Fridayz Live 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane<\/strong><\/p>\n Friday, October 17th<\/strong><\/p>\n The first Fridayz Live event for 2025 kicked off at Brisbane Showgrounds at 4pm, with a clash of suits, school kids, partygoers, and many, many Pitbull lookalikes flooding the Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills border (the latter two groups swarmed to the Showgrounds propelled by the buzz of a couple day drinks).<\/span><\/p>\n Opening just as rush-hour gridlock clogged Bowen Hills, Jordin Sparks<\/strong> deserved a larger audience than the one trickling through security. Still, those who made it in time were rewarded with pure vocal precision. In a lace jersey and custom racer jeans, Sparks launched into \u201cOne Step at a Time\u201d before delivering a flawless rendition of \u201cNo Air,\u201d her voice soaring effortlessly over the crowd\u2019s collective karaoke. Even with the sun yet to set, her performance felt luminous \u2013 a reminder that the <\/span>American Idol<\/span><\/i> winner\u2019s talent never dulled, only paused for air amid the chaos of early arrivals.<\/span><\/p>\n Jordin Sparks. Image: Jordan Munns<\/p>\n<\/div>\n By the time Tinie Tempah<\/strong> hit the stage, the crowd had swelled and the energy lifted. Shirtless beneath Queensland\u2019s unseasonable spring humidity, the London rapper bounced across the platform with the stamina of his \u201c<\/span>Pass Out\u201d<\/span> peak. His blend of UK grime and radio-friendly hooks brought a kinetic charge, proving that even a decade removed from his chart run, Tempah\u2019s charisma remains magnetic. The Brisbane audience \u2013\u00a0 now warmed by beer queues and early evening sun \u2013\u00a0 met his swagger with renewed vigour, echoing choruses that once ruled the club floor. His set was brief, but undeniably effective.<\/span><\/p>\n Tini Tempah. Image: Darcy Goss<\/p>\n<\/div>\n EVE<\/strong>\u2019s chrome logo spun onto the screens before the rapper herself emerged \u2013\u00a0 a vision of unbothered cool with a sharp platinum bob and attitude. Backed by a fierce troupe of dancers and the impeccable DJ Way Too Smooth, she tore through \u201cWho\u2019s That Girl\u201d and \u201cLet Me Blow Ya Mind,\u201d her voice still razor-sharp. It\u2019s been seven years since Brisbane last saw her, but EVE\u2019s command hasn\u2019t faded; she remains every bit the trailblazer she was in the Ruff Ryders era. The crowd roared through \u201cRich Girl,\u201d with EVE covering Gwen Stefani\u2019s parts like they were her own, sealing a tight, nostalgic set.<\/span><\/p>\n Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian\/New Zealand music and globally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n EVE. Image: Darcy Goss<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Then came the chaos. Lil Jon<\/strong> stormed the stage dressed in white, his trademark dreadlocks and gravelly voice instantly igniting the amphitheatre. From the opening ad-libs, the crowd was his to command. \u201cHow many of y\u2019all miss the 2000s?\u201d he barked, before cueing \u201c<\/span>Crank That (Soulja Boy)\u201d<\/span> \u2014 and like clockwork, thousands of arms swung in sync, \u201csupermanning\u201d across the grounds. Every beat felt like a time warp: \u201cGet Low\u201d shook the bleachers, \u201cShots\u201d turned the field into a fraternity basement, and remixes of Mo Bamba and Lean Back bridged eras with reckless joy.<\/span><\/p>\n Behind the sweaty haze and cartoonish visuals \u2013 pixelated twerkers, burning sports cars, anime lightning \u2013 lay something more profound: a pure celebration of the lost art of fun. Lil Jon\u2019s set was a masterclass in how nostalgia can still move bodies, even two decades later.<\/span><\/p>\n As the night settled and a familiar haze drifted across the air, Wiz Khalifa<\/strong> emerged under emerald-green lights. \u201cIf y\u2019all wanna smoke with Wiz Khalifa, make some fuckin\u2019 noise!\u201d he shouted, greeted by a roar (and the unmistakable scent of his signature vice). Dressed in a logo-heavy hoodie with Fridayz Live sponsor McDonald\u2019s cheekily glinting from his sleeve, Khalifa cruised through \u201cRoll Up,\u201d \u201cYoung, Wild & Free,\u201d and \u201cBlack and Yellow.\u201d His flow was mellow, his stage presence relaxed, the aura of a man entirely at peace with his legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n Wiz Khalifa. Image: Darcy Goss<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Between songs, Khalifa paused to reflect. \u201cThe number one thing is take care of your motherfuckin\u2019 self,\u201d he told the crowd. Then, with \u201cSee You Again,\u201d he paid tribute to fallen artists \u2014 from Mac Miller to Takeoff,\u00a0 his tone shifting from playful to reverent. When he left the stage, exhaling gratitude, it felt less like goodbye and more like a benediction.<\/span><\/p>\n After a short intermission, when the clock struck 8pm, the Pitbull<\/strong> lookalikes sprinted to their posts. Brisbane hadn\u2019t hosted Mr. Worldwide since the mid-2010s, and anticipation buzzed like static. A countdown flashed across the jumbotron, and moments later, the man himself erupted onto the stage to the bass-thumping \u201cDon\u2019t Stop the Party.\u201d In his trademark shades and leather jacket, flanked by dancers in black sequins, Pitbull radiated polish and confidence.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBrisbane, it\u2019s an honour to be back in the land down under,\u201d he shouted, commanding the call-and-response with his trademark \u201cDale!\u201d chant. His set was relentless: \u201cHotel Room Service,\u201d \u201cInternational Love,\u201d and \u201cGive Me Everything\u201d rolled out with machine precision, each hit punctuated by smoke cannons and neon Miami graphics.<\/span><\/p>\n Pitbull. Image: Jordan Munns<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Midway through, Pitbull shed his jacket for a white blazer and steered the show into a Latin-dance medley \u2014 congas, brass, and all. He flirted in Spanish, teased the crowd with snippets of \u201cGasolina,\u201d and slipped into Bon Jovi\u2019s \u201cLivin\u2019 on a Prayer\u201d before launching into \u201cFeel This Moment.\u201d His stamina was staggering, his charisma undimmed.<\/span><\/p>\n Lil Jon returned for a surprise cameo, the pair trading verses like it was 2011 all over again. \u201cTo all the baldies out there,\u201d Pitbull grinned, slapping his head, \u201cyou already know. If you got those bald caps on, you\u2019re gonna have the time of your life. Dale!\u201d He then closed with \u201cFireball\u201d and a triumphant \u201cTimber,\u201d complete with line-dancing cowgirls and golden pyrotechnics.<\/span><\/p>\n In a festival landscape where extravagance often outweighs execution, Pitbull reminded Brisbane what a consummate showman looks like \u2014 equal parts Casanova and motivational speaker. He even spoke of <\/span>SLAM<\/span>, the school he founded in Miami for underprivileged youth, before bowing out with gratitude.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images-r2-1.thebrag.com\/rs\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fridayz-live-brisbane-jordin-sparks-pic-jordan-munns.jpg\")
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