I’m not exaggerating when I say this was the sweatiest gig I’ve ever attended in my life. I’ve never felt the urge to take my t-shirt off at a concert before, but the heat and humidity were so intense that I had to do it just to try and cool down — and most of the crowd did the same. When I arrived at 07:45 (doors opened at 07:00), the queue was still snaking up the hill and around the corner outside Birmingham’s O2 Academy. This was the final UK date of Lil Tecca’s Dopamine Experience, and fans absolutely embraced every moment of his performance.

Sunday was a perfectly warm July evening as The Teskey Brothers delivered a performance at Halifax’s historic Piece Hall that was equal parts raw soul, musical precision, and heartfelt connection. With the 18th-century courtyard bathed in golden hour light and a crowd ready to feel the love, the Australian band proved once again why they’re one of the most compelling live acts in modern soul and blues.

The opening event of the newly formed Blackweir Live was nothing short of spectacular, with none other than folk-pop singer-songwriter Noah Kahan’s voice echoing through the streets of Cardiff.

Thankfully, the weather held out and remained dry until later that night, after the show had ended. The turnout was a success, with up to 35,000 people attending the mini-festival in Blackweir Fields. Before Noah took the stage, attendees were treated to performances by two other artists: DJO (Joe Keery of Stranger Things) and Sebastian Schub.

Following on from playing sold-out shows at the likes of The Refectory at The University of Leeds, Father John Misty returned to the city on Sunday backed by his incredible 7-piece band.

The back of the academy stage, draped in Mr Tillman’s signature red curtain and host to 6 old Hollywood spotlights, created the perfect intimate atmosphere for his not-so-low-key set.

Chase & Status returned to London in seismic style, selling out the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena and delivering a show that felt as much like a celebration as it did a concert. The duo, Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status), have long been known for blurring the lines between genres and generations, but this show felt particularly triumphant. Following their 2024 Brit Award win for "Producer of the Year" and a historic chart run with four singles in the UK Top 40, their performance confirmed their place at the top of the UK’s electronic scene.

On 06th May, multi genre-bending duo Twenty One Pilots brought their ‘The Clancy World Tour’ to the newly re-named venue BP Pulse Live in Birmingham (formally known as Resorts World Arena). 

Dedicated fans had arrived on site and started queuing around midnight on the day of the show, eighteen hours or more before the doors to the venue actually opened. This was the first tour they had performed in England in around six years and I hadn’t seen an arena show in Birmingham as full to the brim as I did in Brum that night, ever. Barely any seats or standing arena remained visually empty. They also performed one of the longest sets I’d been present at, with a 2 hour and 15 minute performance. 

On April 18th 2025, UK drill/rap artist Central Cee played the first show in the UK on his ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ world tour at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena. 

Taking to the stage earlier than most artists, Central Cee began his set around 8:30 p.m., performing a setlist of roughly 30 songs over the course of about an hour and a half. In the past, I’ve often been let down by rappers’ live energy—but this was far from the case with Central Cee. He sounded just like he does on record, frequently engaged with the crowd, and delivered a high-energy, well-rounded performance that kept fans excited from start to finish.

It may have been a Thursday night but Bilmuri’s Birmingham show quickly proved to this brummy bunch why this whole tour was filled with sold out shows. South Arcade primed the nearly 3,000 strong audience, getting everyone in the room ready for the main event.

Compton-born rapper The Game brought his 20th Anniversary tour celebrating the music on his debut album The Documentary to Birmingham’s O2 Academy on 17th March.