Empire of the Sun, Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation

Empire of the Sun are playing Gallagher Square at Petco Park on Monday, October 5, with Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation opening. It's a stop on their Afterlife tour, which they're calling a "tour of unknowns" — a complete reimagining of their live show with experimental elements and a new stage setup.

If you've followed them for a while, you know the theatrical side is a big part of the draw. The band formed in 2008 when Australian musician and producer Luke Steele (The Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (Pnau) built a post-apocalyptic psychedelic universe around their music. Steele performs as "The Emperor," wearing elaborate futuristic headpieces and robes, while Littlemore handles production and creative direction. Their debut, Walking on a Dream, sold 1.5 million copies worldwide and picked up eight ARIA awards, including Album of the Year, Single of the Year, and Best Group, along with two BRIT nominations. Ice on the Dune followed in 2013, and Two Vines came out in 2016.

After an eight-year gap, they returned in 2024 with Ask That God, which debuted at number 4 on Billboard's Top Dance Albums chart. The setlist on this tour pulls from both ends of their catalog: new songs like "Changes" and "Cherry Blossom" sit alongside the older ones you probably know, like "Walking on a Dream," "We Are the People," and "Alive."

Doors open at 5:30 PM, and the show starts at 6:25 PM. Tickets are from $87.00 to $97.75.