Perfectly named the ‘Celebration Tour’, the legendary and charismatic Engelbert Humperdinck returned to our shores for a series of memorable performances.
Despite the frosty air outside, the State Theatre was toasty and sealed with a kiss as Sydney showed its love and devotion with a wonderfully sold-out venue tonight. As Market Street struggled with the congested concert traffic, the opulent venue foyer and pathways were brimming with fans and excitement. It was exactly what you would expect for a performer of this calibre and musical history, along with the pairing of this glorious venue and voice.
We finally made our way through the teeming crowd after bumping into friends and noticing other well-known faces. With snacks in tow, I look around and see quite a few generations of fans here, made up of families, couples and friends. There was a contagious buzz filtering through the air. The State Theatre is perfect for tonight’s show, and you can’t help but feel that some sort of history could be made.
The lights dim and Humperdinck appears while the fans go berserk. We are stepping into his realm as he envelops us warmly, like old friends catching up, with the aptly titled ‘Welcome to My World’. It’s quite surreal as his unique voice melts in with the venue acoustics and, without missing a beat, we flow into the next song ‘Am I That Easy To Forget’ and then ‘Last Of The Romantics’. At 90, Humperdinck looks great. With his charming personality and humour already on show, you can see the reality, in the flesh, of what a natural-born performer is meant to be. We are all firmly ensconced in the palm of his hand.
I think most people would be surprised at how many of these classic songs they know, and this happens to me when the lovely ‘A Man Without Love’ is up next. Masculine but with a light delicate touch, it’s glorious to hear live, and Humperdinck has still got it goin’ on… The audience is spellbound, singing and dancing away as Humperdinck then chats and jokes between songs. He lets us know that tonight is his last gig on this current Australian tour. Such a phenomenal feat, that after all this time, the venues are still selling out. I notice his tour is continuing in Europe and the US, across their Northern Hemisphere summer. Our delights continue as Humperdinck croons with ‘After the Lovin’ and then, it’s another sultry set list entry, with the sexy ‘Spanish Eyes’.
Gosh, I can totally understand why the ladies (and some of the men…) have been, and are still, floating around in this cloud of romantic bliss when listening to him sing. These are some serious, dreamy lyrics binding with a voice from the heavens – something that is severely lacking in our underwhelming 21st century – and the fans are lapping every bit up.
This elated crowd starts swinging and swaying when yet another famous track ‘Quando, Quando, Quando’ carries us all far away from the coldness of our Sydney winter. We could be in Rio, the bright lights of Vegas or strolling along the Promenade des Anglais. You just can’t help but click your fingers and move with the sound of the 60’s. The fans go wild with their applause and raucous ‘woo wooing’ and this doesn’t stop as our next song ‘Don’t Let the Old Man In’ then moves into the tender ‘I’ve Got You’ and a great cover of Journey’s ‘Faithfully’ is up next. So many wonderful songs tonight and I love the next track, which is another cover, the always enjoyable, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’.
Timeless and smooth like butter, that is Humperdinck and the songs intertwined. He then regales us with the beautiful ‘How I Love You’ and tells us how this song is dedicated to his late, beloved wife, Patricia. A stunning song for an enduring love story that changes tempo for a peppy cover of ‘Old Time Rock and Roll’.
Humperdinck is in his element and Sydney lets him know just how much he means to them as the interactions become louder and even more appreciative. Tonight’s setlist spans such an extraordinary discography and musical range that it’s no wonder Humperdinck has sold more than 140 million records over the course of his remarkable and richly deserved career.
Our night is still not over as we return to the 60’s with the soft and sweet ‘The Last Waltz’ making the cut and then it’s back-to-back tracks when everyone is treated to a dynamic medley of ‘Sweetheart’/ ‘There Goes My Everything’/ ‘Another Time, Another Place’ and ‘Les Bicyclettes de Belsize’. The State Theatre is alive as yet another hit ‘Release Me’ carries across the venue and fans continue singing and joining in with their idol. From here, there’s rapturous applause and standing ovations as Humperdinck begins his sincere and loving goodbye to this packed-out crowd. What a joyous evening of music that ends with our encore of ‘How Do You Keep the Music Playing’, which is a fitting finale as Humperdinck is then dressed in what appears to be a luscious red Versace dressing gown. Fans happily swarm the stage as Humperdinck distributes red handkerchiefs to eager, outstretched arms.
The longevity and success of Humperdinck is no surprise. He still loves what he does, and as this Sydney crowd has shown us tonight, his devotees are not going anywhere. Many didn’t want to leave but when we slowly began to filter out into the night, fans were still serenading us in the bathroom and as they made their way out of the venue. The joy didn’t stop on that last Humperdinck note, it will continue as the music outlives us all.
© 2026 MARINA KNEZEVIC – All Rights Reserved
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