PinkPantheress live at Alexandra Palace: a momentous IRL moment for the online superstar

You might not have PinkPantheress down as the theatrical type but tonight, her headline Ally Pally show is a showstopper of blistering stage lights, theatrical voice-overs, stunning visuals and glamorous backup dancers. 

Considering it’s her first time playing here – and her biggest show to date – there are few signs of nerves, just buckets of flavour and personality across 23 songs. “I’ve only ever been here for ice skating” she tells the crowd. Tonight is a big deal.

 “London we’re gathered here tonight”, an ominous voice announces. The stage is drenched in dark pink stage lights and a DnB drum solo starts to play. PinkPantheress waltzes gracefully onto the stage to a sea of phones. She’s wearing a stunning leopard print dress, signature purse on arm, and jumps straight into her OG hit ‘Break it Off’.

Dancing around the stage, she follows up with, ‘I Must Apologise’ (sung back to her, word-for-word by the audience). “Oh shit, I just flashed this whole crowd,” she laughs into her mic whilst readjusting her dress. “This is the biggest show I’ve ever played”, she announces nervously. Her fans respond with roaring screams of support.  

“What time is it?” she shouts into her mic teeing up her track ‘Pain’. There’s a yelp of delight from the crowd, who swiftly follow up with: “It’s 8 o’ clock in the morning”, and all the ad libs that follow. Throughout the show, Pantheress takes us through a setlist of some of her most notorious hits, whilst drip-feeding newer collaborative singles and tracks from her debut album ‘Heaven’. Showgirl dancers slowly emerge on stage in white feather headdresses for ‘Where Are You Now’. The production value and thought process behind this show really is larger than life. The expectations for a show this size are bound to be high, but Pantheress goes above and beyond to make it one to remember. 

Throughout her career, Pantheress has been open about her struggles with stage anxiety. It’s a common thread for artists who blow up online and suddenly find themselves thrust into the limelight, expected to be fully-fledged performers after largely making music alone, in their bedrooms. But if this Friday night has taught us anything, it’s how far PinkPantheress has come and how hard she’s worked. It’s visible just how special this moment is for her, going to lengths to authentically engage with the audience: jumping in their BeReals, boogying around the stage and keeping up funny banter throughout the whole set.

As the dancers exit the stage, Pantheress follows. The theatrical voice returns, speaking in riddles. Reappearing, sat on a stunning purple chaise longue, Pantheress breaks into her emotionally-penned song, ‘Capable of Love’. The setup and ambience is completely captivating. “I get emotional at this part”, she tells the audience, whilst delivering the most stunning, angelic vocals. 

Bringing more dancers back out for her flirtatious hit, ‘The Aisle’ Pantheress laughs into her mic, before enthusiastically saying, “They ate up and down”, about their routine. Later in the night we’re welcomed with a surprise appearance from Shygirl, playing her iconic single ‘Coochie (a bedtime story)’, taken from her 2022 debut album ‘Nymph’. “Who’s getting coochie tonight”, she asks the crowd, before she’s met with Pantheress back on stage for a first live outing of their collaborative single ‘bbycakes’. 

Bringing R&B, garage, and electronic vibes to her set, throughout the night PinkPantheress brings so much flavour and personality to her show. From the theatrical voice-over, to the salsa dancers, the revival of her oldest tunes and her constant witty one-liners, it’s obvious she’s gone all out to make her first 10,000 strong show, the most memorable experience and to prove that she’s got what it takes to top the biggest stages in the world.

PinkPantheress played:

1. ‘Break It Off’
2. ‘I Must Apologise’
3. ‘Mosquito’
4. ‘Pain’
5. ‘Passion’
6. ‘Just For Me’
7. ‘Where You Are’
8. ‘Capable Of Love’
9. ‘The Aisle’
10. ‘Take Me Home’
11. ‘Attracted To You’
12. ‘Feel Complete’
13. ‘Coochie (A Bedtime Story)’ with Shygirl
14. ‘bbycakes’ with Shygirl
15. ‘Bury Me’
16. ‘Another Life’
17. ‘True Romance’
18. ‘Reason’
19. ‘Blue’
20. ‘Picture In My Mind’
21. ‘Boy’s A Liar Pt.2’

Encore

‘Internet Baby’

‘Nice To Meet You’