The Kid LAROI Is Loving Being Back in Australia

The Kid LAROI is back home in Australia for his rescheduled Australian tour, making up for lost time with his fans.

Born in Sydney but now a global star, LAROI was supposed to tour Australia in February but had to postpone due to logistical issues.

But the rapper and singer’s homecoming tour finally kicked off last week with shows in Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Sydney. LAROI is right in the middle of the tour, with shows still left in Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, and Melbourne (see full dates below).

There are some Aussies who think LAROI has abandoned his local fans, but that’s simply the price an artist has to pay for finding major success overseas. Tall poppy syndrome is still alive Down Under.

LAROI has clearly been loving being back for his first headline tour of his home country since 2022, and just enjoying being back home in general.

He performed at NRL Grand FInal in October, performing a series of his hits at the Accor Stadium. Millions of viewers watched him sing “Girls”, “Without You”, “Nights Like This”, and he even dropped in a cover of an Aussie classic, “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS.

October also saw LAROI appearing as the music keynote speaker at SXSW Sydney. Attendees at Darling Harbour Theatre were treated to LAROI discussing his incredible journey from the Redfern neighbourhood to international stardom. While at SXSW Sydney, he also supported the First Nations community through workshops and performances.

Chatting with Rolling Stone AU/NZ about his return to Australia, LAROI teased some big surprises for his tour. “I think I’ve just been working on a lot of different ways to just to make the show really dope and really special,” he said. “I want to make it an experience where people can walk away and, you know, feel like the way I feel when I go and watch other concerts, and be like, ‘Damn, I’m not going to forget that!’”

LAROI added: “We’re pretty dialled in on what we’re doing at the moment, just creating a cool world visually and bringing people into the music that we’re playing… pairing the music and the visuals to make everything come to life.

“[…] It’s about finding ways to make the music sound fresh, and the songs people love feel like they’ve never heard them before.”

If performing on tour to thousands of his fans wasn’t enough, LAROI performed an intimate set at Nova’s Red Room last week. Held at Selina’s in Sydney’s Coogee Bay Hotel, he offered some lucky fans a rare glimpse of his talent in an intimate space. He felt so comfortable on the night that he handed out a few ‘friends and family’ tickets to his Sydney show.

At tomorrow’s 2024 ARIA Awards, LAROI will take to the stage as one of the performers, which will be a proud moment for the hometown hero. It could be a massive night for him, as LAROI is nominated in four categories, including Best Solo Artist and Song of the Year (“Nights Like This”).

So when LAROI leaves Australia for the US again, there can be no doubt that he still loves Australia and remembers where he came from.