On Thursday, September 18, Dua Lipa performed her second of four shows at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on her Radical Optimism Tour. The 2025 tour has spanned across three continents, and over 15 countries so far, and will conclude in Mexico City on December 5. The North American leg of the tour featured Cil as the opening act.
It was a night of pure entertainment — classic Dua hits, songs from her latest album, Radical Optimism, and a super-charged crowd dancing to every beat. Madison Square Garden, the mecca of all venues, hosted a packed audience for a two-hour set. “There’s something special about this venue,” Dua said during the show, as she scanned the world’s most famous arena. MSG is the peak destination for the most iconic artists, and Dua Lipa shined brightly on the biggest stage.
Act I: The Rolling Waves Pull You In
From darkness, to the stage lit up with a screen of rolling waves, the set began, mounting the anticipation. As the band made their way on stage, the buzz in the air was growing. It was then, when Dua Lipa rose from the ground, surrounded by smoke and fog, the pop of the crowd was deafening. “Are you someone that I can give my heart to?”, she sang a cappella, leading into “Training Season”. And then, as the chorus was brought in, the dancers, the band and the lights were brought to life.
That energy didn’t let off, as she went into her new album’s opening track, “End of an Era”, followed by “Break My Heart” and “One Kiss”. The last two have accumulated nearly 4 billion streams on Spotify. It was an opening act that every mother, daughter, friend would be thrilled with. Every person was singing word-for-word during those opening four songs, as they probably have before driving in the car, in the club or at home.
Act II: New-a Lipa and a Big City Cover
The next five songs featured three songs from Dua’s latest album — “Whatcha Doing”, “These Walls” and “Maria”. None were singles off of the 2024 album, but have become staples in the Radical Optimism Tour setlist. They are a taste of her first full-length studio album since 2020, which reached #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. After “Whatcha Doing” and the global hit “Levitating”, the next three songs were shifted to the B-stage, in the middle of the arena, with the entire band accompanying Dua.
“These Walls”, which was preceded by band member introductions, was a more stripped-back tune compared to the other hits. It allowed Dua’s outstanding vocal talent to come to the forefront. Sandwiched between “These Walls” and “Maria” was her signature cover of a local artist. The night before at The Garden, she sang “No One” by Alicia Keys. On Thursday, it was “One Way or Another” by Blondie. It was refreshing to hear a punk-rock version of Dua, something we don’t often get to see or hear. And while Dua’s voice was perfect, drummer Adam “Smiley” Wade stole the song. From the first note to the last, he lived up to his nickname. Smiling from ear to ear, Wade’s face lit up the scene, as he represented all of those in attendance — filled with pure joy.
Act III: Electricity In The Air
The next 11 minutes, over four songs, was the “workout” of the show — constant moving, dancing and clapping. That kind of cardio was raising everyone’s heart BPM. “Physical”, to “Electricity”, to “Hallucinate”, to the US Dance/Electric chart topping “Illusion” — non-stop action. Luckily, the dancers primed everyone for such movement with a tutorial on bending, spinning and shaking hips at the start of the act. “Make some f***in’ noise”, she screamed, as the New York City crowd responded. This was the halfway point of the set, an hour in and not a sign of slowing down.
Act IV: The Flames of Love
The final five songs of the main set all had one thing in common — love. “Falling Forever” and “Happy For You”, back-to-back to start the fourth act. A pounding drum solo from that man, “Smiley” Wade at the end of “Happy For You” with flashing lights capped off the duo track. “Love Again” was the next song, and it brought the heat — literally. With all the lights out, a ring of fire appeared in the middle of the arena, with Dua appearing in the middle of it. The crowd cheered as she sang the sixth single off of the Future Nostalgia album. Towards the end of the song, a floating stage appeared, coming down from the roof. She hopped on, and rose from the floor, arms spread out among shouts of “oh my goodness!” and “look! look!”
She remained in the air after the song concluded as the lights came on, a piano intro started and Dua went into a beautiful rendition of “Anything for Love”. The entire arena had their phones out, flashlights on, creating a chilling atmosphere. After returning to the stage floor, she thanked the fans and confessed she was mental snapshots to not forget those moments. “Be The One” was the main setlist finale, and has been “a song that has seen me through my whole career”, she explained. There was a tender back-and-forth between the crowd and her during the song, as the audience yelled “I can be the one”, during which Dua came in with a harmony.
Act V: The Showstopping Encore
As you may have guessed, the show didn’t end there. A four-song encore capped off the night in confetti-filled fashion. A 15-minute medley of “New Rules”, “Dance the Night”, “Don’t Start Now” and “Houdini” was the culmination that the New York City crowd deserved. The encore encapsulated everything about the entirety of the performance. There were hits. There were amazing lights. There were captivating dance routines. It had it all.
A Dua Lipa concert is an experience that you can only really live, and not tell. As you’re reading these words, I’ve done my best to put you in that arena and feel that energy. But even that doesn’t do it justice. It’s something you need to see for yourself. It will put a charge through you and every person around you.
