If you had told me a month ago that Dua Lipa would be performing INXS, AC/DC and Crowded House on your Radical Optimism tour I wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are.
After peppering her setlists with nods to local icons like Kylie and Lorde, she’s now ticked off one of Australasia’s most beloved staples — Crowded House’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’. And she didn’t do it solo.
At Spark Arena on April 4, Lipa brought out Neil Finn himself, joining her onstage for a duet that felt part tribute, part full-circle moment. The 1986 track has been a quiet anthem for decades. And with Finn’s voice wrapping around Lipa’s, it landed with genuine weight.
This wasn’t a one-off gesture either. Across her Australia and New Zealand dates, Lipa’s been slipping into a new skin, channelling classics from across the trans-Tasman songbook. She’s already taken on ‘Torn’, ‘Royals’, ‘The Less I Know the Better’ (with Kevin Parker in Sydney), ‘Riptide’ (with Vance Joy), and even INXS’ ‘Never Tear Us Apart’. Add Troye Sivan’s ‘Rush’ and ‘Highway to Hell’ to the pile. She’s truly been making a case for pop star as cultural sponge.
The Neil Finn collab marks one of the few times she’s shared the stage with a local act during this covers run – and that’s what made it hit differently. It wasn’t just a moment; it was a co-sign.
After this Australasian stretch, Lipa’s heading to the UK for two nights at Wembley and then onto Liverpool. Later this year, she’ll hit Latin America, with dates across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico, running from November 7 to December 2.
Also worth noting — the lawsuit claiming she lifted elements of ‘Levitating’ from two disco-era tracks has officially been dismissed. Clean slate, tour in full swing, and a setlist that keeps absorbing its surroundings. Lipa’s not just playing to crowds — she’s curating her stops.
