You can now watch Underworld turn the Concert Hall into a rave cave

The electronic dance duo has owned the scene for decades. In the 90’s, they transitioned from synth-pop to techno, releasing influential albums dubnobasswithmyheadman, Second Toughest in the Infants and Beaucoup Fish. Their nostalgic track Born Slippy (Nuxx) featured in Trainspotting became an international smash hit. And in 2012, they even scored the London Olympics.

Underworld first played Sydney Opera House in 2017 and returned in 2019 for four exhilarating performances at Vivid LIVE that were among the most talked about shows of the festival—leaving crowds breathless with their euphoric mix of exhilarating visuals and throbbing beats.

In 2024, they brought three nights of pulsating music to the Concert Hall as part of Vivid LIVE. We filmed those special shows and, together with the band, crafted a 48-minute film. It’s full of beautifully human moments, face-melting music and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. If you were there, see if you can spot yourself.

The film opens in black and white, with the camera cinematically gliding through the House’s iconic spaces, including the Concert Hall. Over the footage, we hear fans recount the first time they heard Underworld and express their love for the duo.

“I’ve seen them several times. They got very loose. They got very loose” - a fan humorously recounts.

One thing that will become apparent when watching the film, is that at an Underworld concert, seats are purely decorative. A testament to Underworld’s instantly danceable tracks that have you up and grooving from the start.

“This made me far more emotional than I expected.” - a Reddit user reflecting on the film.

Interweaved between the mix of songs from their three-day residency, are intimate behind-the-scenes moments that will have any Underworld fan frothing. In one particular moment, we see the duo in the iconic Sydney Opera House dressing room. Complete with a sparkling view of the harbour.

“This is like maybe my favourite dressing room in the world, do you reckon?” Smith says

To which Hyde humorously replies with “Well, we’ve been in some worse ones,”

Smith then plugs away at the piano in the dressing room, and we see a flashback to a previous visit of theirs, where he did the same thing. It’s a beautiful moment of cohesion.

Also, check out the faces of the audience when Born Slippy (Nuxx) plays towards the end of the film. You can see the power of potent nostalgia coursing through their veins. It’s pure joy. With smiles full and arms up high. Try not to smile along when watching… good luck.

To celebrate the film's release, we held a free fan screening in our Playhouse Cinema. Safe to say it sold out very quickly. Once again, the seats were ignored as fans got up and danced along to Underworld’s groovy tracks, reliving the performances they witnessed. When was the last time you saw people dancing in a cinema? That’s the everlasting effect of Underworld and their music.

You can watch Underworld live at Sydney Opera House for free on our streaming platform, Stream or on YouTube.

We’ve also dropped other recent music performance films on Stream, including Fever Ray, Sid Sriram, Priya Ragu and Raf-Saperra at Vivid LIVE 2024, and The Cat Empire with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Whether in concert or at home, there’s nothing quite like watching a show at the House.