Melanie C, globally recognized as Sporty Spice from the iconic British pop group the Spice Girls, helped usher in 2026 in Australia with a memorable Spice Girls medley. Sydney, a city renowned for being one of the first to welcome the New Year, hosted a spectacular celebration featuring an all-star concert, a traditional countdown, and a stunning fireworks display. For this grand occasion, Melanie C delivered a solid performance at the ABC New Year’s Eve 2025 Concert held at the Sydney Opera House.

Expressing her sentiment to the enthusiastic crowd, Melanie C stated, “I thought it would be very rude of me to come all this way and not sing a Spice Girls song.” She certainly did not disappoint, delivering a nine-minute showcase of fan-favorite hits including “2 Become 1,” “You’ll Be There,” “Spice Up Your Life,” and “Who Do You Think You Are?” Her performance was backed by a full band, bringing the classic tracks to life for the Australian audience.

The Spice Girls, comprising Posh, Scary, Sporty, Baby, and Ginger, originally formed in 1994 and achieved global phenomenon status two years later with their debut single, 1996’s “Wannabe.” This catchy track enjoyed four weeks at the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1997 and stands as one of the group’s nine U.K. No. 1 singles. Their debut album, *Spice*, dominated the Billboard 200 for five weeks and the Official U.K. Albums Chart for 15 weeks. Their follow-up album, *Spiceworld*, also led the U.K. chart for three weeks in 1997.

The group embarked on a hiatus in 2000 but reunited for a global tour in 2007. They came together again in 2018-2019, though without Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) on that occasion. More recently, the fivesome briefly reunited in April 2024 at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party at the exclusive London private club, Oswald’s, where they spontaneously performed a mini-set featuring “Stop” and “Mama.” Prior to that intimate gathering, the last time all five members performed together was during the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

Melanie C has evidently found a comfortable life in Australia. She served as a coach on *The Voice Australia* in 2025 and is frequently seen with her boyfriend, Sydney model Chris Dingwall. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that more than 4.6 million Australians tuned into the New Year’s Eve special, which also featured performances by a diverse lineup of artists including Matt Corby, The Cat Empire, Peach PRC, Marcia Hines, Casey Donovan, Don West, Jem Cassar-Daley, and Ayesha Madon.