Aurora Live at Fremantle Prison in Perth Review

Aurora kicked off her What Happened to the Earth? tour at Fremantle Prison in Perth on February 6th, 2025, delivering a performance that was as enchanting as it was powerful. From the moment she stepped onto the stage—dressed in a glimmering silver ensemble that made her look every bit the celestial being she is—the crowd was hers. A force of nature in every sense—an artist, a fairy, a philosopher, and an unexpected comedian—she had the audience hanging on her every word. The venue added to the atmosphere, though not without its challenges.

The setlist took us on a charmed adventure. Churchyard sent chills through the crowd with its haunting harmonies, while Infections of a Different Kind and The River flowed beautifully, carrying us through waves of emotion. A Soul with No King and All Is Soft Inside showcased her ethereal range, while Some Type of Skin and Runaway had the crowd utterly mesmerised.

Runaway, of course, brought out the classic full sing-along, where Aurora simply had to hold the mic out while we did the rest. It’s always a tender moment at an event when people can come together for something they adore—to become one big voice, sharing in their passion for the music.

Dreams felt like stepping into a fairytale, and Exist for Love had the crowd swaying in collective awe—her only love song because, as she put it, she finds love boring to write about. Heathens and The Forbidden Fruits of Eden added an almost mystical quality to the night before she introduced The Dark Dresses Lightly, a hypnotic and beautifully layered performance. The song carries a strong, anthemic energy with its rhythmic beats and chant-like vocals as it builds to a roaring crescendo. “Guess I shouldn’t have kept the knife in my heart for so long. Guess I shouldn’t have held back when I needed you to know.”

And then came The Seed—one of my absolute favourites. A thunderous battle cry, its pounding drums and fierce energy demanded respect and awareness for our environment. “When the last tree has fallen and the rivers are poison, you cannot eat money, oh no.” From there, Starvation turned the prison grounds into a brief rave, pulsing with intensely fast, heavy techno beats. Basically, it’s a sonic representation of my ADHD. “Got a deal with the devil, but I got the stamina.” Finally, Giving In to the Love brought a euphoric energy that made it impossible to stand still.

Throughout the entire set, there was a deep, almost ritualistic pulse to the music—booming drums, soaring chants, and untamed energy that made everything feel bigger, wilder, and completely alive. It was stunning.

For the encore, Aurora returned with Cure for Me, a song she wrote right here in Australia. Mid-lyric, she suddenly paused, pulled away from the mic, and declared, “I know I… need to burp.” Then, without missing a beat, she let out an impressively well-timed burp before diving back into the song. Instead of ending on a high, she brought us back down to earth with Invisible Wounds. Just her and a keyboard, softly soothing us for the journey home—or wherever else we might have ended up. It was an interesting choice, closing with something quieter rather than a final burst of energy—a moment of peace, a gentle farewell.

“The farthest away from home, and I can find people I connect to,” she mused, all the way from Norway to Australia.

Her voice? Absolute perfection. Exactly as it sounds on record, that’s not something every artist can pull off, but for Aurora, it’s just who she is, and it’s why we’ll be listening to her on repeat for the foreseeable future.

But let’s talk about the best part of any Aurora show: Aurora herself.

If you’ve seen her live, you already know—she’s unintentionally hilarious, blurting out whatever comes to mind with the kind of unfiltered honesty that feels like home to us neurodivergents. At one point, she stopped mid-show to have a heartfelt conversation with a beetle that had wandered onto the stage, leading to a valiant (if slightly chaotic) rescue attempt involving her sock. Moments later, she exclaimed, “It’s stuck in the tape!” A true hero.

Between the laughter, she also got very real about the world’s injustices, speaking passionately about climate change, the mistreatment of Indigenous people, and the wisdom of children. It’s rare for an artist to balance tender, joyful absurdity with the weight of the world’s problems, but Aurora does it effortlessly. At one point, she jokingly told the crowd, “Well, hello, everyone. I want to thank you all so much for going to jail for me and being here,” earning a good giggle from the audience. Then, after turning off a fan blowing in her face, she declared, “I feel like Cher. I feel fabulous.” Mood.

Of course, she couldn’t ignore the viral moment that introduced so many to her—yes, that clip of her saying, “My favourite thing to do is read books and masturbate.” And if that isn’t relatable, I don’t know what is.

Then, in a final moment of magic, she danced across the stage, triumphantly waving a pride flag above her head. The energy in that moment was electric. Aurora is truly one of a kind, and what a pleasure it was to experience her live.

The Venue: An Accessibility Nightmare

Aurora’s performance? A flawless 10/10. Fremantle Prison as a venue? It needs to do better.

Look, I want to start by saying the staff I spoke to were lovely—genuinely helpful, doing everything they could within the limits they were given. But here’s the thing: accessibility isn’t something that should be left to individual staff members to patch up on the night. It should be built into the planning from the start. And from what I witnessed and heard from disabled fans, that just didn’t happen.

I spoke to several people who were so excited for this show, only to end up struggling to see, move around, or even feel like they were meant to be there at all. Mobility aid users were stuck behind standing premium ticket holders, completely blocking their view. Some were promised accessible seating in better locations, only to be placed even further back. One fan, who paid extra for an accessible premium section, ended up watching the entire gig through someone else’s phone screen because the section they were promised just… wasn’t there. Another tripped over a poorly placed cable bridge running right through the supposed accessible area.

And the sound? If you weren’t right up front, you were dealing with a weird, out-of-sync echo from a badly placed rear speaker. Not exactly ideal when you’re hoping to get lost in the music.

To be clear, none of this is on Aurora. She was phenomenal. But it’s frustrating when a venue seems more focused on its quirky aesthetics than on making sure everyone can actually enjoy the show. Live music should be for everyone, and accessibility isn’t a bonus, it’s a basic requirement. Freo Prison has an incredible atmosphere, but until it commits to making gigs truly inclusive, it’s going to keep letting people down.

The Verdict

Aurora’s performance was everything we dreamed it would be—stunning, emotional, and effortlessly extraordinary. She commands a stage like no other, marrying immense vocal talent with an endearing unpredictability that makes every show unique. However, Fremantle Prison’s accessibility failures and sound issues marred what should have been a perfect night. Here’s hoping that next time she visits WA, she’s booked somewhere that treats all fans with the respect and accommodations they deserve.

Stay unruly.