March 16, 2024
Wembley Arena, London
In the 12 years since he won ‘The X Factor UK’ back in 2012, James Arthur has been through his share of highs and lows, but emerging on stage at Wembley Arena to a rapturous reaction from the packed-out crowd, he was riding high.
Launching into the 20-song set with the tour’s namesake song, the Middlesbrough-born star rose from beneath the stage, sporting a pink sparkly suit, as confetti shot into the air above the crowd and fireworks lit up the arena, catapulting the energy in the venue to the max.
Recent single Blindside led into one of the loudest reactions of the night, to his 2018 single Empty Space, with the crowd singing along to every word – a reaction notable throughout the entire show, with fans clearly familiar with his impressive repertoire.
The anthemic Comeback Kid and gospel-like Sermon all proved popular, as did a cover of Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years, which gave one of several lights in the air moments. During Rewrite The Stars from the reimagined ‘Greatest Showman’ soundtrack, he invited opening act Neve on stage for Anne-Marie’s part, while Dean Lewis joined Arthur to perform Falling Like The Stars from the end of the runway.
At various points throughout the evening, the hitmaker engaged with the crowd, at one point taking a BeReal on his own phone and on a fan’s too, capturing the moment in real-time, and later inviting a couple up on stage for a proposal that had the entire arena screaming their support.
He also got candid during Trainwreck, speaking openly about his mental health struggles and not shying away from the emotional overload of the track.
Closing out the main set, Arthur revisited his ‘X Factor’ audition and recreated his acoustic rendition of Tulisa’s Young, before segueing into his powerhouse winning song, a cover of Shontelle’s Impossible, with 12,500 fans doubling as a gospel choir throughout.
Of course, there was more to come, with the performer returning to the stage for a three-song encore, rattling through recent cuts New Generation and Lasting Lover before clocking out the show with his massive, chart-topping anthem, Say You Won’t Let Go.
It was a moment of triumph for the star who was clearly overcome by the feat, at the tail end of the biggest tour of his career to date, with legions of fans hanging on his every word.
Setlist: James Arthur, Wembley Arena, London
1. Bitter Sweet Love
2. Blindside
3. Empty Space
4. Can I Be Him
5. Comeback Kid
6. Sermon / Ready Or Not
7. Rewrite the Stars (with Neve)
8. A Year Ago
9. Naked
10. Certain Things / Safe Inside / Quite Miss Home / Emily
11. From The Jump
12. Train Wreck
13. A Thousand Years (Christina Perri cover)
14. Falling Like The Stars (with Dean Lewis)
15. Car’s Outside
16. Young (Tulisa cover)
17. Impossible
Encore
18. New Generation
19. Lasting Lover
20. Say You Won’t Let Go
