As the week of Elevate Sydneypassed its halfway point, we were headed back to the Sydney Harbour for Friday’s instalment of Elevate Nights. The rainy weather didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits with a full crowd in attendance for tonight’s acts as a storm was brewing, both in the air and on stage.

Kicking off the entertainment for the evening, New Zealand natives Drax Project played a mix of melodic pop and funky sax solos to warm up the crowd. ‘Woke Up Late’ had fans singing along with its catchy hook and relatable lyrics.

After a short break, Sydney-born and L.A-based, femme powerhouse Betty Who took to the stage. Accompanied by two backup dancers, the group delivered a theatrical & high-energy performance. The steamy synchronicity of the choreography struck us all with awe, emanating a similar aura to Ru Paul’s famous“pit crew” – which had the entire audience gasping and cheering. The heartfelt track ‘I Can Be Your Man’ touched the crowd, while ‘She Can Dance’ turned up the audience participation, chanting the chorus back to the stage.

Closing Betty’s set with a high-octane cover of Donna Lewis’s ‘I Love You Always Forever’ had everyone singing along.With a stage presence that cannot be beat, Betty and her dancers gave us a fierce and energetic mix of power pop & flowing dance and we cant wait to see what they do next.

The rain began to lighten up in perfect time for Australian pop icons The Veronicas to begin their set.You could feel the anticipation in the air as the stage lights dimmed and the opening synth-beat to ‘Take Me On The Floor’ began to play – the crowd were roaring in excitement with smiles all around.

Following their entrance track with a saga of nostalgic tracks; ‘Everything I’m Not’, ‘Hook Me Up’ & ‘When It All Falls Apart’ the were transporting us right back to 2007. Shouting out the die-hard fans in the front row, Lisa commented on the old-school merch and familiar faces they were seeing around, reinforcing that this show was well worth flying in from L.A for. The mood softened for the highly-emotive, balladic track ‘You Ruin Me’, before amping up the energy for fan favourite track ‘4ever’.

As Jess spoke the words “please stand for the National Anthem”, hysteria broke out amongst the crowd with cheers and screams heard from front to back. Everyone in the audience was in full voice for ‘Untouched’. Seeing the iconic Aussie twins in this iconic location was a memory to cherish forever.

Luckily the rain continued to hold off because after the performances concluded, we were treated to a SkyShow – featuring the largest choreographed drone show ever performed in the Southern Hemisphere. Positioned in the middle of the two Australian icons; the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, the show told a story of the traditional Gadigal people featuring Chrissie the Cockatoo and Benny the Seal – a perfect way to acknowledge the traditional history of the beautiful city we get to call home.

This was a Friday night unlike any other in Sydney with no one from from the sold-out Elevate crowd leaving untouched by tonight’s performances.

Photos by Christian Ross:

Photos by Meg Taylor: