The Beaches came to Party: Queer Joy and Catharsis
On February 22, 2026, The Beaches took over Hamburg Docks. For two hours, the indie-rock band from Toronto transformed the venue into a sweaty, glittering, euphoric celebration of heartbreak, queer joy, and chaotic girlhood. From the very first note to the final encore , the energy never once dipped. If anything, it multiplied.
Starting (and Ending) with a Bang
The show opened exactly how it closed: with the pop-rock anthem Last Girls at the Party. An undeniable banger from their latest album. From the first chorus, the crowd was already shouting every word back at the stage. The Beaches have mastered the art of the high-energy opener, and this one immediately set the tone: no holding back tonight. Throughout the show, voicenotes were played as interludes to introduce different sections of the set.
Oversharing in the Best Way
What sets The Beaches apart is not just their punchy riffs or runforgettable hooks, it’s their unfiltered honesty. Between songs, they shared stories about love, about heartbreak, about messy situationships and emotional chaos. Instead of feeling rehearsed, it felt like a group chat come to life. They even invited a friend on stage who co-wrote Edge of the Earth, letting her share an anecdote from her life.
From Heartache to Flashlight Ballads
During Lesbian of the Year, the room transformed into a sea of swaying flashlights. The song felt like an ode to openly living your identity, a celebration of sapphic love in a world that often feels like it’s turning more conservative by the minute. Earlier, guitarist Leandra called out, “Where are my lesbians tonight?” The answer was immediate and loud. Fans gravitated toward her side of the stage, eager to be close and surrounded by community. Then came the collective scream therapy of Blame Brett, the breakout hit from their EP Blaming Your Ex that launched them onto the international stage. If there’s a healthier way to process an ex, I haven’t found it. The entire venue shouted the chorus like a collective release of emotions.
The Magic of Barricade and a Chaotic Ending
One of the coolest moments of the night came during Jocelyn. Lead singer Jordan Miller spent the entire song walking along the barricade, singing directly into fans’ faces, holding hands, locking eyes. No distance between artist and audience. By the end of the song, she crowned a young boy in the crowd as the “Jocelyn of the night,” giving him her sash and sharing the spotlight for the final lines. And just when it seemed like the night had wrapped up, the band returned with Last Girls at the Party again. This time for real. Friends and crew stormed the stage, everyone dancing like it was 2 a.m. in someone’s kitchen. It was messy, euphoric, and the perfect closing statement.
A Girls’ Night Out — Amplified
The Beaches are known for their sex-positive, queer-affirming lyrics. Throughout the night, they highlighted the support in the room, encouraged everyone to take up space, and made it clear: this is a safe place. The atmosphere felt like the best kind of girls’ night out: chaotic energy, oversharing, emotional honesty, maybe a slight hangover and a touch of morning-after anxiety. But in the most life-affirming way possible. Playing a blend of new material and older favorites, the Canadian four-piece kept the crowd moving for a full two hours. If this is what being one of the Last Girls at the Party feels like, we never want to leave.
Gallery
