REVIEW: Future Nostalgia became an unlikely winner of the early pandemic, affirming everything that we missed about one another – the frisson of the dancefloor, the middle finger to an ex, and the confident strut in the direction of a disco ball.

In Dua Lipa’s pop anthem Don’t Start Now, the Brit pop queen made us feel like the dancefloor would return, that the biggest party was yet to come.

That party was tonight at Spark Arena, in a show that was – as befits a Gen-Z starlet – endlessly Instagrammable, with explosive new riffs and world-building visuals to boot.
From 80s aerobics to underwater odyssey to space cowgirl, Dua Lipa delivered her vision of nightlife fantasy and boyfriend-busting showstoppers with the vivid pleasure of a generation-defining pop singer, now on the brink of bursting into the stratosphere.

The Kosovar Albanian singer’s billions of Spotify streams, courtesy of era-defining anthems like New Rules and One Kiss, have lost no momentum as they translate at last into this much-delayed show – for many of us, Future Nostalgia held up a vivid portrait of what was possible once the dancefloors were open again.

Dua Lipa’s pop-diva phantasmagoria proved it was worth the wait.

The retropop funk of the brilliantly named Future Nostalgia is a modern classic, and this tour is a wall-to-wall blast.

Dua Lipa’s pop catalogue is second to none, leaping effortlessly between genres, eras, and styles.

Her anthemic albums have the power to make you levitate with hooks in your ear from the first listen. Her Spark Arena show had fans screaming until the last light went up.

Her dancing, which has rendered Dua Lipa meme unto herself, is poised yet powerful – she may have pop music’s best strut, commanding our eyes as she orbits the stage.

With never a hair falling out of place, Dua Lipa’s moves demand hers is a superwoman charisma that frankly outstrips all of current British pop – and meets her US peers on the floor for a dance-off.

With visuals indebted to influences as varied as Grease, Andy Warhol, Gaspar Noe, and the Rocketman himself, the sheer, electric high of Dua Lipa’s wall-to-wall pop hits is matched by the neon lights and Studio 54 reds.

Dua Lipa’s appeal as a dance floor-starting star comes from many angles: she has the slick capacity for reinvention of Lady Gaga, the cathartic commands of Billie Eilish, and the pure camp joy of Katy Perry, all swirling into a heady emotional and physical thrill.

The giddy highs of this show – with its witty graphics and self-winking dance memes – showcase an artist in consummate command of her self-image.

Her fun is infectious – never has house-disco felt so powerful, nor so laden with aspirational affirmations. In this two hour show, every lick of the lips and flip of the hair lands so perfectly you want to applaud.

To the all ages crowd, Dua Lipa’s brand of self-determination rings out proud and true: her bravado comes from a whipsmart understanding of what makes great pop – beyond the four costume changes, flawless choreography, and hook-heavy singles.

For two nights at Spark Arena, the reigning pop queen’s Future Nostalgia show will convince you that’s where the H๏τtest party in the world is – that’s how it felt tonight, leaving the screaming fans dancing and shaking until the last disco ball light goes out.