Balu Brigada / DJ Ryeberry – Portal World Tour live Gallery and review from The Academy Dublin 06.05.26

New Zealand’s fast-rising duo Balu Brigada made their Irish headline debut at The Academy last night, capping off a whirlwind year that’s seen brothers Henry and Pierre leap from bedroom studio to global stardom. The Dublin show marked the final stop of their European tour.

Their origin story has quickly become part of modern music folklore. In early 2025 before even releasing a single track, a clip of Pierre looping the bassline for to-be-hit “So Cold” caught the attention of a record label executive and catapulted the pair into the spotlight overnight. Since then, they’ve become festival regulars and for many in the crowd, a memorable discovery after their support slot with Twenty One Pilots at 3Arena this time last year.

Opening with aptly titled, “The Portal,” the duo set the tone with the stunning scream of synths. A wall of flashing LEDs obscured the stage floor before they burst into “Golden Gate Girl.” The best basslines in music today had arrived in the room.

The set leaned heavily on debut album Portal, with each track subtly reworked for the live show. One standout moment came with their dark, reimagined take on the Hall & Oates classic “You Make My Dreams Come True,” now a staple since its debut on Triple J earlier this year. The crowd was also treated to a glimpse of what’s next with the unreleased “Bedhead,” hinting at a continued evolution in their sound.

Since the start of the set, a mysteriously placed, untouched pint sat off to the left of the duo, begging for attention. Eventually, Pierre stepped up with an attempt to split the G – keyword “attempt”… The Dublin crowd, ever gracious, let it slide. There’s always next time.

Portal may have already cemented itself as one of the standout releases of 2025, but live these songs take on a new dimension.

Support came from DJ Ryeberry, whose set featured a Balu Brigada remix along with deeper cuts, setting the energy high for the night. Henry and Pierre themselves were spotted watching the set from the balcony.

DJ Ryeberry photos:

Balu Brigada photos & set-list:

Set-list:
The Portal
Golden Gate Girl
Sideways
Politix
Designer
The Question
2Good
What Do We Ever Really Know?
4:25
You Make My Dreams (Come True) – Hall & Oates Cover
Moon Man
Isolation
Birthday Interlude
Backseat
Bedhead
Butterfly Boy
So Cold
Find A Way / Could You Not

Photos & Words by Myles Dunne – @MylesDunnePhoto