REVIEW — Sydney’s iconic Bondi beach felt like an early-2000s time capsule on Saturday night, and everyone in the crowd knew just how special it was.
Mighty Hoopla, the largest LGBTQ+ festival in Europe, came Down Under for the first time this weekend with Kesha, Delta Goodrem and Jamelia taking centre stage.
But there was one act that set the crowd on fire, despite being on-stage for just 10 minutes.
Yep, legendary Aussie girl group Bardot performed for the first time live together in more than 23 years, and it was every bit as spectacular as you’d imagine.
Dressed head to toe in sequins and glitter, the audience members were giddy with excitement as the band name flashed on the screen at a very early stage slot of 3:55pm.
And when Belinda Chapple, Katie Underwood, Tiffani Wood and Sally Polihronas stepped on-stage, it was like they’d never left.
The group, sadly minus Sophie Monk, rocked on-stage in glittering ensembles and belted out the hits that made them household names in the early 90s.
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“Thank you to Mighty Hoopla for making this possible for us, and for you!” they shouted to the crowd, a glint of pride in their eyes as they lapped up every inch of the reunion.
The four women standing in front of us proved one thing – we’ll always be a sucker for nostalgia, no matter how many decades have passed.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an Aussie festival without reigning pop royalty members Delta Goodrem and Jessica Mauboy, who also brought the crowd together like it was no one’s business.
Goodrem made an entrance in a gravity-defying, giant inflatable shawl, while Mauboy turned the stage into a high-glamour discotheque.
But as the sun set on Bondi beach, a primal roar went up for the night’s final act: Kesha.
The iconic US songstress made an entrance that was equal parts macabre and magnificent, hitting the stage clutching a prosthetic head – a bizarre, high-camp theatrical flourish that had the crowd instantly hooked.
With a defiant grin, she launched straight into the opening synths of her 2010 hit TiK ToK, as the beach turned into a 15,000-person rave.
While the set occasionally ebbed into slower moments, the energy never truly faltered. It felt like a necessary exhale for an exhausted crowd.
Kesha belted through a relentless string of party-starting anthems including Blow, Your Love Is My Drug, and a gritty, high-octane rendition of Take It Off.
By the time the glitter settled, the atmosphere was one of pure euphoria. In the wake of the recent Bondi horrors, this wasn’t just a concert – it was a defiant reclamation of space.
Hoopla was exactly what we needed, and here’s to hoping it’ll be back next year.
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