Laufey’s concerts are an experience like nothing else. The magical setting of the Palais Theatre elevated the performance beyond that of a typical arena or stadium tour. There was a common understanding amongst the audience that we were witnessing something special, and the focus remained on Laufey’s talent for the whole evening.

Laufey is an Icelandic-Chinese artist who has been bewitching audiences worldwide since her debut album in 2022. She visited Melbourne and Sydney in September, touring for her album Bewitched and its deluxe release, Bewitched: The Goddess Edition, bringing jazz and classical music to a new wave of listeners

For most songs, the audience sat in awe and in silence, completely enchanted by her performance. The evening felt like a stark contrast from my memories of screaming along in vast echoing stadiums at other concerts. Here, fans were invited into the beautiful and intimate theatre space, which allowed Laufey and her eight-piece band to capture the attention of everyone in the crowd and leave every audience member spellbound. That being said, the crowd was far from silent. Fan engagement was a highlight of the night, as Laufey invited the audience to laugh along with her, and often spoke of her love for Australia. It goes without saying that Australia loves her too—all five times she has played here, she has been met with sold out shows. Audience interaction was a big part her performance, and that of her opening act, grentperez, whose acoustic set and chatty personality had the whole crowd engaged and excited.

Laufey floated from song to song, from instrument to instrument, all the while surrounded by soft twinkling lights and an ethereal glow around her—I can’t think of a more fitting term than “goddess”. In many ways, the she is introducing the jazz genre to a new generation. My seat in the orchestra section of the Palais Theatre was the perfect spot to quietly revel in an evening of Laufey’s music. The night was a true showcase of Laufey’s ability, not only as a singer-songwriter, but as a multitalented instrumentalist. Across the course of the night, she performed songs on the guitar, the cello, and the piano. Musical ability clearly runs in the family too, as she was at one point joined on stage by her identical twin sister Junia, who accompanied her on violin for her most popular song, ‘From The Start’.

As I looked out across a sea of bows and listened to the soft hum of the audience, it was clear that this evening was a special moment for everyone in attendance. The closeness and intimacy of the performance felt different to anything else I had experienced at a concert before, and this was not just an affordance of the space. Laufey’s talent truly has the ability to silence a room and leave you completely bewitched.