It has been just over four decades since Duran Duran became one of the world’s biggest pop bands. With their elegant appearance, synth-driven melodies, and music videos that helped define the MTV generation, the Birmingham quintet became one of the 1980s’ most iconic acts. After a commercial slump in the 1990s, however, the band experienced a major resurgence in the early 2000s when its classic lineup reunited. Since then, Duran Duran has continued to tour, release new music, and show they are not content to rest on their laurels.
With albums like Future Past and Danse Macabre, they have continued to develop their sound, and this year they have also released the single Free to Love. But above all, it is of course their impressive song catalog that is at the band’s disposal. The question is how much of that old magic remains when these 1980s pop icons step onto the stage in 2026.
The answer comes quite quickly.
After a symphonic instrumental version of Free to Love plays from the speakers, the band enters.
On the large LED screen behind the band, the members are shown as cartoon figures as Is There Something I Should Know? starts up. Simon Le Bon raises his hands and is immediately met with cheers and raised arms in return. In the parquet, where chairs have been set out, the audience stands up already during the opening song and remains standing for the rest of the concert. Gradually, parts of the stands follow suit, with more and more people rising to dance.
Duran Duran opens with some of their strongest hits first, continuing with The Wild Boys and A View to a Kill. The latter begins with the classic James Bond film opening on the LED screen.
Simon Le Bon asks if the audience is feeling good and urges us to make ourselves heard. The crowd replies with a standard cheer, but it’s not what Simon is looking for. He starts howling like a wolf, prompting the audience to join in as Hungry Like the Wolf comes next. On the screen, we are transported to a forest, seen from the wolf’s perspective.
The stage production is relatively stripped down. The large LED screen behind the band provides most of the visuals, with images and animations that suit the character of each song. It serves as a backdrop to the music, but seldom creates truly memorable stage moments. There are no big set constructions or particularly advanced visual numbers that elevate the overall experience. Duran Duran instead relies on the songs, the musicians, and Simon Le Bon’s ability to keep the audience engaged.
It’s easy to get lost in nostalgia as Duran Duran lines up their classics, but there’s also a purely musical reason to appreciate tonight’s show. Simon Le Bon sounds really good. The high notes hit home, not least in Ordinary World. Before that song, he treats the audience to the evening’s first longer monologue: “Here we all are in this big nuclear testicle,” he jokes about Avicii Arena, continuing with a reflection on how people all over the world struggle to find happiness and lead good lives. As the opening notes sound, mobile phone lights shine across the crowd.
In Come Undone, one of the two backing vocalists, Anna Ross, comes to Le Bon’s side for a duet. Towards the end, Simon addresses the crowd: “Stockholm, this one is for you!”
It’s a simple gesture, but it works. The connection with the front rows is good throughout the concert. There are fans singing along to every word, and some are so moved that tears flow. For them, it is clearly more than just an evening with old favorite songs.
We are also treated to Duran Duran’s latest single Free to Love, which was released in April 2026. Simon Le Bon introduces it, saying we want to be free and free to love. Rainbows, unicorns, and dancers appear on the screen. The visual expression is much more colorful than in several of the earlier numbers, and the song’s message of freedom, hope, and love is brought to the fore.
It’s also a clear statement. Duran Duran does not just want to preserve their history, but continue to be a band with something to say in our time. The song’s inclusive message, which links to LGBTQ rights, takes on further meaning later in the evening.
Before Girls on Film Simon asks the audience to put on their best smiles. Nick Rhodes is apparently going to take a picture of the crowd, as he has done many times before. In the middle of the song, John Taylor steps forward for a bass solo before the music slips into the Talking Heads classic Psycho Killer.
Le Bon also connects the music with the night’s inclusive message when he concludes with the words: “We got you HBTQI+ and we got you girls on film.” Then the band leaves the stage, but the audience is far from finished.
After rousing applause, the band returns for encores. Simon Le Bon encourages us to sing along and turn on the lights on our mobiles. He promises to transform Avicii Arena into a horseshoe-shaped galaxy. Exactly what he means is left for us to ponder, but it certainly sounds better than a radioactive testicle.
Save a Prayer becomes exactly the atmospheric moment one could hope for. The lights from mobile phones fill the arena and doves of peace are shown on the screen. The crowd sings along to the chorus, though unfortunately the keyboards are so loud that parts of the singalong are drowned out.
All that remains is Rio. It’s an obvious choice to end a night so centered on the band’s classic material. After this final outburst, Le Bon thanks the audience in both English and Swedish: “Tusen tack, Sweden” and “Tack så mycket Sverige.”
Duran Duran hardly needs to prove their importance to pop history. Simon Le Bon shows that his voice still holds up, and the band’s song collection makes it hard to resist their choruses. At the same time, the stage production is fairly restrained and the concert doesn’t offer many surprises apart from some creative transitions and the new single’s clear message. It’s a good evening of pop classics, strong vocals, and an audience engaged from start to finish.
