Saint Levant brings sold-out political pop to Melbourne Town Hall
The concert concluded with a surprise stage appearance by his father, an architect and former owner of Gaza’s Al Deira hotel, cementing a night where personal artistry and geopolitical reality intersected.
Palestinian pop star Saint Levant, born Marwan Abdelhamid, made his Australian live debut at Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday night, performing to a sold-out and ecstatic crowd. The event marked the first night of a two-night tour, with the artist arriving on stage in an opulent, double-breasted white suit. Cries of his birth name echoed through the hall as he prepared to deliver a set that fused R&B, pop, and Levantine influences with themes of love, longing, and political solidarity.
Abdelhamid, who sings in Arabic, English, and French, blended vintage synth aesthetics with Levantine percussion and North African Raï music. The performance opened with his 2024 track On This Land, which incorporates dabke rhythms and draws inspiration from a poem by Mahmoud Darwish and a song by Libyan artist Adel el-Mshiti. The setlist also featured tracks such as Daloona, Wazira, Very Few Friends, Exile, and Deira, with the crowd responding to each song with intense engagement, waving Lebanese flags and wearing keffiyehs.
Throughout the concert, Abdelhamid addressed conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Congo, and Sudan, framing his music within the context of ongoing geopolitical struggles. During a break, he noted feeling unable to speak his mind freely, prompting the audience to chant “Free! Free! Palestine!” in response. The artist also performed a cover of Law Hobna Ghalta by Lebanese singer Wael Kfoury, a choice interpreted as a nod of solidarity amid continued conflict in the region.
The performance was punctuated by moments of high energy and personal connection. Abdelhamid channeled George Michael’s Careless Whisper by slipping a saxophone over his shoulder, and stopped the music to hand his own bottle of water to a fan who fainted in the front row. The crowd’s enthusiasm remained high, with fans sending hand hearts and singing along to every lyric, including his new single Sabah El Ward, released late last month.
The concert concluded with a surprise finale when Abdelhamid’s father, an architect and former owner of Gaza’s Al Deira hotel which was destroyed by Israeli forces, wheeled CDJs onto the stage. The DJ, clearly ecstatic to join his son, played a Shakira remix that had groups of friends dancing. Abdelhamid returned for an encore consisting of an uninterrupted rerun of Sabah El Ward, leaving the audience with their hearts full as they exited into the Melbourne night.