The stylish crowd was warmed up by RIO KOSTA, a newer band who played songs from their debut album Unicorn. Their psychedelic sound and dreamy tunes made for the perfect intro for the night to come.

After a brief break, Jungle emerged behind long draping curtains to reveal what looked like a mid-century modern conversation pit-style stage, a token to the era that inspires their sound. Their first song “Smile” immediately got the crowd moving, audience members bopping along behind their shades.

The high-energy carried throughout the performance as Jungle played tracks such as “Heavy, California”, “Problemz”, and “The Wave”. The band emulated the glamour of what I imagine a 1970s Hollywood Hills party would have looked like. The outfits alone were enough to captivate the crowd, with Lydia Kitto dressed in a shimmering shirt with elaborate feather cuffs.

The light show was another impressive component, featuring teal and orange hues to create a cinematic atmosphere. As the beams of lit highlighted an excited audience, guitarist Joshua Lloyd-Watson turned the mic to the crowd who sang out the lyrics of “Casio”.

Jungle at Scotiabank area in Toronto September 12 2026 photo by Lia Pulumbarit

Just as the crowd was coming down from their sing-along moment, Jungle instantly drew everyone back in as the first notes of their hit song “Back on 74” filled the arena. The song, whose music video went viral for its Fosse style choreography, was an instant favourite among the crowd. Although there were no designated dancers on stage, Kitto and her backup vocalists struck poses and hit sharp isolations with curved shoulders and expressive hand movements that did justice to the iconic dance style.

There was never a moment where the crowd wasn’t on their feet. As the band came to their last few songs of the set, giant inflatable bubbles were thrown into the pit and were bounced back and forth between the audience and the stage. As the band members caught the flying orbs, they sent them straight back to the crowd using soccer (or should I say football as it is a British band) style drop kicks and chest bumps.

Their final set song “GOOD TIMES” included brief band introductions, panning the camera across each member who smiled and waved to the audience. As they stepped off the stage, the crowd shouted “one more song!”, a request that was not only accepted but exceeded by a second encore song. Their final two songs “Keep Moving” and “Busy Earnin’” kept the crowd grooving, ending the night with cheers and whistles as the lights came up and the arena revealed that we were in fact, still in 2026.

Jungle at Scotiabank area in Toronto September 12 2026 photo by Lia Pulumbarit

Order tickets for Jungle HERE