Photos by: Hunter Levy

Louis Tomlinson brought his latest headlining tour, “How Did We Get Here,” to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on June 22, with openers The Aces and The Royston Club. Walking up to the venue, many fans were wearing previous tour shirts, One Direction merch, and even yellow outfits. You could feel the excitement radiating off the fans, many of whom had been waiting years for this moment.

Starting off the night was The Royston Club, a Welsh indie band that formed in 2019. Blending a sound reminiscent of The Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes, they played songs like “Cariad” and “Shivers.” They were followed by Utah-based alt-rock band The Aces, who brought strong chemistry to the stage. Sporting leather jackets, the childhood friends kicked off their performance with “Twin Flame.” During “The Magic,” the drummer, Alisa Ramirez, put on glasses as the crowd participated in the chorus chant. The band also played “Jealous,” noting its feature in the show “Off Campus,” which instantly boosted the room’s energy before they closed with “Stuck” to get the audience jumping ahead of the headliner.

When the lights went out, laser question marks ran across the stage and screen. Louis Tomlinson came out playing “Lemonade” as cool, yellow graphics filled the screen. Confetti fell while fans screamed at the top of their lungs. The production featured strobe lights and a moving light block that lowered and rotated to match the mood of each song. For “Bigger Than Me,” Tomlinson walked to the end of the catwalk as fans lit up the room with phone lights, prompting him to express gratitude for the massive turnout. The setlist included a prominent guitar solo during “Saturdays” and a stripped-back performance of “Defenceless” featuring only Tomlinson and his guitarist. The emotional moment of the show came during a cover of One Direction’s “Night Changes,” which brought many in the crowd to tears. Tomlinson brought the evening to an end by playing “Palaces” as his final song.

If you’d like to catch Louis Tomlinson on his 2026 tour, “How Did We Get Here,” visit https://louis-tomlinson.com for more information.