Two years ago I sat in the Sydney Opera House witnessing Delta Goodrem celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the record-breaking album “Innocent Eyes”. An album that has defined a whole generation in Australia, and has stood the test of time with its unforgettable hits. Fast forward to 2025 and we are back in the iconic venue to celebrate another milestone for the 9x ARIA Award winning artist, with the twentieth anniversary of her sophomore record, “Mistaken Identity”.

This is an album that was very important in Delta’s story as it detailed her journey of being diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma cancer, her chemotherapy and her recovery. It’s a triumphant pop record that went number one on the ARIA charts, and produced two more number singles, as well as two other top twenty hits for her. It was also the record that brought her out on the road for the first time for the Visualise Tour in 2005 where she celebrated the two records. But in 2025 she hit the stage to perform the entirety of “Mistaken Identity” from start to finish for the first ever time, as well as some songs getting their overdue live debut. 

With the sold out crowd making their way into the Concert Hall at Sydney Opera House, the foyer had classic Delta Goodrem memorabilia, costumes, and original songwriting notes on display which felt like you were right in the middle of her archive. The tiered stage structure was draped with a white curtained backdrop and beautiful lighting, and genuinely it was the most visually stunning production she’s had yet. With C02 smoke and a stunning lighting rig, they were able to create some really visually striking moments, like “Electric Storm” which felt like a standout in the set and received one of the loudest applauses. 

Playing the album from front-to-back, Delta opened with the number one single “Out Of The Blue” and went straight into fan favourite “The Analyst” and title track “Mistaken Identity”. Because this show was a celebration of the record, she took the time in-between songs to tell the stories behind them, and give an insight into that really trialling time for her. “I want this show to be a celebration of the last twenty years, and not just the music, but also your personal resilience and whatever has brought you to this record” she explained. “Extraordinary Day” was one of those raw stories and standout moments, as it was about the day she was diagnosed with cancer (8 July 2003). While “Be Strong” was dedicated to the letters she received during that time, and the actual words “be strong” were written by a fan and it stuck with her.

For her other number one hit from the album, “Almost Here”, she brought out Cody Simpson to sing Brian McFadden’s parts, and left the audience in absolute awe of the stellar duet. With playing an album in its entirety, you have to revisit songs that you may not be as proud of, and for Delta “Miscommunicate” was her skip. But a song that had the audience feeling all emotional was bonus track “You Are My Rock”, which saw butterfly confetti falling from the ceiling towards the end. It was really interesting hearing this album performed in its entirety after so many years because the vocal growth she’s had brought a whole new perspective and power to the songs. Also for her to be singing these songs of resilience after twenty one years of being cancer free was so empowering and emotional within itself. 

With the album now complete, Delta left the stage and returned after a quick costume change for an encore of some of her biggest hits. Compiling a megamix of “The Power”, “Hearts On The Run”, “Wings”, “Lost Without You”, “In This Life”, Back To Your Heart”, “Born To Try”, “Believe Again” and “Sitting On Top Of The World”, she had the entire audience up on their feet singing along to every word in the most joyous celebration of music. Leaving the stage proclaiming “see you at the next one”, it made me really excited at the prospect of a 2027 “Delta” anniversary show. The concept of seeing “Believe Again”, “In This Life”, “Possessionless”, “You Will Only Break My Heart”, “Brave Face” and “I Can’t Break It To My Heart” live in one night… yes please.