Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor, the global pop sensation known as Lorde, delivered an unforgettable performance at Birmingham's Utilita Arena, transforming a personal Glastonbury regret into a night of spectacular musical redemption for one devoted fan.
From Festival Miss to Arena Bliss
The journey to this concert began months earlier at Glastonbury Festival, where a weary festival-goer buried in a swampy campsite missed Lorde's celebrated secret set—a decision that would become one of their few genuine festival regrets. That missed opportunity made the chance to witness the New Zealand star's Ultrasound World Tour in Birmingham an unmissable prospect, offering closure to that lingering disappointment.
Taking the stage with casual confidence in a simple pink top and jeans, Lorde opened her set with 'Hammer' from her 2025 album 'Virgin', immediately establishing an intimate connection with the thousands-strong audience despite the arena's vast scale.
A Visually Striking and Intimate Spectacle
The production design proved remarkably minimalist, relying on dramatic lighting, atmospheric smoke and sharp silhouettes to create depth and mood. This stripped-back approach placed the focus squarely on Lorde's commanding stage presence and the remarkable clarity of her voice, which cut through the electronic-heavy arrangements of her newer material with precision and power.
The evening's second song, the classic 'Royals', ignited the arena with explosive energy, enhanced by the bizarre, zombie-like movements of her two backing dancers. These performers became an unexpected source of fascination throughout the night—one casually eating an apple mid-performance while the other executed manic, backward-facing windmills that evoked memories of Nirvana's legendary 1992 Reading Festival.
One of the night's most memorable visual moments came during 'Supercut', when Lorde took over a treadmill from her dancer and began sprinting while singing—a feat of vocal control and physical endurance that drew gasps from the audience. Her boundless energy manifested throughout the performance, whether she was jumping across the stage, holding a camera to project her enlarged face onto screens, or dancing on her back against the floor.
Birmingham's Special Place in Lorde's Heart
Midway through the set, now changed into Calvin Klein shorts, Lorde paused to share a heartfelt revelation about her connection to the city. She declared Birmingham had hosted her "best show" during the 2022 Solar Power Tour—and that she still regularly tells people about it.
"It was the best show on the tour," she told the roaring crowd. "I tell everyone about it all the time. I hold it in my heart. I had no idea I had this little pocket of people with this much passion—you match my freak. It made me feel like we have something very special."
The concert built to an electrifying conclusion with a powerful trio of fan favourites: 'Green Light', the moody 'David', and finally 'Ribs', pushing crowd noise to its peak. Throughout the evening, Lorde masterfully balanced early-era classics with reinvented newer material, seamlessly transitioning between the different artistic phases that have defined her career.
While not the most technically flashy arena production Birmingham will witness this year, the performance stood out as one of the most emotionally resonant. Lorde demonstrated her ability to command 15,000 people through atmosphere alone, supported by her erratic, compelling movements and a voice that continues to deliver emotional impact.
Expressing genuine wonder at the turnout, she remarked, "I can't believe this many people in Birmingham would come out in the cold to sing these songs." Based on the passionate response and the special connection forged that night, there's little doubt they'll do exactly the same when she returns.
