KodalineThe 9th of October 2025 was a dark day for Irish folk-rock fans, as Kodaline announced they were splitting up after over a decade together. However, their bittersweet decision wasn’t all doom and gloom.
Following on from their emotional video message, the band headed back into the studio to record one final album, We Were Only Young, and mapped out a massive farewell tour. Fast forward to the 3rd of September 2026, and their celebratory global victory lap finally touched down at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre.
If you are reading this and aren’t aware of Kodaline, then firstly, ‘how?’ and secondly, discovering a band already on their farewell tour must be tough. However, here is a short history lesson. The band, originally known as 21 Demands, comprises Steve Garrigan, Vincent May, Mark Prendergast, and Jason Boland.
They were directly influenced by bands such as U2, Coldplay, and Snow Patrol, which is very evident in their discography today. They first gained popularity in November 2006 when they were participants on the RTÉ show You’re a Star, finishing as that season’s runners-up.
It wasn’t until 2012 that the band adopted their current name to coincide with a change in their music and the release of their debut album, In a Perfect World, one year later. This indie folk-rock record catapulted the band straight into the mainstream spotlight, with songs featuring on the soundtracks of The Fault in Our Stars, Love, Rosie, and 13 Reasons Why. If you didn’t know Kodaline by name, it is extremely likely you have already heard their songs without even realising it.
Three more studio albums later, and one final one on the way, the band has gone from strength to strength, from busking on the streets of Dublin to selling out arenas around the world. Their global farewell tour seems like an appropriate send-off for a band that has stamped their legacy onto the last decade of music, and after stopping off in Perth, it was on to the Enmore Theatre for their second night in Australia.
For any music fan in Sydney, visiting Newtown’s Enmore Theatre is simply a rite of passage. A venue steeped in history and character, it originally opened over a hundred years ago and has played host to pretty much every major band to have come out of Australia that you can think of.
But it’s not only history that the Enmore has going for it. Being an old theatre, the standing area, which used to be full of rows of seats, is sloped in a way that means almost everyone can see the main stage—a huge advantage for those who spend every other gig staring at the back of some stranger’s t-shirt.
The venue was packed out well over half an hour before the main act was due on stage. The crowd had been warmed up by a vocal masterclass from Isobel Knight, who was on support duties for the night, and a sense of anticipation swept over the largely Irish crowd who had come out in large numbers to say farewell to one of their own. The lights dimmed, the crowd cheered, and the band walked out to a wild Sydney reception for the very last time.
Kodaline hit the ground running, pumping out hits like Wherever You Are, Brand New Day, and Ready, all within the first three songs. Now, if you want to come to a gig and dance until your legs fall off, then Kodaline might not be for you. But if you want to be taken on an emotional rollercoaster of beautiful highs and thought-provoking lows, look no further.
Gogglebox fans were treated to a stripped-down version of Perfect World- yes, that’s right- they soundtracked this hit TV show too, after which the crowd was encouraged to join in singing tunes like Brother and Sometimes.
Then came the first major highlight of the night: a moment where phones were held aloft as everyone wanted to capture the band performing their mega-hit, High Hopes. Few songs are able to really reach into the soul and simultaneously beat you down and pick you up; this is one of them.
Many heartbreaks and painful memories from around the world have been scored by this song, and it has likely brought people out the other side into a better, happier place. It's a song that serves as a true testament to the power of music.
A strong statement, but one that was backed up by events that followed during the acoustic performance of The One. The song was originally written by Garrigan as a wedding present for a friend, but on this night at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, it belonged to a couple in the front row who proposed midway through the song's first chorus, an unexpected surprise that led to cheers from the crowd and congratulations from the frontman himself.
The set continued to build momentum with songs like Love Like This and One Day, and before you knew it, it was time for the last song. Now, there are definitely no prizes for guessing what that final song was going to be: a track so intertwined with popular culture, so immediately familiar, and almost certainly on your sad crying playlist.
It was, of course, All I Want. Performed in a way that was so perfect, it demonstrated the special bond the band members have both with each other and their fans alike.
So, as the last note faded and the lights went down, Kodaline left the Sydney stage to a crowd not yet ready to accept that this was truly the end. Their final album, We Were Only Young, will be released on the 2nd of October.
