On April 18th 2025, UK drill/rap artist Central Cee played the first show in the UK on his ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ world tour at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena. 

Taking to the stage earlier than most artists, Central Cee began his set around 8:30 p.m., performing a setlist of roughly 30 songs over the course of about an hour and a half. In the past, I’ve often been let down by rappers’ live energy—but this was far from the case with Central Cee. He sounded just like he does on record, frequently engaged with the crowd, and delivered a high-energy, well-rounded performance that kept fans excited from start to finish.

It may have been a Thursday night but Bilmuri’s Birmingham show quickly proved to this brummy bunch why this whole tour was filled with sold out shows. South Arcade primed the nearly 3,000 strong audience, getting everyone in the room ready for the main event.

Compton-born rapper The Game brought his 20th Anniversary tour celebrating the music on his debut album The Documentary to Birmingham’s O2 Academy on 17th March.

Limp Bizkit stormed into Glasgow to launch the UK/EU leg of their Loserville Tour, delivering a set packed with fan-favorite anthems and pure nu-metal chaos. Taking the stage at 9:45, Fred Durst and company wasted no time in igniting the crowd, opening with the explosive “Break Stuff”—a track that immediately sent the sold-out, jumping OVO Hydro into a frenzy. Following up with “Hot Dog” and “Take a Look Around”, the band locked into their signature mix of aggression and groove, with Wes Borland’s crushing riffs and John Otto’s thunderous drumming shaking the venue to its core.

On the wet and windy evening of Sunday 23rd February, British singer-songwriter Myles Smith played to a sold out O2 Academy in Bristol. The treacherous weather however, did not stop his hardcore fans from attending the gig and lining the streets in the pouring rain. 

James Bay put on a fantastic show at Glasgow’s O2 Academy as he performed to a packed crowd with a full band. He took the stage right on time at 9 PM and delivered a set full of fan favourites and new material.

Icelandic rockers KALEO took to the stage at the O2 Academy Glasgow on 18th November, delivering a powerhouse performance to a sold-out crowd. From the first chord, the band’s signature blend of blues, rock, and folk kept the buzzing audience spellbound.

On the gloomy autumnal night of 6th November, Sam Tompkins graced Bristol’s SWX with an aura of blessed light, illuminating his audience’s hearts with his heavenly vocals and healing lyricism. Named after his phenomenal debut album, the Brightonian artist’s “hi, my name is insecure tour.” is sizably and vocally his greatest yet, beginning in Manchester, embarking across Europe and eventually culminating in Paris in December. With support from the remarkable Kerr Mercer and the magnificent Martin Luke Brown, Sam’s Bristol show was a stunning celebration of positive masculinity, as the trio of male artists respectively showcased their emotionally rich artistry. 

After briefly postponing the date and switching venues, Ice Spice brought her energetic energy and catchy hits to Birmingham’s O2 Institute on 5th November for the final show on the UK leg of her “Y2K World Tour”. The concert was originally supposed to take place nearby at the O2 Academy but, due to the rapper having to change plans and attend a Fortnite event in her hometown of New York City, the venue was altered. The venue change was not an issue for me personally, as I always appreciate how much character the venue possesses and how grand the interior feels, and the alteration meant I could experience the main room of the O2 Institute after first attending an intimate gig in the venue’s ground floor room earlier this year.