (guitar), Jackson Ellis Leach (drums), Ciaran Jeremiah (Keys) and Jess Murphy (violin and backing vocals).
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
Sophie Ellis-Bextor commenced her set with an explosion of disco colour and the lead song from Perimenopop: ‘Relentless Love’. Her voice was crystal clear and effortlessly cool. The momentum builds quickly as she moves straight into delivering her crowd-pleasing rendition of Cher’s ‘Take Me Home,’ reimagined with slick disco textures that fit perfectly with the night. And then ‘Music Gets The Best of Me’ had the crowd on boil.
Then, there was a short break as Sophie Ellis-Bextor took time to address the crowd: “This is so special. Honestly, I didn’t ever think I would be lucky enough to come and spend the night with you here at the Tivoli. I am so excited to be playing my first ever headline show in Brisbane. And you’re part of my history tonight,” she stated. She continued to share some impressive fun facts she’s learnt about Brisbane and the days of sunshine we get and a history of the Tivoli from bakery to bookshop to live music venue.
Then, the crowd were asked to ‘take our relationship to the next level” with joint choreography and singing. Sophie Ellis – Bextor then delivered ‘Hypnotized’ where pulsing synths and elegant choreography turn the venue into a party. She danced around the stage and unleashed high kicks to celebrate her enduring relevance, sharp pop instincts, and magnetic stage presence.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
Then, it was “career jeopardy” as Sophie Ellis-Bextor pulled out a rhinestone covered shiny button prop to help her decide what song is performed next. The screen gave us a selection of songs, and the power was in her hands as ‘Wild Forever’ was chosen.
Then, the song ‘Time’ was performed before there was a costume change during ‘Hearing In Colour’. And we were about to really hear in colour. Sophie Ellis-Bextor disappeared and then returned covered in a silver and gold glittery outfit as she came back to the stage she sang ‘Ready For You’.
Then, it was time for “jeopardy part two – but songs from her eighth album, Perimenopop”. The song was ‘Dolce Vita’ and the crowd were bouncing. Then, Sophie Ellis-Bextor encouraged us to get dancey and sweaty: “It’s not a great night unless your feet hurt and your hair is wet with sweat,” she quipped. The melody of ‘Get Over You’ with the singing response of ‘Ay, Ay, Ay’ followed. Then, she took the crowd on a nostalgic trip to the disco with a cleverly constructed mix of disco classics spanning decades of dancefloor hits, including ‘Lady (Hear Me Tonight)’, ‘Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)’, ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’, and ABBA’s ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight’) that took the energy levels through the roof.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
Then, a night highlight was performed in the fabulous song ‘Freedom Of The Night’ with added rhythmic gymnastics ribbon-twirling as it blended into Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’. The crowd went off! The joy and celebration in the room was wonderful. Sophie Ellis-Bextor delivered ‘Not Giving Up’ as she spoke eloquently about “the narrative around middle-aged women, and how some aspects of it can seem a little gloomy, not very exciting and possibly you might feel a little bit encouraged to diminish yourself a little bit. So, I wanted these songs to represent the other side of that coin,” she stated.
Then, it was back to the dancefloor, and we were all ‘Crying At The Discotheque’ before we got ‘Layers’ and ‘Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)’. Then, Sophie Ellis-Bextor stopped and explained the last “pretty extraordinary couple of years” and “her unexpected second tour around the globe with her viral hit ‘Murder On The Dance Floor’. She told the crowd that, “When the song was having this new moment, I was also making my new record”. Then, the music started and it was pure euphoria of bouncing, and hands in the air, and a massive singalong as people wrapped their vowels around ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’.
The encore commenced with the lilting ‘Bittersweet’ shimmering in its reflective warmth as Sophie Ellis-Bextor twirled around the stage. Then, the lights went dark and a spotlight shone. The crowd turned and looked up. Sophie Ellis-Bextor appeared on the balcony for an acoustic performance of ‘Don’t Know What You’ve Got ’Til It’s Gone’. It closed out the night with a song that had a real embedded and authentic respect for her fans, the music, as she said goodnight and goodbye for now with a note of gratitude. What a way to finish – it was amazing!
