Camila Cabello is one of the biggest music stars on the planet, with an Instagram following reaching nearly 64 million people. As a result, hype around the singer’s first Australian tour reached fever pitch as she descended upon the Hordern Pavillion for her Sydney show. The crowd was packed to the brim at the famous venue and raucous as the Cuban-born American pop singer took to the stage.
Cabello has had a huge amount of hits and started off her set with “Shameless” before moving into “Liar” which had the crowd in a frenzy and singing along as Cabello showed off her soaring vocals for the first time as well as hinting at her supreme dance skills.
“We’re so lucky to be here in Sydney,” Cabello said as she addressed the crowd for the first time. “Thank you so much for being here tonight.”
After a few dance-heavy numbers, Cabello started to get into the crux of the set with a pulsating performance of “Never Be the Same.” The song is a difficult one to sing given the high register and where it sits but Cabello handled it effortlessly with poise and precision as the audience cheered for the whistle notes.
Cabello’s production was almost filmic in nature at times, very much resembling a stadium show with grandiose sets and clever transitions. At times, this meant that it felt like she was playing to the camera rather than the audience but ultimately, the use of different mediums enhanced the concert experience as a whole, making the audience feel immersed in Cabello’s world.
As the night continued, Cabello moved into some of her biggest duets with “Senorita” again showing off her incredible vocals with some lovely sustained notes (and a flawlessly executed tango-esque dance break) before the feel-good “Bam Bam” had everyone in the audience grooving.
By far the highlight of the night was Cabello’s short piano set, which took a while to get going as the venue sorted out some technical issues (which prompted Cabello to ad-lib about her trip to Taronga Zoo to see koalas), but once the piano was sorted, it was worth the wait as Cabello really began to show of the breadth of her artistry. She described “B.O.A.T” as one of her favourite songs to write and the audience was transformed into a sea of light as Cabello ably supported herself on piano. She then moved into a cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s Aussie classic “Torn” which was measured, heartfelt and transfixed the audience with beautiful tone. It is a song that is so often covered by touring artists (Dua Lipa and Gracie Abrams immediately come to mind), but Cabello’s sensitivity and control really elevated her performance. It was a special moment.
In amongst the music, there were some enjoyable moments for the crowd as Cabello jumped into the audience at various points through the night, at one point, bringing her superfan Alicia onto stage, much to the delight of her friends in the crowd. It was a moment of heart and one that was appreciated by the audience.
Cabello closed out the night with a sultry and powerful version of “Havana” which had the whole crowd singing along with her before finishing the set with the party anthem “I LUV IT.” It was a high-octane and energetic way to end a fabulous night of music and celebration.
Overall, this was a superb set combining incredible vocals with showmanship and impressive choreography. Cabello is an artist who is at the top of her game and Sydney and Melbourne should count themselves lucky that they got to see this tour in person, with Cabello proving that her presence in Australia was well worth the wait. As to the question on everyone in the audience’s lips…
“We will be back soon,” promised Cabello, much to everyone’s delight.
Rating: ★★★★★
Camila Cabello – Hordern Pavillion – 30 August 2025
Published by Kiran Gupta
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