There are not many environments where tens of thousands of people are able to sing in chorus to hits spanning almost three decades, but that is exactly what happened at Fridayz Live in Brisbane on Friday night.
The Brisbane Showgrounds (17 October) was flooded with a sea of bald caps and Chuck Taylors, hinting at the strong theme of nostalgia that would fuel the night.
Anticipation was high for Fridayz Live, particularly after its pause in 2024. However, this year there was no trouble hosting a sold-out crowd, with a strong majority of attendees cosplaying as the main drawcard, Mr Worldwide.
However, along with the sold-out crowd came the standard sold-out-crowd-festival issues, with many missing whole sets due to the lengthy wait times for food and drink. Despite this, Fridayz Live 2025 may have been the strongest and most electric iteration of the festival in its almost-decade long existence.
Jordin Sparks - image © Mushroom Creative House
Starting off strong, Jordin Sparks – who deserved to perform to a much bigger crowd than she had due to being the opening act – belted out the likes of 'No Air' and 'One Step At A Time' with high energy and flawless precision; the perfect way to start the festival.
Sparks truly deserved to perform to the crowd after dark, rather than being the opening act, as it was a shame for so many to have missed her electric vocals and performance.
As the grounds started to fill, Tinie Tempah, donned in a Brisbane Lions jersey, lifted the energy and kick-started the buzz for the night, as the crowd settled in, busting out 2010 club dance moves to anthems like 'Pass Out' and 'Girls Like'.
Although short, his performance was buzzing with energy and proof that Tempah's stage presence remains as magnetic as ever, even a decade after his peak.
Eve - image © Mushroom Creative House
Once the sun started to set over Bowen Hills, the chrome EVE logo fell across the screens before Eve herself strutted out like the true R&B, hip hop queen she is, and always has been.
Delivering perfectly synchronised routines alongside her flawless dancers, accompanied with impeccable vocals, she gave the crowd exactly what they came for: a nostalgia-charged set. Hitting crowd favourites like 'Tambourine' and 'Let Me Blow Ya Mind', even covering Gwen Stefani's parts of 'Rich Girl' as if they were her own, Eve commanded the stage like she has been doing for decades, leaving fans in awe.
"How many of y'all miss the 2000s," echoed through the Showgrounds as Lil Jon harnessed the crowd, and delivered one of the evening's standout performances. Without seemingly taking a breath at all, he somehow brought the same energy of a club in 2002, energetically bouncing across the stage.
"We used to party hard, and dance in the club," he exclaimed, as he proceeded to remind the crowd of just that, cueing hits like 'Get Low' and 'Shots' that felt like stepping straight back in time, every beat dripping with nostalgia.
Lil Jon - image © Mushroom Creative House
A highlight of the set was seeing a sea of 'supermanning' arms swung in synch as he blasted 'Soulja Boy', proving that even two decades on, some of these dances are still second nature.
Although the set finished rather abruptly, this wasn't the last time his iconic "ye-ahh" would be heard for the evening, as he reappeared on a riser in the middle of the showgrounds to deliver a musical tribute to King of the Party, the late Fatman Scoop (who died last year). Performing Scoop's fan favourite 'Be Faithful', the tribute was an emotionally-charged homage wrapped in pure fun.
Reminding the crowd of a simpler time, Wiz Khalifa rolled through a familiar and laidback set, cruising through 'Roll Up', 'Young, Wild & Free', and 'Black And Yellow'.
"If y'all wanna smoke with Wiz Khalifa, make some f...in' noise!" he shouted, which was met by a thunderous cheer and a rising cloud of his signature scent. He then went from mellow and playful to heartfelt, leading the crowd through a moving chorus of 'See You Again'.
As 32,000 voices sang through the verses word for word, a tribute of fallen artists appeared on the screen behind Khalifa.
Wiz Khalifa - image © Mushroom Creative House
Then it was the moment that Brisbane had been waiting for. The lights dimmed for just enough time for fans to adjust their bald caps, before a countdown appeared on screen.
As the countdown hit zero, the crowd erupted with a roar, only to be drowned out by Mr Worldwide himself aka Pitbull masterfully belting out his chart-topper hit 'Don't Stop The Party' accompanied with a full band and black sequin wearing dancers, making it clear he was the main drawcard for the evening.
It was Pitbull's night, and everyone knew it. He thrusted himself through an iconic set list of #1 hits like 'Hotel Room Service', 'International Love' and 'Fireball', with three costume changes, including a cowboy hat as he breezed through 'Timber'.
His stage presence was dynamic, his charm was magnetic, and his charisma was second-to-none. In a surprise cameo, Lil Jon joined him onstage, and together they ripped through verses like a flashback to 2011.
Barely breaking a sweat, despite his high energy routines in a leather jacket, Pitbull only took a break to lend the crowd advice about living life to its fullest, before bursting through electric renditions of 'Gasolina' and 'On The Floor'.
Pitbull - image © Mushroom Creative House
He was the main event, and everything about his performance proved it. "Thank you for the love, thank you for the opportunity, and you for the support."
The night ended with the diva herself, Mariah Carey. While on paper, she truly did earn her headliner title, Mr 305 was a hard act to follow, leaving the crowd holding their breath to see how the ballad queen would compare.
However, there was no comparison, with Carey commanding the stage and the crowd without a care in the world. Joined by three back-up singers and a live band, all wearing shades of ivory and champagne, Mariah belted through three decades of pop dominance with 18 songs in 60 minutes.
Although somewhat imperfect, she glided through 'Touch My Body', 'Emotions', 'Always Be My Baby', and 'Obsessed', her moves and stage presence somewhat stiff as she shuffled across the stage in a floor-length rhinestone dress. However, her voice remained impeccable, leaving the crowd in awe as she hit the whistle tones with ease.
