for King & Country rocks Liberty’s Convocation stage
October 14, 2026 : By Office of Communications & Public Engagement
The Australian-born Christian pop duo for KING & COUNTRY performed in Liberty University’s Vines Center for Wednesday morning’s Convocation. The lead singers, brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, brought tremendous energy to the stage while engaging with a spirit-filled student body on hand for the final Convocation before Fall Break.
“I love for KING & COUNTRY,” senior history student Cohen Kern said. “They’re an amazing Australian band. I love the way that they dress; their (outfits) are awesome. They’re amazing artists, an amazing team. It was really cool to see them live. They really look like they’re having a good time together on the stage.”
It was the band’s fifth Convocation appearance. Wednesday’s visit came a few weeks before the duo’s Nov. 6 theatrical release of “Drummer Boy,” an Angel Studios project focused on faith, family, freedom, and forgiveness. During Convocation, students viewed the official trailer and an unreleased clip. Produced by older brother Ben Smallbone in honor of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, the epic musical follows two brothers, including Joel Smallbone as the drummer boy, on opposite sides of the Revolutionary War. The historical fiction film blends the band’s Christmas-themed “Little Drummer Boy” storyline with a tale of redemption through the colonies’ fight for independence from English rule. The band performed “Heart of a Lion” from the upcoming movie.
“Luke and I … are immigrants to this great country,” Joel Smallbone said. “We are United States citizens. We have been sworn in. We are here to stay. We love this great land, and we made this film as a love story to freedom, as a love story to forgiveness, as a love story to the reality that this year celebrates the 250-year anniversary of the United States of America. This is the way we see it, family. Between you watching online and everyone in this room, we represent this great country. You are from every corner, every nationality, every culture, every race of this country. You represent America. To me, you are our for King & Country ‘Drummer Boy’ army. We need you to show up.”
The band performed “World on Fire” and “Alle,” songs from their fifth studio album, “The Most Beautiful Colors,” released on Sept. 18, and interacted with students while walking through the crowd for familiar anthems like “Burn the Ships.” They also played the hit songs “Fix My Eyes,” “Fight On, Fighter,” “God Only Knows,” and “Joy,” before capping the mini concert with a performance of “Little Drummer Boy,” with Luke Smallbone playing the snare drum and Joel Smallbone banging a bass drum with unbridled enthusiasm.
“I’ve been waiting for this Convo all year and that was a 10 out of 10,” said Lailah Lineberry, a junior studying in the School of Education. “I’m super hyped for the movie.”
“It was so fun, one of my favorite parts was when they showed us the movie,” added Maggie Pfeister, who is studying interior design. “I’m going to go see it.”
