Sam Fender - Live Review
London Stadium
Sam Fender: A Triumphant Night of Unity at London Stadium
Sam Fender transformed the vast London Stadium into an intimate, roaring celebration of community. For the North Shields native, this inaugural night of his ‘People Watching’ stadium tour felt less like a concert and more like a momentous arrival. The journey to Stratford, past the O2 Arena he conquered back in December, felt symbolic of a career trajectory that has become nothing short of meteoric. The sea of fans in Newcastle shirts flooding the area made it clear: this was a pilgrimage, and Fender was their hero.
The evening began with two perfectly curated opening acts. Ireland’s CMAT kicked things off with her infectious country-pop charm, getting the early arrivals dancing with tracks. She was followed by the sublime Olivia Dean, whose elegant neo-soul and flawless vocals on songs brought a layer of smooth sophistication to the proceedings, beautifully warming up the now-swelling stadium.
Just before 9 pm, as the iconic melody of Going Home faded, Fender and his band erupted onto the stage. They launched immediately into Getting Started, igniting the strong crowd as a spectacular volley of fireworks shot up from the stadium roof. It was a bold, explosive opening. There was no easing in; Fender immediately established the scale of the night, tearing through fan-favourites Will We Talk? and The Borders with relentless energy. The latter saw one of the evening’s most genuine moments, as he invited a 16-year-old fan named Charlie onstage to play acoustic guitar - a gesture of pure connection that earned the young guitarist a massive ovation.
The setlist was a dynamic journey through Fender’s catalogue. The raw, punk-fuelled chaos of Howdon Aldi Death Queue was amplified by towering columns of pyro, while the brooding intensity of Crumbling Empire and Tyrants pulsed with heat and power. In a moment of stunning collaboration, Olivia Dean returned for the live debut of Rein Me In. Her voice blended exquisitely with Fender’s, creating a magical, soulful duet that had the entire stadium captivated.
The show felt immense. The power came from the songs and the communal spirit. The title track, People Watching, has clearly already cemented its place as a modern classic, with the crowd’s unified roar of its chorus nearly overpowering the man on stage. Johnny ‘Blue Hat’ Davis’s saxophone solos on Get You Down were, as ever, a joyous highlight, before the mood shifted for Spit of You. In that moment, thousands of phone torches illuminated the darkness, shrinking the colossal venue into a space of shared, quiet intimacy.
The main set concluded with the anthemic Seventeen Going Under, its iconic refrain chanted with euphoric abandon by the entire stadium long after the band had departed. The encore that followed was simply breathtaking. Joined by the Easington Colliery Brass Band, Fender gave a tour debut to the deeply personal Remember My Name. The arena fell into a profound silence, the weight of every lyric felt by all. This flowed into the hopeful, building crescendo of The Dying Light, as a shower of confetti fell over the emotional crowd.
He then closed the night with the explosive Hypersonic Missiles. It was a final, jubilant release of energy, complete with more confetti and a magnificent firework display that encircled the stadium. This wasn't just a gig; it was a powerful statement from an artist at the peak of his powers, a man who can fill the biggest stages but still make every single person feel like they’re part of the story.
