After the release of the commercially successful 2024 album, “BRAT,” Charli xcx was ready to move on from the 2000s-coded party girl era. At the end of her 2025 Coachella performance, the artist played a message over the screens, shouting out other artists and filmmakers, signaling the end of her party-girl era.
On Oct. 14, Charli xcx returned to Viejas Arena after approximately two years; she was last at Viejas Arena on Oct. 18, 2024 for the “SWEAT” tour, co-headlined by Troye Sivan.
The ending of the “BRAT” era was ultimately a way of her promoting her 2026 mockumentary, “The Moment,” a documentation of the stardom aftermath.
With the release of the single “Rock Music” on May 8 from her new alternative pop album “Music, Fashion, Film,” fans heard a sound that differed from“BRAT.” Instead of continuing her electronic pop sound, Charli xcx experiments with a rock sound reminiscent of Fiona Apple and PJ Harvey.
While some fans met the song with support, the single was also met with its fair share of criticism. However, Charli xcx seemed unfazed. In a 2025 interview with Billboard – before the release of her recent album – she said she doesn’t feel any pressure to follow the sound or success of “BRAT.”
Charli xcx also received a fair share of criticism after her tour announcement.
“[I] know there’s a lot of frustration in the comments about the fact that [I] am not doing lots of dates,” she wrote in the comments of an Instagram post. “[I] am really sorry if you feel disappointed but [I] have to honor my truth as an artist: touring is really emotionally and physically hard for me.”
Electronic pop artist underscores, the supporting act for this year’s tour, commenced her set at 7:50 p.m. with “Unlimited Love.” The arena went dark and the screens displayed “underscores” before transitioning to a camera point-of-view of her from backstage walking to the main stage.
For years, Charli xcx has been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, most notably working with transgender hyperpop pioneer SOPHIE, and said she owes her success to the community.
The set design, consisting of flashy pixelated heart designs and soundwaves, backed underscores as she performed. The performance resembled the upbeat “Just Dance” game, where players can earn points without following along to the choreography.
Underscores continued her set with songs like “Hollywood Forever,” “Innuendo (I Get U),” a solo performance of “Do It” before ending with “Music.”
After underscores’ set ended at 8:30 p.m., there was a 30-minute intermission before the lights went off again for Charli xcx. For almost an entire minute, it was silent – before drums played and transitioned into the intro of “Rock Music.”
“Oblivion is freedom,” a phrase from her song, “No One Lasts Forever featuring David Cronenberg,” repeated multiple times before Charli xcx came out headbanging onstage. Flames went up in the air, stage lights came on and the show had officially started.
When “Rock Music” was released, the lyric “I think the dance floor is dead,” was met with initial backlash. Artists and fans took offense to the line, thinking that Charli xcx was dismissing the work of her peers. However, the artist clarified in an interview with Rolling Stone that she wasn’t referring to other artists – she was referring to the end of her “BRAT” era.
Wearing a black lace mini dress and pumps, she powered through her set. Before throwing it back to “BRAT,” she sang “Yeah” from her new album. For fans who couldn’t attend during the “SWEAT” tour, Charli xcx sang “Apple” next.
She continued her performance with songs from her new album and “BRAT,” making her setlist around an hour and a half, including songs from “Dying for You” and “House featuring John Cale,” from the 2026 “Wuthering Heights” soundtrack.
Long-time fans were met with throwback performances of songs such as “Track 10,” “Vroom Vroom” and “party 4 u.” Unlike last tour, Charli xcx had a surprise song for each stop.
“I read online people were saying they heard me soundcheck ‘Boom Clap,’” she said shortly before singing the actual surprise song “Silver Cross.”
Charli xcx’s set went swiftly; she did not acknowledge the crowd once. Two years ago, Charli xcx and Troye Sivan kept pausing throughout the night to hype up the crowd.
Shreena Dayal, a University of California San Diego student, said she enjoyed the night.
“I like that it was an arena tour and not a stadium tour, because it feels like you can get close to the actual performance,” Dayal said. “I think she really brought good energy and I loved seeing everybody dancing.”
Still, Charli xcx appeared to show more appreciation for her fans during the “SWEAT” tour compared to now.
Hannah Potts, a San Diego local, attended both shows.
“The ‘BRAT’ tour was my first time seeing Charli live,” Potts said. “I really liked this album, it was awesome.”