Cardiff has had a long wait for the Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia tour, but nearly three years since it was announced, here she is at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena. The 26-year-old’s second album of the same name became one of the releases of lockdown – and the most streamed album in one day by a British female artist globally, in the UK and the US. The year 2020 wasn’t great for anyone, but it could’ve been worse for Lipa.

Before the woman everyone was there to see, a packed-out arena warmly welcomed support act Griff with an appreciative noisy reaction: the 21-year-old Brit Award Rising Star winner obviously shared some fans among Lipa’s audience, who sang along to her set.

Going all out on the 80s theme, synths and a video introduction (imagine the titles of Baywatch) play before the headliner makes her entrance. As Dua Lipa’s silhouette appears on screen, she rises up through to the stage from below shouting “Cardiff, what the fuck!” Starting with three solid favourites, including the massively successful New Rules, she has the audience and doesn’t let up for 90 minutes.

With Act 2 seeing Lipa again rise up through the stage and sing We’re Good to a giant lobster (one of which features prominently in the song’s music video), you can’t accuse her of taking herself too seriously. After singing Boys Will Be Boys alone onstage – a slower number which, along with We’re Good, really showcases the strength of her voice – the party amps up a gear, including a balloon drop during One Kiss.

She sings Cold Heart wrapped in an updated pride flag, dueting with an on-screen Elton John, cementing her image as an LGBT+ ally and gay icon for Generation Z. Bringing that act to a close, the crowd went wild, and we’re still living through a time when an artist saying to their audience, “thank you for being here tonight,” means more than it used to.

Given that after all this, Dua Lipa hadn’t sung Future Nostalgia the song yet, there was assuredly an encore on the way. That, along with Don’t Start Now, finish off a well-rounded show: 90 minutes that felt like it whipped along, and like some of the best parties, over too soon. 

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Wed 27 Apr

words CHRIS WILLIAMS photos TIM ALBAN