Empire of the Sun • Polo & Pan • Midnight Generation • October 1, 2026 • Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Reviewed and Photographed by Marlo Matamoros
Empire of the Sun brought their Ask the God: Afterlife Tour with Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation. I arrived at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre right before Midnight Generation was about to hit the stage. The crowd was still making their way into the venue.
Midnight Generation
Before the concert, I had listened to some Midnight Generation songs like “Don’t Wait Up”, “Young Girl”, and “Norway”. I was glad to have checked out their music before attending the concert, so I had a visual on what to expect. I headed straight to their set after I checked into the Amphitheatre, and their stage presence instantly stood out to me. The instruments, the colors, and their Diadora tracksuits. I spent some time in the pit as I photographed a few of their songs, and it was great to see everyone enjoying their music while they danced right around sunset. The group performed some of the songs I had listened to prior. Midnight Generation is a must-see if you ever see them included in a lineup!
I was familiar with Empire of the Sun and Polo & Pan but have never heard of Midnight Generation. Midnight Generation was the third group included in the ASK THAT GOD: AFTERLIFE North American Tour. After a quick search, I found out that they are a funk/disco/electronic group from Chihuahua, Mexico. They have three studio albums and have performed at some of the biggest festivals such as Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Outside Lands. The group also opened for Katy Perry during her Lifetimes Tour at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico. They have performed on some of the biggest stages, so I was excited for them to perform in Utah. A group from Australia, France, and Mexico!
Polo & Pan
There was a quick intermission between sets, and by the time Polo & Pan hit the stage, it was completely dark out. They are a French electronic duo from Paris. I would recommend listening to their breakthrough album Caravelle, which includes some of the songs that were performed that night. They are hitting over 2 million streams on just one of the bigger streaming services alone and have also performed on some of the biggest stages as well. I became a huge fan of the duo after their show last year and was excited to be a part of their set again.
I was excited when I found out that Polo & Pan would be joining Empire of the Sun in Salt Lake City. I covered their show last year when they headlined the Ogden Twilight. It was my first time seeing them live, and once I saw that they were announced to be one of the openers, I immediately knew they would be the perfect fit. Ever since I covered their show, I have been recommending their music to everyone. Their sound is unique and recognizable.
The amphitheater was fuller by this part of the night. The energy from the crowd was more amplified as well. The duo shouted, “Utah, are you ready?!” It was incredible to see people dancing throughout the entire arena, from back to front. The visuals were also top-notch. They performed a few of their more recognizable songs, “Ani Kuni”, “Dorothy”, and even previewed a new song that was created on tour. Visually, their set is always on another level with shifting colors, imagery, and patterns on the backdrop screen behind the
duo. Their set ended with the words “Utah, you were amazing”, and “See you very soon, Utah, Merci.” It was nice to hear people in the crowd talk about how good their set was afterwards, cementing that Polo & Pan had made an impression in Utah once again.
Empire of the Sun
After seeing two visually impressive sets, I was excited and ready to capture Empire Of The Sun. I don’t think they need an introduction, but just in case, they have multiple Grammy nominations and billions of streams worldwide. You might have heard “Walking On A Dream” or “We Are The People.” They had released a World Cup song with Danny Ocean titled “Llego,” which was great to hear new music from them right before their stop in Utah.
Empire Of The Sun has performed in Utah before but not to the scale of the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre. They also had a great variety of merchandise, including an Emperor’s crown that would later be worn on stage. Their set was one of the most visually appealing sets I’ve seen. From their attire to the background visuals, every detail felt intentional. Their set was a theatrical experience which included choreography, striking lighting, and evolving visuals.
They opened the show with great energy and the songs “Changes” and “Half Mast.” Towards the end of the set, they performed a cover of “This Land Is Your Land” and, of course, “Walking On A Dream”, which everyone was waiting for. Empire Of The Sun delivered one of the most complete sets I have ever experienced both visually and musically. The crowd danced from the opening song through the final moments of the night. If you have the chance to see Empire Of The Sun live, make sure you take it. This is a group that deserves to be experienced live.
