More than 50 years after they first twisted art rock into something weird, theatrical, and unmistakably their own, Split Enz rolled into Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena last night for the first stop of their ‘Forever Enz’ tour.
Despite the tour title sounding suspiciously like a farewell lap, the band looked nowhere near ready to quietly fade into the background, backed by a crowd that treated every chorus like muscle memory, the New Zealand icons delivered a sprawling set packed with deep cuts, sharp musicianship, and the kind of chemistry that only comes from decades spent shaping Australasian music history together.
Split Enz ‘Forever Enz’ Gallery, Melbourne – May 13th, 2026
Vika & Linda
Opening the night were Vika & Linda, whose soulful set cut through the arena with warmth and restraint, the sisters spoke about their upcoming album, performed a song written by Joe Camilleri, and delivered a moving rendition of ‘Where Do You Come From’, which landed with genuine emotional weight.
Vika & Linda Gallery, Melbourne – May 13th, 2026
Photography by Alexander Hallag for Blunt Magazine.
Nostalgia soaked celebration
By the time Split Enz hit the stage with ‘The Choral Sea’, the atmosphere inside Rod Laver had already shifted into full nostalgia soaked celebration mode, Tim Finn sounded remarkably sharp throughout the night, effortlessly switching between dramatic vocals and restless stage movement, while Neil Finn kept the arena singing from start to finish.
Eddie Rayner remains an absolute weapon behind the keys, every synth line and piano flourish still carries the strange magic that made Split Enz stand apart from their peers in the first place. Noel Crombie also drew huge cheers during the encore, pulling out his legendary spoon solo during ‘Strait Old Line’.
At one point, Tim reflected on the band’s catalogue being reissued properly through the ‘Enzyclopedia’ series, from the sound quality to the artwork restoration, he and Neil also shared stories about Melbourne being one of the first cities to embrace Split Enz back in the day, remembering tiny local shows and fans from those early years who still turn up today.
The biggest takeaway? Split Enz still move like a real band, not a legacy act going through the motions. Tight, theatrical, and strangely youthful, they carried more energy than plenty of modern touring acts half their age.
Split Enz – Rod Laver Arena Setlist (May13th, 2026)
- ‘The Choral Sea’
- ‘Shark Attack’
- ‘History Never Repeats’
- ‘Poor Boy’
- ‘Nobody Takes Me Seriously’
- ‘Give It A Whirl’
- ‘Dirty Creature’
- ‘Time For A Change’
- ‘One Step Ahead’
- ‘Missing Person’
- ‘Message To My Girl’
- ‘Double Happy’
- ‘Stuff And Nonsense’
- ‘Matinee Idyll (129)’
- ‘My Mistake’
- ‘Hard Act To Follow’
- ‘Pioneer’
- ‘Six Months In A Leaky Boat’
- ‘I Got You’
- ‘I See Red’
Encore:
- ‘Strait Old Line’
- ‘Spellbound’
- ‘I Hope I Never’
Remaining dates
- Thursday, May 14th – Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
- Monday, May 18th – Sydney, ICC Theatre
- Tuesday, May 19th – Sydney, TikTok Entertainment Centre
- Friday, May 22nd – Perth, RAC Arena
- Monday, May 25th – Adelaide, Entertainment Centre
Find out more and get your tickets here.
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