Empire of the Sun Brings Their Gitterly, Expanded ‘Ask That God’ Tour to Austin’s Moody Center
Empire of the Sun returned to Austin on Monday for the third time in two years, and fans were just as excited as ever. This stop was part of the last leg of their 31-city Ask That God Tour: Afterlife, which expands on the universe created with their 2024 album, Ask That God. After playing at Moody Amphitheater in May 2025 and performing at Austin City Limits Festival for two weekends in October 2025, they brought an even bigger show to Moody Center this year.
Moody Center, Austin's largest indoor music arena, can be set up with either floor seating or general admission, depending on the event. For this show, it was general admission, and the floor was full of fans dressed in Empire of the Sun style—headpieces, kaftans, and lots of glitter. The night started with two opening acts: Midnight Generation and Polo & Pan.
MIDNIGHT GENERATION
Midnight Generation, a disco-electronic funk-and-pop band from Mexico, kicked things off with an upbeat, nostalgic, funky set. They wore matching tracksuits and had choreographed dance moves, getting people dancing even as the crowd was still arriving.
POLO & PAN
Next up was Polo & Pan, who also played at ACL Fest 2025. The French electronic duo sat together at their custom console in matching white suits, lit by colorful visuals, as they played their tropical French house set.
EMPIRE OF THE SUN
Empire of the Sun took the stage next. I had seen photos of their tour sets and costumes and heard that the elaborate stage show was incredible. But the photos didn't fully convey how visually over-the-top the show would be. Frontman Luke Steel was the focus, along with the ornately costumed and faceless backup dancers.
Steel changed outfits several times, starting with his signature emperor look and then switching to a variety of embellished jackets and kimonos with wide-brimmed bolero hats and headpieces. The other musicians wore cloaks and were almost invisible, unlit and blending in with stage fog. A giant head and palm sat onstage, appearing to lie within the set and said to be a nod to the other half of the duo, Nick Littlemore, who does not tour with the band.
They played songs from all four albums, focusing on their 2024 release, with crowd favorites like “Music on the Radio” and “Cherry Blossom,” as well as classics from their debut album: “Walking on a Dream,” “We Are the People,” and “Half Mast.”
The crowd stayed fully engaged, phones raised to capture the shifting visuals and favorite songs. For me, the show felt both overwhelming and inspiring, with more details than I could capture. There’s still a chance to see them as they head west through Arizona, Utah, Oregon, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, through early October.
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EMPIRE OF THE SUN SETLIST
Moody Center, Austin, Texas (9/21/2026)
Welcome to the Afterlife
Desire
Changes
Half Mast
Old Flavours
Afterlife Insurance
Cherry Blossom
Tiger Video
We Are the People
Television
Awakening
High and Low
SUPA CHAI
Music on the Radio
Revolve
Swordfish Hotkiss Night Two
Vines
This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie cover)
Celebrate
I'll Be Around
Walking on a Dream
Tiger by My Side
Alive
Afterlife Outro