See Empire of the Sun live on August 28, 2026 in Mansfield at The Xfinity Center, with classics such as 'Walking on a Dream' alongside songs from 'Ask That God'. Planning to go? Ticket sales are underway, so prepare your purchase for an evening of electronic pop, soaring hooks and the band's striking live production
Empire of the Sun brings a new chapter of the Ask That God world to Mansfield
Empire of the Sun arrives on August 28, 2026, at The Xfinity Center in Mansfield with the "Ask That God: Afterlife" tour, a continuation of the current phase of the career that has brought the Australian project back to major stages across North America. Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore have spent more than fifteen years building a distinctive blend of electronic pop, psychedelic textures and huge choruses, but the group's concert identity has always gone a step beyond the songs themselves. Costumes, choreography, lighting and stage design are part of the same imagined world as the music.
The 2026 tour has been presented as Empire of the Sun's biggest North American tour to date and as the final chapter of the concert cycle connected with the album "Ask That God". Mansfield is part of a run of performances through major outdoor venues, and after Massachusetts the tour continues toward Forest Hills in New York and other cities.
For audiences who know Empire of the Sun through the songs "Walking on a Dream", "We Are the People" and "Alive", the current tour offers a cross-section of the entire career. For fans of the newer material, it is equally important that songs from "Ask That God" have firmly entered the live repertoire.
It is worth securing tickets in time.
From "Walking on a Dream" to "Ask That God"
Empire of the Sun was formed as a creative partnership between Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore. The 2008 debut album "Walking on a Dream" defined the project's sound: expansive synthesizer lines, melodies positioned between indie pop and dance music, and choruses suited to large venues. The title track and "We Are the People" have remained among the most recognizable points in their discography, while "Ice on the Dune" and "Two Vines" brought songs such as "Alive", "DNA", "High and Low" and "Way to Go".
After a longer recording break, the fourth studio album "Ask That God" was released in 2024. It brought the songs "Changes", "Cherry Blossom", "Music on the Radio", "The Feeling You Get", "Television" and "Revolve", and in 2025 an expanded edition arrived with a total of 14 songs. Among the additional tracks is "Somebody's Son", featuring Lindsey Buckingham.
At the beginning of 2026, the project "Alive (Reimagined)" was also released, showing that the group continues to return to its own catalog and reshape it. Nostalgia is present, but the current concert is not conceived merely as a return to old hits.
- "Walking on a Dream" and "We Are the People" remain key songs from the debut era.
- "Alive" represents a major concert anchor from the "Ice on the Dune" album period.
- "High and Low" connects the repertoire with the album "Two Vines".
- "Changes", "Cherry Blossom", "Television", "Music on the Radio" and "Revolve" regularly appear in the repertoire of the current tour.
What previous performances say about the repertoire
The set list in Mansfield has not been confirmed in advance and therefore should not be presented as final. Nevertheless, performances held earlier in August provide a clear framework for what Empire of the Sun is currently performing live.
At the concert at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati on August 23, the songs recorded included, among others, "Changes", "Half Mast", "Cherry Blossom", "We Are the People", "Television", "High and Low", "Music on the Radio", "Revolve", "Two Vines", "Walking on a Dream", "Tiger by My Side" and "Alive". A very similar foundation also appeared on other dates of the tour.
That is a good sign both for longtime fans and for audiences who rediscovered the group through "Ask That God". The old catalog has not been pushed aside, but neither is the new material merely a brief episode between the hits.
Reports from concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Mystic Lake Amphitheater describe a production featuring costume changes, choreographed dancers, a strong visual identity and a prominent role for Luke's guitar. This is not a conventional electronic concert in which the performer stands behind a console. Empire of the Sun builds its performance as a combination of a band, theatrical imagery and dance production.
Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation expand the evening beyond the main performance
The Mansfield program also includes Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation. Their selection fits the headliner well because the entire evening remains within the broad space between electronic music, synth-pop, disco and funk.
Polo & Pan are the Parisian electronic duo Paul Armand-Delille and Alexandre Grynszpan. Their sound connects house, disco, French pop melodicism and tropical elements. Songs such as "Canopée", "Dorothy", "Magic" and "Ani Kuni" demonstrate their approach to warmer, dance-oriented electronic music well.
Midnight Generation comes from northern Mexico and builds its music on a blend of disco, electronic pop and funk. The group has been active since 2015, and its dance groove makes it a logical introduction to an evening that gradually moves toward the large-scale production of Empire of the Sun.
On several previous dates Midnight Generation performed first, followed by Polo & Pan and then Empire of the Sun. The exact schedule for Mansfield, however, should be checked on the day of the concert.
The Xfinity Center is a large amphitheater, but the experience depends on the area
The Xfinity Center is located at 885 S Main St in Mansfield, Massachusetts. It is an open-air amphitheater with a capacity of up to 19,900 visitors, combining a covered section in front of the stage with a large lawn area behind the seats. It opened in 1986 and for decades has been one of the main summer concert venues in this part of New England.
For Empire of the Sun, such a space makes sense. The production uses large visuals, lighting, costumes and choreography. Seats closer to the stage provide a clearer view of the details of the performance, while the lawn area is farther away and places greater emphasis on the overall stage picture and the feeling of a large outdoor concert.
The covered section provides protection from the weather, while the lawn is exposed to the open sky. This is a practical difference worth considering when planning an evening in late August.
A capacity of nearly 20,000 people also means that arrival should not be planned like a visit to a small club. Entry, security checks, parking and departure after the end of the show can take time. Places disappear quickly.
Arriving by car, parking and entry
Mansfield is well connected by road with the larger cities of the northeastern United States. The town lies along the I-95 and I-495 corridors, between the Boston and Providence areas, while The Xfinity Center is located south of the town center along Route 140.
For drivers, the most important thing to know is that basic parking is included with the ticket. Parking lots open several hours before the gates open, but the exact time varies from concert to concert. Special rules apply to larger vehicles, and overnight parking and camping are not permitted.
- Address: 885 S Main St, Mansfield, MA 02048.
- Basic parking is included with the ticket.
- Parking lots open before the gates, but the time depends on the event.
- Security checks and bag inspections are carried out at the entrance.
- The venue operates cashlessly; cards or other contactless payments are used.
- The box office on the day of the concert is open from 1:00 PM and closes approximately at the time the program begins.
Visitors coming from the direction of Boston or Providence may also find the MBTA Commuter Rail to Mansfield useful. Town information confirms a connection with both cities. The railway station is not located at the concert complex itself, so the final part of the journey to The Xfinity Center should be arranged in advance.
When to arrive and how to prepare
Arriving earlier has two advantages. The first is traffic-related: nearly 20,000 people create a completely different arrival rhythm from a venue in a city center. The second is musical: Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation have identities of their own, and it makes sense to hear them from the beginning.
The exact gate-opening time for Mansfield has not been published in the information available in advance, so it is not useful to guess. It is best to check the venue information immediately before departure and allow enough time for parking, security screening and finding your section.
Because part of the venue is not covered, the weather forecast has practical importance. Clothing and footwear suitable for an outdoor venue can make a major difference, and the rules regarding bags and permitted items should be checked before arrival.
Who will find this concert particularly interesting
Empire of the Sun has a broad audience because its catalog spans several generations of electronic and alternative pop. One part of the audience associates them with "Walking on a Dream" and "We Are the People", another follows them because of their visual aesthetics and festival appearances, while a third arrived with the return of "Ask That God".
The current repertoire brings these groups together. On earlier dates of the "Afterlife" tour, new songs such as "Changes", "Cherry Blossom", "Television" and "Revolve" stood alongside "Half Mast", "High and Low", "Walking on a Dream" and "Alive". The concert is therefore not aimed only at nostalgia, but neither is it intended only for audiences familiar with the newer album.
For fans of classic band performances, the more prominent role of Luke Steele's guitar is important, while Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation give the evening continuity for audiences who lean more toward disco, house and electro-funk.
Mansfield as a stop on a major North American tour
"Ask That God: Afterlife" includes more than 30 headline dates and passes through major amphitheaters across North America. Mansfield sits within a tightly packed part of the schedule: after the performance in Toronto, Empire of the Sun comes to Massachusetts, then continues toward Forest Hills Stadium in New York and Northwell at Jones Beach Theater.
The tour is conceived as the final part of the "Ask That God" cycle, but with a redesigned production and a new "Afterlife" dramatic framework. Reports from the first dates show that the idea is not limited to the title alone: costumes, dancers, visual motifs and the structure of the performance form an important part of the show.
Ticket sales for this event are underway.
Practical reminder before departure
Plan the evening as a major summer concert outside the city center. Check the latest information about gate opening, bag rules and weather conditions immediately before arrival. If you are driving, allow extra time for approaching the complex and parking. If you are arriving by rail to Mansfield, arrange the final part of the journey to the amphitheater in advance.
Empire of the Sun, Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation have been announced for the stage, while the specific performance times of the individual artists and the final set list have not been confirmed for Mansfield. The tour so far nevertheless clearly shows a combination of the biggest songs from across the career and material from "Ask That God", with a production in which visual elements are an important part of the concert experience.
Sources:
- Xfinity Center - event schedule, address, parking, entry procedures, box office and practical rules for visitors.
- 313 Presents - announcement of the "Ask That God: Afterlife" tour, the tour concept and information about Polo & Pan and Midnight Generation as supporting artists.
- EMI Music Australia - Empire of the Sun biography and information about the album "Ask That God".
- Apple Music - information about the release "Ask That God (Deluxe)" and Lindsey Buckingham's guest appearance.
- Setlist.fm - repertoire from recent tour dates in August 2026.
- Magnetic Magazine and 1013 Music Reviews - reports about production, costumes, choreography and performance on the current tour.
- Town of Mansfield - the town's transportation context and information about the MBTA Commuter Rail.
- Boston Globe - The Xfinity Center's capacity and the historical context of the venue.