UK Gospel Meets Sydney Fire: CalledOut Music Lights Up Leichhardt

This event was hands down one of the most unforgettable nights in Sydney’s gospel music scene.

Elevate Sound Global brought the vision, and Sydney showed up. Seven artists. 400+ people. One massive venue buzzing with praise. The historic Albert Palais—home to Glorious Gospel Church (GGC Life)—was transformed into something extraordinary. Worship, movement, unity, and joy filled every corner, turning a familiar house of worship into a citywide celebration of sound, Spirit, and praise unlike anything we’ve seen before.

The night launched with a killer lineup of local talent: ninan, Praise Gimba, Samuel Yakopo, CHĀNJE, Steady Okurame, and Harold Chaala. Every act had its own flavour, but the way they flowed into each other? Seamless. Like the perfect worship mixtape, each set took us higher.

ninan brought raw energy and genre-defying alt/hip hop that transformed the room into a full-blown praise party.

Praise Gimba followed with a Spirit-filled set that shifted the atmosphere. Deep praise. No holding back.

Samuel Yakopo—and his DJ rocking a backpack (iconic)—delivered smooth R&B/afrobeat flips of gospel classics. Unorthodox, refreshing, and deeply worshipful. A standout for sure.

CHĀNJE stormed the stage with a rock/hip hop hybrid that shook the room—literally. His crowd knew every lyric. He also brought up Baby Yahweh who demanded the entire room's attention! The vibes? Explosive.

Steady Okurame came through with that soul-stirring, hand-clapping, gospel choir sound. Vocals? Flawless. Anointing? Heavy. At one point, it felt like he preached a whole sermon between verses.

Harold Chaala, founder of Elevate Sound Global, closed the pre-headliner set with a nostalgic yet fresh blend of gospel, R&B, and soul/roots. A perfect bridge into the night’s main act.

Holding it all together was the ever-charismatic Emcee Leo from Leekay Events, who had everyone—teens, parents, even babies—locked in.

The VIP section down the front? Yeah, they knew every word. You could feel how much CalledOut Music meant to them. Phones up, hands raised, lyrics screamed with conviction—it was the kind of crowd artists dream of performing to. They also were lucky enough to get to meet CalledOut after the night came to an end!

When CalledOut finally hit the stage, it was like someone flipped a switch. Every single person in that room was locked in. From the vocals to the message, CalledOut Music delivered a set that felt like anthems for our generation. Songs that reminded us who we are, whose we are, and how good our God really is. From hyping the room with his own tracks to then sitting down at the piano to lead us in worship anthems like Ancient of Days, Open the Eyes of My Heart, Goodness of God, and Alpha and Omega, CalledOut didn’t just perform. He ministered.

Compassion Australia was also in the house, reminding us of the bigger picture—using our own resources to make real-world impact and bring hope to children across the globe. If you don’t know about the incredible work they do, you can read all about it here.

Oh, and just when we thought the night couldn’t get any better, Elevate Sound Global casually dropped the bomb: Travis Greene is coming to Sydney (!!!)

No big deal, right? Keep your eyes on their socials for all the deets—trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

Also—major props to the team at Albert Palais, who kept us fuelled with food and drinks all night. Absolute legends. 

So… The Verdict?

If you’re wondering what’s happening in Australia’s gospel music scene—this is it.

It’s community. It’s collaboration. It’s worship that shakes rooms and hearts.

It’s genre-bending. It’s unapologetically Jesus. It’s family.

CalledOut Music + Elevate Sound Global = an event that genuinely lived up to the name: The Best Day of Our Lives.

Photo credit: Katie Brown (@gigs.with.katie)