Empire of the Sun brought its lavish Ask That God: Afterlife Tour to Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in Raleigh on September 6, 2026, combining electronic pop, live instrumentation, choreography, elaborate costumes and synchronized video. Luke Steele entered in flowing red attire for the unreleased opener “Desire,” establishing that this would not be a conventional greatest-hits performance. Newer songs including “Changes,” “Half Mast” and “Cherry Blossom” sat naturally beside the established catalog. “We Are the People” prompted one of the night’s loudest reactions, followed by sustained dancing and singing through “High and Low,” “Music on the Radio,” “Walking on a Dream” and “Alive.” Steele commanded the production through costume changes and direct audience engagement, supported by musicians, dancers and precisely coordinated CGI imagery. FragmentNine developed the production’s visual foundation, with Luke and Snaps Steele as creative producers, Sean Kusanagi as creative director and Kyle Keegan handling production and lighting design; Olly Suckling has also overseen touring lighting. Founders Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore have survived separation, creative disputes and lengthy gaps between albums, but now describe their relationship as stronger than ever. Their chemistry joins Steele’s voice, characters and physical performance with Littlemore’s composition, production and creative direction. Since forming in 2007, they have released Walking on a Dream, Ice on the Dune, Two Vines and Ask That God, earned seven ARIA Awards and received an APRA AMCOS Billions Award for “Walking on a Dream.” The 30-date tour travels through the United States and Canada, including Red Rocks, Toronto, New York, Raleigh, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, San Diego, the Hollywood Bowl and Las Vegas. Developed as the concluding chapter of the Ask That God journey, it expands upon the sold-out 2025 world tour with a redesigned production. Merchandise included Afterlife shirts, hoodies, tour artwork and Ask That Godvinyl. Visit Empire of the Sun’s official website and hear its newest release with Danny Ocean, “Llego”
Parisian support act Polo & Pan maintained the celebratory atmosphere with an elegant DJ set built from house, disco, percussion, vocal samples and selections from 2025’s 22:22. Paul Armand-Delille and Alexandre Grynszpan met while DJing at Paris club Le Baron and formed Polo & Pan in 2013; their eye contact, shared smiles and effortless division of duties showed the chemistry of longtime creative partners who still enjoy performing together. Their three-album career—Caravelle, Cyclorama and 22:22—has carried French electronic music into major festivals and sold-out international venues while preserving the melodic detail and multicultural influences that distinguish their work. In Raleigh, the duo gradually increased the pace, and the crowd responded with steady movement throughout the pavilion. Their restrained visual presentation appropriately preserved the evening’s largest production for Empire of the Sun. Merchandise included 22:22 tour shirts, hoodies, signed CDs and vinyl connected to the album’s Ekler, Hamburger Records and Virgin release. Visit Polo & Pan’s official website and hear their newest release, “Summer Is Almost Over — Yuksek Remix”.
Mexico’s Midnight Generation opened the evening with a concise, confident set of disco, funk and synth-pop, drawing from its four-album progression through Funk Your Bones, Odyssey, Afterlife and the independently released, Altafonte-distributed Tender Love; the energetic five-piece quickly persuaded the early Raleigh arrivals to stand and dance, while its merchandise emphasized Tender Love vinyl and band apparel. Visit Midnight Generation’s official website and hear its newest single, “Calling You”.
