LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: BASTILLE AT THE O2 ARENA, LONDON 18/11/25
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The GRAMMY-nominated and BRIT-award-winning band Bastille closed their FROM ALL SIDES tour at London’s O2 Arena, delivering a show that was both emotionally layered and introspective, and an anthemic, confetti-fueled party. As one of the UK's most successful modern bands, Bastille - frontman Dan Smith, keyboardist Kyle Simmons, bassist Will Farquarson, and drummer Chris "Woody" Wood - have perfected the art of "dance through the pain" music: crafting melancholic, deeply thoughtful lyrics wrapped in an upbeat, party-pop sound. This is a juxtaposition that Dan Smith has frequently described as a "happy-sad" paradox, noting in past interviews that their massive success "feels like a bit of a joke" and went "way beyond our expectations." Yet, as they took the stage for this anniversary celebration, the only joke was how effortlessly they commanded the 20,000-strong crowd.
The evening’s tone was set long before the lights went down. True to their reputation for social consciousness, the band displayed a curated selection of artwork by the Palestinian artist Malak Mattar on the arena screens. Bastille, who recently participated in the "Together for Palestine"concert, encouraged fans to engage with the art, reinforcing their history of standing up for what is right. This thread of inclusivity was woven into the stage gear itself, with a piano marked with a watermelon sticker to symbolise solidarity with Palestine and Woody’s drumkit proudly sporting the rainbow colours of the Pride flag, a silent but powerful statement of their support for the LGBTQ+ community, which has been present for many years.
The night began with Bradley Simpson, a man no stranger to the O2, having headlined it multiple times during his decade-long reign with The Vamps. Having previously headlined the O2 multiple times and performed at major UK festivals like the Isle of Wight and Capital FM Summertime Ball, this performance marked his solo shift, which came after The Vamps announced a hiatus, allowing members to explore more personal and reflective individual projects that were a reflection of their own influences. His debut album, THE PANIC YEARS, is the result, a move towards the grittier, indie-Americana sound that Rolling Stone UK has praised for its "honest vulnerability".
Trading polished pop for a grittier, indie-Americana sound, Simpson and his backing band were a ball of charismatic energy. His interaction with the crowd was immediate and focused on shared vocals; during his opening solo single ‘Daisies’, he encouraged the audience to sing back the core lyrics to him, a clear sign of his desire to make the massive venue feel personal. It was during this segment that he took time for band introductions, immediately establishing the unit's cohesion.
His stage banter was effortlessly charming; he interacted with the crowd the whole time and even polled the crowd on their age brackets, specifically asking those in their 20s how life was treating them. When the consensus was a resounding thumbs-down, he turned to the older section, asking about the 30s, and delivered the punchline with perfect, grim humour: "It gets worse? Okay! Gets even worse in your 30s! Great!”
The set progressed through tracks like ‘Picasso’ and the unreleased song titled ‘Susie’, a track that immediately signed radio potential with a chorus containing the instantly catchy line, "Susie wants a man, Oh man" - that gets stuck in your head, signalling a new single release may be around the corner.
One of the hilarious highlights of his set was the spontaneous running gag involving his crew member Scott, who assisted with guitar changes. The bit began when Bradley encouraged the crowd to greet him, but the audience hilariously countered the "Hi Scott" cheer with a unanimous "Bye Scott." This organic interaction immediately became a beloved feature of the night, escalating into a running gag where every subsequent appearance of the crew member was met with a chorus of greetings and farewells from the crowd.
Simpson also shared the touching personal news of becoming an uncle and recorded a heartfelt video with the entire crowd screaming, "Congratulations Nat" for his sister, Natalie.
The set continued with a fan-favourite cover of ABBA’s ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’, the euphoric ‘Always Like This’ and ‘Carpet Burn’, which saw the first shower of lights from the crowd.
Bradley Simpson has proven that his new solo venture is rooted in the same infectious, feel-good energy that made The Vamps a phenomenon, leaving the audience anticipating what his future independent achievements may look like.
The night continued with Sofia Camara, a 23-year-old Portuguese-Canadian powerhouse who has rapidly transitioned from viral TikTok fame to major festival stages, including Lollapalooza. Having spent the last year sharpening her craft, opening for the likes of Dean Lewis and the legendary Stevie Nicks at Hyde Park, Camara led the O2 with a vulnerability that belied her age. Her set, anchored by the emotional weight of her HARD TO LOVE EP, began with tracks like ‘Anyways How You Been?’ and ‘Ingrained (DNA)’, showcasing her powerful, expansive vocal range.
Before diving into ‘Here We Go Again’, she took time to teach the audience the chorus, leading a massive singalong that immediately connected the vast crowd to her intimate pop sound. The set reached its poignant peak during ‘Starlight’. She introduced the ballad by sharing the deeply personal context: her painful experience of losing loved ones after moving to London for her first headline show, and the hope that a metaphorical “starlight” will guide them back to her. Before the show, her dedicated fan base coordinated a project, distributing handheld paper stars to audience members for this song. As she sang, she encouraged everyone to illuminate the arena with phone flashlights, and the fans' collective effort created a profound display, with flashlights and stars scattered around the place, underscoring the track's theme of hope.
After band introductions and the performance of ‘Girls Like You’, the set concluded with her viral hit, ‘Who Do I Call Now (Hellbent)’. The track has solidified her status, garnering over 44 million global streams. After delivering her lines, she stated, "Dreams come true, today has been a dream, thank you so much" before breaking down into tears as she made her way backstage - a moment of raw, genuine release that perfectly illustrated why NME noted her performance "demands attention as a crucial voice for this generation."
When Bastille finally took over the stage, the energy shifted immediately from anticipation to a full-blown party. The setup included three towering LED panels used for visuals and lyrics, as well as a live camera feed projected onto two side panels. Far from the shy bedroom producer of the early days, Dan was a spectacle in itself - bounding across the stage, jumping off risers, and dancing with genuine joy, which made the massive venue feel intimate. He was, quite simply, a guy having the time of his life. Of course, he also had his favourite drum in the middle of the stage - a symbolic, physical fixture of their live sound since the ‘Bad Blood’ era - ready for Dan to strike.
The sound was extremely rich and dynamic due to the talented touring line-up. Gabi King’s percussion section was a masterclass in complexity, utilising a unique mix of standard drums, cymbals (including a spiral cymbal), a set of congas, chimes, and a tambourine. Alongside her, the familiar multi-instrumentalist touring member since 2015 Charlie Barnes, AK Patterson (strings/vocals) and John ‘Rittipo’-Moore (sax) added a lush, orchestral depth that elevated every song.
The setlist was, as Dan labelled it, a "headfuck" of a journey through their catalogue to pick for the live show. They opened their main set with ‘Things We Lost in the Fire’ before launching into the high-energy ‘Shut Off the Lights’ and ‘Good Grief’.
The band also welcomed guests, beginning with Myles Smith, a rising folk-pop singer-songwriter from Luton who has already garnered over 700 million global streams and won the BRITs Rising Star Award 2025. Known for his acoustically-rooted songs like the international hit ‘Stargazing’ (which topped the airplay charts in the UK and Germany), Smith brought his signature warm, emotional sound to the stage, joining Dan Smith for the beloved classic ‘Flaws’. This collaboration was a fitting nod, given that Dan Smith has also co-written some of Myles's recent material, cementing the connection between the established star and the rapidly ascending voice.
Dan’s self-deprecating wit was also on full display as usual as he introduced the MTV Unplugged Section. "Welcome to the most depressive section of the concert”. "You know what you were getting into when you came to see Bastille." True to his word, they played ‘No More Bad Days’ before he admitted, "I fucking lied," and launched into the even more depressing ‘Hope for the Future’, followed by a snippet of ‘World Gone Mad’.
A massive treat for the die-hard "Stormers" was the OTHER PEOPLE’S HEARTACHE medley. Paying homage to their experimental mixtape series, which Dan calls a "fictional film score", the band expertly mashed up tracks including ‘Bite Down’, ‘No Angels’, and ‘Requiem for Blue Jeans’ before the arena erupted for ‘Of the Night’. This iconic cover - mashing Snap!’s ‘Rhythm Is a Dancer’ and Corona’s ‘The Rhythm of the Night’ - turned the O2 into a massive 90s rave, complete with a wave of confetti.
The band also looked to the future, bringing out their second guest, Ruti Olajugbagbe. Ruti, who rose to prominence by winning The Voice UK in 2018 under the mentorship of Tom Jones, has since developed a distinctive, critically-acclaimed indie-pop sound that resonates with Bastille's own experimental tendencies. They joined them to perform their new single, ‘Save My Soul’. This track, set for release on Friday, November 21st, has a vibrant energy reminiscent of their WILD WORLD era. Footage has also been recorded throughout the tour dates, and fans are speculating that it will likely be used in the music video, which is something wholesome to look forward to. After the preview, the set continued with the massive hit ‘Happier’.
Despite their professionalism, it was the unscripted moments that truly endeared the band to the crowd. When a setlist confusion occurred, Dan filled the silence where he said in the past he was "telling stories about Justin Bieber counting burger vans when he forgot he was in Essex and called it London instead by mistake due to an extensive UK Tour and forgetting where he was" or when he attempted speaking different languages. Thankfully for Dan, he didn't have to improvise for much longer, as the band was already ready to go. To which Dan said, "As you can see, we are professionals."
Later, during the encore medley of ‘Glory’ - which included snippets of ‘Bad Blood’, ‘The Anchor’, ‘Weight of Living, Pt. 1’, and ‘Another Place’ - Dan forgot the lyrics a fleeting moment of typical, relatable humanity, which Dan of course recovered from graciously. He then immediately spotted a fan in distress and stopped the show. Directing security towards the incident, he instinctively drew the crowd's attention back to himself, a crucial move to divert potentially invasive focus and pressure away from the vulnerable fan. He continued to monitor the situation, only fully resuming once security gave him a clear thumbs up, confirming the fan was safe. This was a profound moment of duty of care that highlighted the deep connection Bastille shares with their audience.
The night, of course, concluded with an euphoric rendition of ‘Pompeii’, with Myles, Ruti, Bradley and Sofia returning to the stage. As the crowd chanted the iconic "eh-eh-oh" refrain, it was clear that while Dan Smith might still think their success is a "joke," the 15-year legacy of Bastille is anything but. They have mastered the art of the "dance through the pain," creating a safe, joyous space where thousands of strangers can scream their anxieties away together.
This phenomenal show marked the final date of their current tour. However, Bastille’s commitment to social causes continues. They are confirmed to perform at the Streets of London’s "Starry Night" charity fundraiser on Wednesday, 10 December at the Royal Albert Hall. They will share the stage with Paul Weller and The National’s Matt Berninger, among others, for the event hosted by Shaun Keaveny. Since 2015, the charity has provided over £1M of funding to projects offering vital support to people who are homeless in the capital. It is a fantastic opportunity to see the band before the end of the year, all while supporting a great cause and making a difference.
Words by Vlad-Paul Ghilaș (Platform ‘96)
Photos by Florelle Servageon