This time last year, the thought of seeing Lily Allen back on tour seemed like wishful thinking. After all, it’d been nearly a decade since she released an album, and the popstar found herself busy with a long list of other accomplishments under her belt, including theatre roles and the hit Miss Me? podcast. Enter ‘West End Girl’, the powerful concept album released in October 2025 that documents her painful separation from Stranger Things star David Harbour, and her determination to reclaim independence.
It’s unfortunate, then, that the sold-out night at the London Palladium gets off to a somewhat wobbly start. The decision to kick off the show with a 40-minute karaoke-style singalong to her biggest hits – with the singer not onstage – is questionable. While the energy is palpable with opening tracks ‘The Fear’, ‘LDN’ and ‘Not Fair’, as it progresses past the 10-minute mark, interest rapidly wanes, and it sinks in that those looking forward to hearing Allen perform her biggest hits will have to wait a little longer.
Then, with just an hour left until the night comes to an end, Allen finally takes to the stage, cheekily smiling as she pops out from behind a green curtain, and kicks off what is closer to a one-woman theatre performance than a gig. Noticeably devoid of a live band (with Allen singing to a backing track for the entire show), backing dancers or any interaction with the crowd, this feels like a chance to better understand ‘West End Girl’ than a night out.
For the majority of the show, the audience remains seated, watching intently as Allen pulls out gargantuan receipts of gifts her partner bought for other women, “discovers” his sex toys under a Tracey Emin-style bed, and occasionally pops over to the fridge at the corner of the stage for a quick vape break. As she progresses through the album’s tracklist, it quickly becomes clear that ‘West End Girl’ is more than an album to many – fans don ‘Who’s Madeline?’ hats, while heckles of ‘yeah, fuck him!’ can be heard throughout the night.
It’s a full-on battle cry for those feeling betrayed, and an opportunity to prove that heartbreak can make for the most powerful art. Stripped-back renditions of the melancholic ‘Sleepwalking’ feel more heartbreaking than ever, while the back-to-back performances of ‘Pussy Palace’, ‘4chan Stan’ and ‘Nonmonogamummy’ are heightened by the theatrical design of the show – visibly showing the singer turning her devastation into determination as she courageously interacts with the props around her.
When the ‘West End Girl’ show kicks into gear, it’s a powerful, unconventional way of approaching live music – one that not only generates a better understanding of the album, but also a stronger appreciation for Allen herself. At points, it is clear that these are her first shows back after seven years, and there are still some kinks to be ironed out. That said, there is no mistaking that this is an artist who has transformed one of her darkest chapters into her biggest accomplishments, and based on the immense response for those in the room as she takes her final bow, we hope she has no intention of hitting the brakes any time soon.
Lily Allen played:
Act 1: Dallas Minor Trio
‘The Fear’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
‘LDN’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
‘Come On Then’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
‘Not Fair’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
’22’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
‘Alfie’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
‘Who’d Have Known’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
‘Hard Out Here’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
‘Smile’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
‘Fuck You’ (Instrumental performed by Dallas Minor Trio)
Act 2: West End Girl
‘West End Girl’
‘Ruminating’
‘Sleepwalking’
‘Tennis’
‘Madeline’
‘Relapse’
‘Pussy Palace’
‘4chan Stan’
‘Nonmonogamummy’
‘Just Enough’
‘Dallas Major’
‘Beg For Me’
‘Let You W/In’
‘Fruityloop’