LIVE REVIEW & GALLERY: ICEHOUSE ON THE HARBOUR LIVE AT FLEET STEPS SYDNEY HARBOUR 30/9/2026

4 days ago

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There are few locations in Australia that can compete with Sydney Harbour as the backdrop for a live concert, and on Wednesday night, Australian music legends ICEHOUSE proved exactly why.

Taking over the Fleet Steps at Mrs Macquaries Point on September 30, ICEHOUSE delivered a special one-night-only Sydney performance, bringing more than four decades of Australian music to one of the most spectacular outdoor stages in the country. With the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and glowing city skyline surrounding the venue, it was a setting perfectly suited to a band whose music has become such an enduring part of the Australian soundtrack.

Little Quirks Set the Scene

Opening the evening were Central Coast folk-pop trio Little Quirks, who proved an excellent choice to welcome the crowd as daylight began to disappear over the harbour.

Known for their vocal harmonies and mandolin-driven folk-pop sound, Little Quirks brought a youthful energy to the Fleet Steps while still feeling completely at home alongside an act with the history of ICEHOUSE.

Their harmonies carried beautifully through the open-air setting, while their energetic performance gave early arrivals plenty of reason to pay attention. Rather than simply filling the traditional support slot, Little Quirks established their own identity and provided a distinctly Australian opening to the night.

As the sun disappeared and Sydney's skyline began to illuminate behind the stage, anticipation continued to build for the arrival of one of Australia's most enduring bands.

ICEHOUSE on the Harbour

When Iva Davies and ICEHOUSE finally took to the stage, the location immediately became part of the performance.

ICEHOUSE have played countless venues across Australia throughout their career, but hearing these songs beside Sydney Harbour gave them another dimension. Synths, guitars and Davies' unmistakable vocals floated across Mrs Macquaries Point while ferries, city lights and two of Australia's most recognisable landmarks provided a backdrop that no indoor arena could recreate.

The band's catalogue remains remarkably strong.

Songs such as Hey Little Girl, Crazy and Electric Blue demonstrated why the band's music continues to resonate decades after its original release. Rather than sounding like relics of another era, the songs felt alive in the Sydney night air, with the audience singing along to choruses that have become embedded in Australian popular culture.

Davies remained the commanding centre of the performance. His distinctive voice continues to give ICEHOUSE its identity, while the musicians surrounding him recreated the layers and atmosphere that have always made the band's music so distinctive.

Then there was Great Southern Land. Few songs could have been more appropriate for the occasion.

Hearing one of Australia's most recognisable songs performed beside Sydney Harbour was a defining moment of the evening. Against the lights of the city and the harbour beyond the stage, the song felt bigger than simply another entry on the setlist. It became a celebration of place, music and the extraordinary longevity of ICEHOUSE.

The Fleet Steps show also highlighted just how many generations ICEHOUSE now reach. Their music may have emerged from Australia's late-'70s and '80s rock and new-wave scene, but the audience reflected the band's ability to continue attracting listeners well beyond those who experienced the songs when they were originally released.

More than four decades into their career, there is still something unmistakably special about seeing ICEHOUSE perform these songs live.

A Night Made for Sydney

Ultimately, this was more than another ICEHOUSE concert.

The Fleet Steps transformed the performance into a celebration of Australian music in the heart of Sydney. Little Quirks represented an exciting younger generation of local musicians before ICEHOUSE demonstrated why their catalogue has endured for so long.

Sydney Harbour provided the scenery, but ICEHOUSE provided the soundtrack.

As the final notes disappeared into the night, it was difficult to imagine a more appropriate setting for these songs. ICEHOUSE have spent decades singing about Australia, its landscapes and its identity.

On this night, surrounded by one of the country's most famous landscapes, those songs felt right at home.

ICEHOUSE ON THE HARBOUR LIVE AT FLEET STEPS SETLIST

1. Icehouse

2. Walls

3. Hey, Little Girl

4. Love in Motion

5. Electric Blue

6. Cross the Border

7. Crazy

8. Dusty Pages

9. No Promises

10. Heartbreak Kid