Beneath Forum Melbourne's celestial ceiling of glimmering stars and drifting clouds, a softer kind of magic unfolded as Maisie Peters brought her Before The Bloom show to Naarm.
It was an evening (4 March) that unfolded like a garden just before spring; every song a petal slowly unfurling into full bloom.
Maisie was supported by Adelaide singer-songwriter Aleksiah who, like the first bud of spring, brought a bright curiosity to the show and what was still to come.
Where some shows explode, this one glowed from the inside out, like sunshine on your face first thing in the morning, intimate and quietly electric.
As the crowd filtered into the celestial theatre, the room buzzed with anticipation. Each adoring fan, a character in the emotional universe Maisie has built through her music.
The Forum held the energy like a magical midnight garden; balconies arching inward like protective branches as a ceiling of tiny stars flickered overhead, and every voice floated through the room like petals caught in the wind.
Aleksiah opened the night, the indie-pop artist whose rising reputation is spreading quickly across the Australian scene. She stepped onto the stage like the first green shoot pushing through soil: fresh, bright and full of promise.
She carried that early spring energy: hopeful, slightly restless and full of potential. It felt like witnessing the early petals of a career that's only just beginning to unfold.
Her songs carry that modern pop duality: sharp wit wrapped around vulnerable confession. Tracks like 'Fern' bounced through the theatre with crisp rhythms and stunning storytelling, while her vocals tipped between sweetness and bite.
Aleksiah - image © Danielle Annetts
By the time she closed her set, the crowd felt properly warmed, like the first chapter of a story had just been written.
Then the lights dimmed. A ripple of shrieks spread through the audience as silhouettes shifted across the stage, the air tightening with anticipation.
In the soft glow, a tall vase of white chrysanthemums stood waiting at centre stage, while behind it a delicate floral silhouette bloomed across the backdrop (the first hint that the garden of the evening was about to open).
Maisie Peters stepped onto the stage not like a distant pop star, but like the first flower appearing after a long winter. A wave of cheers rose instantly with warm admiration and loving recognition from a room full of fans who have carried her stories in their hearts.
The English singer-songwriter, whose diary-like lyrics have quietly taken root across the world, arrived with a cheeky charm and a bright smile, as she settled into the glow of the stage.
Instantly the room softened toward her, hundreds of voices ready to rise and weave around her melodies, singing back the words that have carried them through heartbreak, hope and all the tangled seasons in between.
Maisie Peters - image © Danielle Annetts
She opened with 'Love Him I Don't', a sharp, witty anthem of post-breakup clarity that instantly set the room buzzing. The crowd shouted every line back to her, the playful defiance landing like a shared inside joke between artist and audience.
'Lost The Breakup' followed with a cheeky surge of confidence, its infectious energy bouncing through the room. Fans leaned fully into the catharsis, shouting every line like a victory anthem for surviving messy endings.
That relationship between Maisie and the audience became the heart of the night. With her bright, playful charm, she cultivated an easy back-and-forth with the crowd, laughter and cheers rippling through the room.
With 'Place We Were Made', the energy softened into something nostalgic and reflective. The song unfolded gently, its storytelling carrying the quiet warmth of memory and belonging.
'Audrey Hepburn' arrived wrapped in cinematic romance, the crowd swaying beneath the Forum's painted sky. Its dreamy glow felt perfectly at home in the theatre's starry atmosphere.
Then, to the crowd's delight, Gretta Ray stepped onto the stage, her arrival greeted with a warm ripple of cheers as she joined Maisie for a beautifully tender duet. 'Say My Name In Your Sleep' became one of the evening's most delightfully delicate moments.
Their voices intertwined effortlessly, filling the room with a soft, luminous harmony.
The pair slipped briefly into the aching outro of Fleetwood Mac's 'Silver Springs', a moment that shimmered with emotional weight even in snippet form. It felt like a unifying fist-in-the-air to one of heartbreak's most legendary songs.
Maisie Peters - image © Danielle Annetts
Maisie shifted the energy into something sharper, as 'Volcano' hit with a more dramatic essence. Peters delivered the song with playful bite, letting the tension build before erupting into its fiery chorus.
The echoing lyrics 'all or nothing, you chose nothing, pulled a parachute as the ground came rushing' were sung throughout by fans, word for word: 'Thought I'd be cool girl, but turns out I'm livid, I'll cry you a river, then I'll drown you in it.' You could feel the punching power with each syllable.
In a charming detour, the room joined Maisie in singing 'Happy Birthday' to Jack behind the drums. The spontaneous moment added a burst of warmth and humour, as the crowd sang in varying tunes and transformed into the world's most enthusiastic birthday party.
The unreleased 'Vampire Time' offered a glimpse into Maisie's evolving songwriting world. Darkly playful and lyrically vivid, a beautiful dedication to her boyfriend.
The lyrics 'I had to know what you're doing tonight, and what you're doing tomorrow, and the rest of your life', felt like a nod to the quiet ache of a long-held crush; the kind that stretches across years, where curiosity about someone slowly grows into wondering about every chapter of their life.
Toward the end of the set the theatre glowed with phone lights as fans sang along to the closing songs, the entire venue transformed into a constellation of tiny stars mirroring the ceiling above. Maisie paused for a moment, visibly moved by the sight, taking in the chorus of voices echoing through the ornate hall.
Maisie Peters - image © Danielle Annetts
'You You You' landed like a burst of sunlight, the room erupting into one giant sing-along. Hundreds of voices rose beneath the Forum’s starry ceiling, turning the theatre into a choir of devotion.
With 'John Hughes Movie' nostalgia washed through the room like a warm summer memory. The song's cinematic charm had the crowd swaying as though they'd stepped into the closing scene of a coming-of-age film.
The shortened version of 'Two Weeks Ago' carried a quiet vulnerability, its lyrics capturing the fragile moment when a relationship begins to slip into memory. To the surprise and delight of everyone in the crowd, the night took an unexpected turn when Ed Sheeran appeared onstage to join Maisie for 'Castle On The Hill'.
As their voices floated in perfect harmony, you could see the glee on everyone's faces. The unexpected collaboration had sent a ripple of disbelief and giddiness through the theatre.
A hard act to follow, Ed gave a wave and exited the stage. Maisie leaned into the power of her song 'History Of Man', its sharp storytelling and emotional weight holding the room in near reverent silence before the chorus swelled in the sound of singing.
'There It Goes' brought a wave of warmth, as Maisie introduced her band members: birthday boy Jack on drums, Tina on keys, Joel on guitar, and Rich on bass.
Maisie Peters - image © Danielle Annetts
As they closed with 'My Regards', the night bloomed into a joyful finale. An extended outro and playful dance routine taught by Maisie and Tina turned the stage into a celebratory swirl of laughter, movement and pure pop joy as Gretta Ray and Blusher joined the dance.
By the end of the evening, the theatre was humming with that rare warmth that only comes from music truly shared.
With the house lights switched on, the crowd spilled out into the cool night air, the mood felt buoyant and affectionate, surrounded by fans who had lingered outside the venue to replay their favourite moments.
If this tour lives in the moment before the bloom, then we witnessed the garden coming to life beneath the Forum's painted sky.
Tonight, Maisie Peters turned the room into a shared diary entry; a place where heartbreak, humour and hope could all exist at once, carried by hundreds of voices singing the same stories back to her.
