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The biggest stars in the universe have looked down on us very kindly in recent years. We’ve basked in the warm glow of colossal albums from the likes of Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and Beyoncé (and many more). Now, these aforementioned legends are taking their sensational records on tour and a certain rap and R&B duo are also set to continue their quest for world domination. Let’s have a look at some of the biggest must-see blockbuster shows this summer, shall we?
Beyoncé
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
5–16 June
It’s been a couple of years since Bey last touched down in London town. That might not sound like a long time, but a lot has happened in Beyoncé’s world. When NME last caught her in the capital, she was touring ‘Renaissance’, the banging dance album that celebrated the Black and queer pioneers who lit up dancefloors throughout history. Now Bee’s back with ‘Cowboy Carter’, the country-inspired knees-up that had us all trying (and failing) to perfect our “yeehaw!” last year. Buyers from 88 countries across the world have bought tickets to see Beyonce in the UK, according to data provided by viagogo, and nearly half of those (44 per cent) have been snapped up in the final month leading up to the shows.
For her Cowboy Carter show in the US, Bey’s been dividing three-plus hour shows into seven (yes: seven) explosive sections, with hit-packed bonanzas jammed in the middle of the setlists. Expect: sensational routines, an army of perfectly poised backing dancers and several thousand glittery pink cowboy hats. The whole of Tottenham – just about – became a sea of ‘em for her 2022 gigs, and she wasn’t even touring a country album!
Billie Eilish
The O2 Arena, London
July 10–17
Finally. It feels as though Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft tour has snaked its way around the entire planet before making it to UK shores. Well, like a university student returning home for the holidays, she’s had a lot of people to visit – such is the nature of being one of the biggest artists in the world. It’s not even a full decade since Billie released ‘Fingers Crossed’, the first track she uploaded to SoundCloud (inspired by The Walking Dead, pop fact fans), and here she is with a week-long residency at London’s The O2.
Here fans see her as a friend and you might expect some of this closeness to naturally dissipate in an arena – but you’d be wrong. For all the pyro (just wait for the fireballs during ‘Therefore I Am’), her genius is to create a real sense of intimacy in even the most enormous rooms.
Kendrick & SZA
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
July 22–23
When it comes to jumbo-sized gigs, Kendrick and SZA have pretty enviable CVs. Both have smashed Glastonbury headline slots and both sent the internet into meltdown when the latter popped up for a couple of tunes at the former’s Super Bowl halftime show back in February. So you’d better believe they’ll blow the roof off the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (and it doesn’t even have one!)
On paper, this might seem like an odd dual headline booking, given that his delivery is so furiously rapid-fire and hers so silky smooth. Yet the setlist is perfectly calibrated, with the pair taking it in turns to perform a smattering of tracks from their bulging back catalogues, bringing the energy up and down like the absolute pros they are. Apparently Kendrick has a song about Drake that he wheels out from time to time, too?
Lady Gaga
The O2 Arena, London
September 29– October 4
What to expect from Gaga’s epic return to UK arenas? Two words: goth disco. Seventh album ‘Mayhem’ was a mammoth return to form, as Gaga revelled in the squelchy mutant-funk that made us love her in the first place. The Mayhem Ball tour is sure to be packed with Little Monsters letting their freak flags fly.
She preceded this travelling circus with The Art Of Personal Chaos, a short tour that kicked off at Coachella earlier this year. Here she majestically wove together explosive ‘Mayhem’ bangers such as ‘Abracadabra’ with classic oddball anthems including ‘Poker Face’ and ‘Born This Way’.
As with the album, a key theme of these shows was Gaga battling her former self – at one point she vigorously danced off against a younger lookalike – which became a cathartic celebration of the off-kilter world she’s cultivated across almost two decades. Bring eyeliner.