Review: Fridayz Live at Langley Park

Fridayz Live at Langley Park
w/ Jordin Sparks, Tinie Tempah, Eve, Lil Jon, Wiz Khalifa, Pitbull, Mariah Carey
Friday, October 24, 2025

Fridayz Live is still an exciting night out. However, the experience can be a mixed bag.

In an effort to go bigger and louder, the evening-long festival of R&B, hip-hop, and pop stars falls short at its Langley Park outing in Perth. It’s a shame because this wasn’t always the case when the event was hosted at nib Stadium.

It’s still worth a go, so let’s unpack.

First: Langley Park is not a real venue. It’s an open-air playpen where the Perth elements wreak havoc on the thousands of people caged inside its temporary fencing. The night was slightly windy, carrying the sound out into the Derrbal Yerrigan (Swan River). There are no shelters or coverings, so when rain pelted down, you were drenched and standing in squelchy grass. If this was an outdoor camping festival experience, fine. But it’s not. It’s an urban concert under the backdrop of Perth’s CBD. If the weather were appropriate, then maybe the night would have fared slightly better.

Second: if you’re not first in, best dressed and standing in platinum or diamond ticketed sections, you’re essentially watching each performer on two large Jumbotrons. From the gold standing area you’ll be hard pressed to even catch a blip of whoever is on stage.

Third: the sets of each performer play more like a medley of mashups.

Apologies to Jordin Sparks and Tinie Tempah. The early start means getting to the show on time to catch the first two opening sets is always a challenge. But we thank you for your efforts because you’re sure to have delighted the early worms.

Eve is really the official opener for Fridayz Live. It’s also when most people began streaming into the venue. This isn’t her first rodeo on the Fridayz tour. It’s a shame she’s not further down the set with the headliners. The rapper was in great form weaving through her roster of hits, especially when she gets to “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”—her banger with Gwen Stefani and a crowd favourite. A small tribute to her Ruff Ryders label mate, the late DMX, resulted in a bit of a (welcome) scolding on Perth’s inability to “woof woof.”

Lil Jon is also no stranger to Fridayz, but this was arguably a muted set cut down to just key hits. Many performers—Lil Jon included—rely on tracks where they might have mostly featured but weren’t the lead artist. These songs fall flat when the lead artist is essentially relegated to participating via playback audio. Again, there was some scolding from Lil Jon because Perth still hasn’t figured out which way is the window and which way is the wall.

There was a time when Wiz Khalifa dominated the charts and stood out for his blend of hip-hop and pop music. It was a great time. It sounds as though Wiz is living a great life doing what he loves. Perth probably isn’t the right urban audience for his sound. Big kudos to Black and Yellow, though. That track was a huge love letter to his hometown of Pittsburgh. It’s also the first song that bragged about not needing keys to start a car—you just push to start. Some of us thought that was the future. Anyways, it was a joy to see him perform it live. Kudos to Wiz for navigating a technical error on stage that felt like forever. He lost sound during his set but came back and finished up strong.

By now the crowd was rain-soaked and a little bit cold. The weather didn’t stop the feral excitement from rising up as Pitbull took the stage. Mr. Worldwide is a much beloved figure. His fans—known as Bald-es—showed up in full force wearing bald caps, sunglasses, sharpied facial hair, and a can-do attitude. Pitbull is fun. This was the perfect stage for him to run through his series of global radio megahits.

Lastly, Mariah Carey. Her highness needs no notes. The Queen graced the stage, belted every hit imaginable, and left us all in awe with her phenomenal vocal ability. All the high marks, all the shimmers, all the melodies. The diva stood resplendent in all black and a mane of beautiful curls. Pure royalty. We were honoured to be graced by her presence and to sing-a-long as best as we could. What a challenge it would have been for her and her team to curate a setlist from four decades of #1 hits. From Always Be My Baby to Obsessed, this was a memorable set despite reviews from other stops on the Australian tour.

The venue may not have lived up to the occasion, but seeing the joy on punters’ faces was a great experience. Fridayz Live can be hit and miss. It’s often knocked for being a has-beens nostalgia tour. On this night, fans new and old descended upon the Perth foreshore to celebrate the artists who feature in the soundtrack of their lives.

KAVI GUPPTA

Photos by Jordan K. Munns