BEN ELLIS' LOVE STAYS ON TOUR |

LIVE REVIEW | BEN ELLIS | Academy 3, Manchester 28th October 2025 by Jenna Laband

DOLDER

Opening the night with the twin duo Dolder. After releasing their first single just a few weeks ago, Dolder have supported Ben throughout his entire UK leg. Despite being new to the music scene, with many unreleased tracks, fans have thoroughly enjoyed discovering their music and learning the words. Each night of the tour, it seems the crowd for these two just gets louder and louder, and Manchester was certainly no different. From the people at the front to the groups at the back of the room, the room quickly filled with fans screaming back the lyrics.

Their raw and emotional tracks resonate with the crowd, with catchy lyrics and beats which summarise girlhood in even just a short support slot. Following the release of “Charlie“, their debut single, the girls also teased their upcoming EP, saying how they’re not allowed to tell fans the release date yet, but can’t wait to show everyone what they’ve been working on.

Want to find out more about Dolder? Listen to their latest single here.

MARTI PERRAMON

Not long after Dolder departed the stage, fans were greeted with the incredible stage presence of Marti Perramon. After supporting alongside Ben on Alfie Jukes’ ‘All Dressed Up For Nothing’ tour, Marti’s energy and catchy music have gone down a treat with fans, with many requesting him as the support act for the tour before the announcement. Bringing the perfect mix of acoustic tracks, which pull at your heartstrings and dance tracks, which you just can’t help but move along to, Marti’s diverse discography is unapologetically himself, using his music to resonate with fans on deep, hard-hitting topics, but also bring joy and fun.

The ‘boy from Barcelona’ most certainly brought the energy to the stage, getting fans up and dancing, ready for the main act of the night. Before closing the show with hit single “Sugar (Honey Iced Tea)” Marti took a moment to thank Ben and the tour crew for this opportunity, as well as thanking the fans themselves for their support throughout his journey so far.

Find tickets to Marti’s first headline tour here

BEN ELLIS

The show began with an intro track composed of radio references that track his musical journey from the past few years in the industry – From his first play on the radio with hit single ‘Ed’s House‘, to recent features showcasing him as one of the ‘ones to watch’ in the industry. The lights then came up as the band took the stage, a long-awaited addition to the set following his acoustic tour earlier this year, followed by Ben, toasting a mug in the air as the sold-out room screamed back at him.

After his acoustic ‘No Longer In My Bedroom‘ tour earlier this year, fans have widely anticipated hearing their favourite tracks with a full live band. With some fans getting a sneak peek of the band’s set-up in his summer appearances, the band’s debut tour went down a treat, featuring Ellis Blake on guitar and Tom Walters on the drums.

Opening the show with his most recent single “When It Ends”, fans screamed back every word, despite it only being released for less than a few weeks. As part of his upcoming project, “When It Ends” joins recent single “Where She Goes“, marking a new era in his career. “Burner Phone”, the upbeat hit from The Hollywood EP kept the tempo of the night at a high before the welcome return of fan favourite “Sofia” to the setlist. Despite being the third single he has ever released, thewhimsical and upbeat track “Sofia” has always been well received by the crowd.

Ben Ellis (Jenna Laband/Northern Exposure)

Ben then took a moment to thank his 2 incredible support acts, Dolder and Marti Perramon. Appreciating not only their music but what they bring to the tour team as people. As an up-and-coming independent artist, Ben has always been the first to champion the support acts of the industry, being one himself multiple times so far this year. His genuine appreciation for these musicians certainly does not go unnoticed by fans, fostering a community based on supporting others and uplifting them in what can be such a challenging industry.

Ben then took the tempo down a notch to explore his own feelings as he has navigated the music industry, thanking fans for turning up to support an independent artist before performing “No One Sleeps In Hollywood”.Exploring his experience as an artist, this song presents the feelings of being an artist in the industry and the rollercoaster of emotions that comes alongside the endless pursuit of success. Many fans regard this track as the ‘I made it moment’ in Ben’s music career, with the lyric “in a couple of years, am I still playing shows in my bedroom” being responded to with a shouted “NO!” by fans, recognising the transition from bedroom TikTok lives to countless stage performances this year.

The set continued with hits “Red Handed” and “Half the Time” from his previous EPs, featuring added sections fans have yet to hear live, including an extended guitar solo by Ellis, which had everyone in awe. A slowed-down section took us to the emotive track “Never Getting Out” followed by a cover of the amazing Jeff Buckley track “I Want Someone Badly”, with Ben regarding Buckley as one of his key musical inspirations.

Ben then continued the set with unreleased track “Still Be Friends”, a new sound for Ben, which acts as part of his upcoming project and has recently been teased throughout the tour and over on Instagram. Whilst the track isn’t formally able to listen to yet, fans have been quick to latch onto its catchy chorus and infectious beat. Preseave here!

Closing the main performance with “Eds House” brings the tour into one big full-circle moment. Closing his second headline tour of the year with the second song he ever released. The atmosphere in the room by this point was truly electric, with the whole crowd jumping around and balloons floating across the crowd.

The band then left the stage before returning minutes later for a 3-song encore, featuring unreleased track “Animal”, which Ben reflected upon writing in Los Angeles during his trip earlier this year. Ben also performed his recent single “Where She Goes”, long-awaited by fans after being teased at shows earlier in the year “Where She Goes” is not only the song the tour is named after, but acts as the marker for this whole new era of music we’re watching Ben embark on going into 2026. Last, but certainly not least, Ben closed the show with up beat hit song “Does It Get Cold In California”, with the whole crowd on their feet jumping and dancing along.

Whilst this series of headline shows may be the biggest in his career so far, it is clear that this is just the start for Ben and his team. And luckily for you all, this man never sleeps and is heading straight back on tour supporting Sadie Jean later this month! Find tickets here.