Music review: Hans Zimmer brings hit movie scores to life in Perth

Concert
Hans Zimmer Live: The Next Level
RAC Arena Perth, October 12, 2026
★★★★½

What is a movie without music?

A good soundtrack can make or break a film and Hans Zimmer has written the best of the best of them.

The german composer is responsible for the music behind movies like Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Dark Knight and on Monday night he showed Perth fans just how powerful a good score can be.

“Good evening Australia, God we love it here, we really do. I’ve missed you guys,” Zimmer said to an almost full RAC Arena crowd.

“I spend all my time in a dark room, writing movies scores and this is just a big room without windows. But I don’t really know how to do this, so if you forgive me, let’s just treat this like a dinner party.

“We’re just going to have a chat. We’re just going to play some music, and we’re just going to have a bit of fun.”

Zimmer kicked off the show with his scores to The Dark Knight before moving onto Dune where the voice of the movie herself Loire Cotler performed the haunting vocals to the main track.

But seconds into the song and less than 10 minutes into the show, what appeared to be a blown fuse threatened to derail the performance as all the microphones cut out as Cotler was singing.

A few minutes later and following plenty of crowd support, the microphones were back in action and the show continued as planned with Zimmer jokingly telling the audience “this is all your fault … let’s try that again without blowing a fuse shall we?”

Zimmer performed hit after hit from movies like Sherlock Holmes, F1, Inception and Pearl Harbour, but it was an act during his Interstellar suite that had audience members on the edge of their seats.

A trapeze artist covered head to toe in what appeared to be mirrors was lifted high into the air above the crowd, twirling and dancing as lights from the stage beamed off her like a human disco ball.

As the show continued, one thing that was strikingly evident was Zimmer’s ability to show appreciation and admiration for his band members.

A powerhouse 19-piece band accompanied Zimmer on the stage and featured the esteemed vocals of Australian singer Lisa Gerrard – the voice behind the original Gladiator soundtrack – amongst other musicians like Guthrie Govan and Mariko Muranaka.

Govan performed a string of solos throughout the evening to which Zimmer described him as one of the best guitar players on earth – one of many compliments handed out by the man himself to his band throughout the night.

“I really don’t think, in this world, there’s a better player at the moment. I certainly don’t think there’s anybody with more imagination,” Zimmer said.

The Hans Zimmer Live - The Next Level tour kicked off its Australian leg in Perth and will make its way to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney later this month.