The songwriter and poet of bedroom pop made her Sydney Opera House debut.

One of the world’s hottest young music acts, 23-year-old British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks captured the hearts of audiences and critics with her deeply personal, empathic brand of soulful bedroom pop, winning major music prizes, topping charts and garnering some high-profile fans – from Billie Eilish to Elton John – along the way. After a handful of sold-out performances across the country in 2022, Parks returned to make her highly anticipated debut in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

Born in London to Nigerian, French, and Chadian heritage, Anaïs Marinho launched her career as Arlo Parks with the 2018 hit “Cola”, and her sound – a breezy fusion of ’90s-influenced hip-hop and introspective lyricism covering mental health, angst and queerness – would soon see her heralded as the pop poet of Gen Z. Led by the unofficial pandemic anthem “Black Dog” and her uplifting signature song “Hope”, Parks’ 2021 album Collapsed in Sunbeams became a zeigeist smash, winning the prestigious Mercury Music Prize, collecting a BRIT award for Breakthrough Artist, and earning two Grammy nominations. “I’ve fallen in love,” declared Elton John, while Billie Eilish – who called Parks one of her favourite artists – invited her on tour, as did Harry Styles, Lorde and Clairo.

Parks returned with her long-awaited new album My Soft Machine, a punchier, more synth-driven and – according to the singer – My Bloody Valentine-influenced follow-up that also features a collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers.

Don’t miss this live stage recording from one of music’s most acclaimed new stars.

Presented by Sydney Opera House