Alice Phoebe Lou Casts a Spell Over Ohana Festival's Tiki Stage

Some artists are built for stadiums, and some are built for a golden-hour set on a beach stage with the ocean right behind them. Alice Phoebe Lou is unmistakably the latter, and her Ohana Festival set at the Tiki Stage proved it from the very first note, turning a packed afternoon crowd into a room full of quietly captivated listeners.

Opening with "Touch," Lou immediately set the tone for an intimate, deeply felt performance, her voice carrying that same raw, unguarded quality that's made her music so beloved without ever losing its power in a festival setting. "Angel" and "Dusk" followed, each one showcasing the hushed, folk-leaning side of her catalog, while "Shelter" and "Glow" brought a warmer, more full-bodied energy that let her backing band stretch out a little. Pulling material from across her discography, including standout cuts "Silly" and "Open My Door," the set balanced tenderness with real momentum, never letting the afternoon sun-soaked mood tip into sleepiness.

What makes Lou's live show so compelling is how unforced it all feels. "Dirty Mouth" and "I Can Go With You" landed with an easy, lived-in confidence, her phrasing loose and conversational even as the songwriting underneath stayed sharp and precise. She closed the set with "Witches," sending the crowd off with one of her most atmospheric, enveloping songs, the kind that lingers in the air long after the final note fades. Throughout the set, her band gave every song room to breathe, letting dynamics swell and recede naturally rather than forcing festival-sized bombast onto material that doesn't need it.

That restraint is exactly what made the set stand out on a bill full of louder, more straightforward rock bands. Alice Phoebe Lou doesn't need pyrotechnics or crowd-work gimmicks to hold an audience, she simply needs good songs and the space to let them land, and Doheny State Beach gave her both in spades. Fans who came specifically for her set got exactly what they hoped for, while plenty of festivalgoers wandering between stages found themselves stopping in their tracks, pulled in by a voice that's impossible to ignore.

With a performance this assured, it's clear Alice Phoebe Lou's star keeps rising for good reason. If she's playing anywhere near you, make the time, this is an artist whose live show more than lives up to the songs that got you hooked in the first place.

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Photos by: Jenna Houchin