Duran Duran’s Iconic Sound Reaches Acrisure Arena

Within the time between Christmas and New Years, Duran Duran made an appearance at Acrisure Arena. The “New Wave Pop” legends are diving into 2026 with a few remaining shows and fans both young and old cannot wait to see what’s next. With decades of hits under their belt, they sold out a marvelous venue. Notable personalities in the audience included one man wearing a glittering red shirt. He dawned a cape and sparkling gray hat. Before Duran Duran appeared, this man was seen doing jumping jacks, or dancing at every corner. He seemed as happy as the rest of the audience, in a crowd of folks that have loved Duran Duran since the early eighties. Some had waited as long as forty years to see them sing live. People leapt from their seats as the lights switched off, and pit photographers were poised to capture that perfect shot.

On the arena projection screen was a scene of cosmonauts arriving in a futuristic, neon city. Transitioning from screen into reality, Duran Duran appeared on stage, stood side-by-side, and took in the applause. The musicians strode with purpose, now in place at the microphones, with instruments ready for an evening of nostalgic music. Beginning with “Night Boat,” the talented faces in the band were Simon Le Bon as main vocalist, John Taylor on bass guitar, Roger Taylor on drums, Nick Rhodes on keyboards and synthesizers, Dom Brown on lead guitar, Anna Ross and Rachael O’Connor as backing vocalists, and Simon Willescroft on saxophone. It was a vigorous opening number, and the show carried on with “Wild Boys.”

During “A View to a Kill,” technical difficulties delayed the concert. Yet, hardly anyone rose to leave, with many expressing that they had all the time to wait. Duran Duran fans were patient, reassuring that they weren’t going anywhere. Many were seen communicating with people on the opposite side of the arena, using the flashlights on their cellphones–which caught on with others, and spread like a trend.

When Duran Duran returned to the stage, almost twenty minutes later, Le Bon spoke to the audience.

“Hello Palm Springs! I’ve got an idea on how to get this party started again. I want to hear you howl!” he shouted. Le Bon’s wording was the first clue of what was to come, a reference to a well-anticipated song. “Hungry like the Wolf” was received with enraptured cheers, and complimented by looming visuals of a wolf on the hunt–rushing through the woods, with its eyes blown wide, and its mouth stained by blood.

“Union of the Snake,” too, had fitting visuals throughout. Scaly tendrils, similar to a snake eating its own tail. Band members found chances to solo on their instruments, with Rhodes and Willescroft standing out. During “Notorious,” Ross and O’Connor descended from the top of the set, happily dancing and singing, adding an extra punch to the tune. Their vocals, and Le Bon’s, were perfect during “Super Lonely Freak.”

“Are you women in the audience tonight? I’d like you to look at yourselves very closely and tell me, are there any evil women in the crowd? Evil women!” Le Bon cheered, as Duran Duran covered ELO’s “Evil Woman.” The song choice resonated, getting every woman, and man, off their feet to dance with friends. A droning synth blurred into the starting notes of “Friends of Mine.” It was paired with visuals of classic Hollywood monsters, including vampires and mummies. When performing “Caress Memories,” Le Bon, Brown, and John Taylor, traveled forward, jamming on against flashing blue and red-hued stage lights.

Shedding his pink jacket, Le Bon returned center stage. On his shirt was a decal of a pink snake, with the word “Union” above it. The band took a moment to consider the lives of people still struggling to survive.

“We would like to dedicate this next song to the people who are trying to make peace in the world. Eventually, there has to be peace, and we support peace all over the world. This is ‘Ordinary World.’” Le Bon sang on, his voice soaring above. Behind them was an image of Antonio Canova’s statue “The Three Graces.” Representing harmony, the neoclassical statue was appropriately tied to the theme of the song.

“Come Undone” was sung as a powerful duet, dynamically shared between Ross and Le Bon. Followed by “Invisible,” with Roger Taylor’s skills on the drum set making the arena rumble. “(Reach Up for the) Sunrise” featured another great solo from Brown, and Le Bon playing a tambourine into the microphone. Duran Duran covered Melle Mel’s “White Lines,” a piece the audience responded eagerly to, jumping as one energetic mass and singing with the rising vocals. Afterwards, Le Bon introduced the band members.

The visualizations for “Planet Earth” included spaceships zipping through bloated meteor fields, and female astronauts wearing skin-tight uniforms, with blonde up-dos and glossy-red lipstick. But for “The Reflex” and “Girls on Film/Psycho Killer,” the band reached new heights, spinning out of this world. John Taylor’s bassline had never sounded so good. His full-body charisma drew all eyes onto him.

The audience cheered for an encore, and were rewarded for their support. “I just want to thank everyone for being so patient tonight, cause it gave us a chance to have a full-course meal. Nick is on his second bottle of wine. He’s probably finished it,” Le Bon humored. “And as a special reward, you get to sing ‘Save a Prayer’ with us. If you have your cellphone in your pocket, please whip it out and turn on the light. We’ll turn this place into a spiral galaxy.” The performance finished off with “Rio,” a song to conquer the night. To learn more about Duran Duran’s future plans, visit https://duranduran.com/.