There was a sense of anticipation and excitement with South London rapper Santan Dave’s return to Melbourne. It had been five long years since he last performed in Australia. And in that time, he has evolved from one of UK rap’s most exciting voices into a truly global artist. His Mercury Prize-winning debut album Psychodrama (2019) and chart-topping follow-up We’re All Alone in This Together (2021) established his reputation for pairing socially conscious, introspective lyricism with raw, personal storytelling.
Now touring his third studio album, The Boy Who Played the Harp (2025), Dave arrived at Rod Laver Arena with an impressive live production. As he remarked to the crowd during the show, his last tour for We’re All Alone in This Together in Australia gathered a modest crowd of around 900 people. Stepping out in front of a packed stadium tonight, he acknowledged that the massive increase in audience size marked a monumental leap in his career. The resulting setlist spanned his musical catalog, beautifully conveying themes of identity, family, ambition, and sharp social commentary.
When the lights and the backdrop dropped revealing the stage, Dave didn’t use high-tempo pyrotechnics or a massive sonic explosion to kick things off. Instead, he started in near darkness with “History.” It is a slower, deeply autobiographical track— but the raw honesty had locked the audience in. From there, he quickly picked up the pace, moving into the rhythms of “No Weapons” with Dave remarking “Melbourne, I’ve been waiting for this!” and the heavy, rolling cinematic grit of “Verdansk” ending with impressive pyro surrounding the stage.
The pacing of the setlist varied throughout the night. Dave effortlessly transitioned between introspective songs and trap anthems. The energy inside Rod Laver Arena rose when he dropped “Clash,” with blue and white lighting in perfect sync with the track’s driving sub-bass and piano hook – the crowd singing along to every word.
One of the standout moments of the night was “Both Sides Of A Smile.” The lighting shifted to a moody blue, and gorgeous, melancholic backing vocals filled the arena. With a grand piano on a riser and lasers bouncing from it, he used this moment to sing like it was a quiet, late-night confession.
He got back to his technical grime roots with “Screwface Capital,” which instantly got the crowd moving and an opportunity to introduce his talented backing band. The transition to “Location” was entirely seamless. The moment that Burna Boy collab Afro-fusion beat dropped, the entire arena transformed into a massive, collective sing-along. He kept that high-energy momentum going with his timeless classic, “Funky Friday.”
While the stadium anthems displayed some impressive lighting, some of the most real production magic occurred during the quieter moments of the show. When Dave was picking up an acoustic guitar or sitting down at the grand piano—the giant LED walls created a visual trick of changing the size of the arena from throwing blinding, stadium-sized light to casting massive, artistic shadows. This effectively shrunk the 15,000 capacity arena until it felt like a smoky, intimate jazz club.
The apex of the show arrived when Dave took to the keys for the new tour’s title track, “The Boy Who Played the Harp.” Standing alone under a solitary spotlight, he delivered the track with absolute focus.
For the final part of the show, Dave went all-out with a run of his biggest collaborative hits. The crowd went absolutely crazy for “Sprinter,” his record-breaking track with Central Cee, with the infectious, flamenco-flavored guitar loop sounding massive.
He kept the energy levels high with a roaring performance of “Raindance”, showering the crowd with confetti before finally wrapping up the night with “Starlight” with a stream of lasers filling the arena. The bouncy, garage-style groove of the closer was a great way to finish the evening, sending thousands of Melbourne fans home on a high.
It was a powerful, honest, and expertly executed show from an artist in control of his craft. Dave excelled at making an arena show feel incredibly personal.
Words: Darren Chan
Photography: YVSDNA
