Mid-set, things came to a halt when a medical emergency broke out in the pit. Matthew spotted it straight away and stopped the show, waiting respectfully with the audience until it was resolved. Once the music kicked back in, he signed his cap and launched it into the crowd, a simple gesture that summed up his genuine charm.

By the time the house lights dimmed, the energy was electric. A grey curtain dropped to reveal Keith Urban’s silhouette, guitar in hand, and the roar of the crowd said it all: Melbourne had been waiting. He tore straight into Straight Line and, just like that, the arena was on its feet.

The setup gave the night a mix of spectacle and intimacy, a catwalk stretching into the pit, a surprise B-stage further back, and a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, ready to go. The audience was just as mixed, from kids and first-timers to diehards who knew every word.

Urban knows how to work a crowd. Early on, he asked who was celebrating a birthday and, after a sea of hands went up, he jumped the barrier and walked through the pit to meet them, hugging a fan named Shay from Perth and snapping a quick selfie. Later, he stopped to greet a young boy who had travelled from Nashville, another personal moment in a massive room.

The setlist rolled between highs and lows. Messed Up as Me slowed things down before the band kicked into Better Life, and the clapping started again. The cover of Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again had the whole place chanting the famous Aussie response, and Urban was grinning ear to ear. Lasers shot across the stadium during ’Til the Summer Comes Around, and the disco ball finally spun during Kiss a Girl, lighting up the crowd.

The loudest singalong of the night came with Somebody Like You, where Urban divided the crowd into sections and even called out random names, “Andrew? Debbie?” before laughing at the few shy voices that answered back.

One of the standout moments came when he left the stage during One Too Many and made his way through the crowd, a spotlight following him the whole way. He reached the B-stage at the back of the arena and grinned, “I told you guys front row seats, check it out!” before stripping things back with an acoustic mash-up of Pink Pony Club/You’ll Think of Me. Phone torches filled the arena, giving the moment a real intimacy.

By the finale, each band member had their chance to shine as lights and screens lit up the room one last time. “Are you still with us, Melbourne?” Urban shouted, and the deafening response left no doubt.

Night one of Keith Urban’s return to Melbourne was everything fans wanted: big songs, big moments, and a reminder of just how good he is at making a huge arena feel personal.