Gallery: Tonight Alive @ Max Watt's, Melbourne – 19 September, 2025

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Published September 26, 2025 by Ben Veress

Despite a near five-year hiatus, Tonight Alive put on a stellar performance, picking up where they left off. With a setlist filled with the band’s greatest hits and some surprise curveballs, the Sydney rockers reclaimed their crown as one of the most standout groups in the power-pop world.

After reuniting last year for two sold-out shows in Sydney and an appearance at When We Were Young, Tonight Alive made their way down to Melbourne last Friday to play their first show in the city in almost five years.

Everyone lining up outside on Swanston Street knew they were in for a special night. The headline show marked not only the second show the band have played in Melbourne since reuniting, but was also the second show the band have played all year. The next performance Tonight Alive is set for is the upcoming Good Things Festival in December, appearing on the same lineup as rock legends like Tool, Garbage and Weezer.

Well, the nerves of the night didn’t get to them, as the group put on a homerun show, proving why they remain one of the best pop-punk rock groups to emerge from the scene.

Starting with their anthemic hit ‘World Away’, the crowd would echo Jenna McDougall’s soaring vocals. The crowd had waited five years for this show, and they weren’t going to let it go to waste.

Halfway through the set, the show would take an acoustic spin, with the group performing a cover of Mumford & Sons ‘Little Lion Man’ along with an acoustic rendition of their track ‘Safe & Sound’.

By the time the Sydney rock group closed on their track ‘Temple’, they had reclaimed their crown as one of Australia’s most exciting and authentic live acts out there. Despite a long hiatus, the group clearly hasn’t missed a step and is more than ready for the big stage.

Check out the full setlist from the night below: