CANDLES, CHOIRS AND CHRISTMAS: PIXIE LOTT AT UNION CHAPEL

LIVE REVIEW | PIXIE LOTT w/ Tabitha Meeks | UNION CHAPEL, LONDON | 17th December 2025 by Kevin O’Sullivan

Union Chapel felt like the right place for a Christmas show. The candles across the stage and the Christmas tree to one side gave the room a natural warmth before anything started, and the chapel’s acoustics and scale suited the idea of a festive one-off rather than a standard tour date. It was relaxed and welcoming, with an audience clearly up for something seasonal without it tipping into novelty.

For Pixie Lott, this was her first Christmas show at the venue, and it already felt like something that could easily become a regular fixture. The mood in the room was calm but expectant, the kind of atmosphere where a show could build naturally. Before Pixie arrived to take things up a level, the evening began with a support set that fitted both the space and the occasion.

Tabitha Meeks

Tabitha Meeks opened the night in exactly the right way. The candles were already doing most of the work and she didn’t try to compete with them, instead letting the songs sit comfortably in the room. A close friend of Pixie Lott, the two met in Nashville, and that shared musical world was immediately apparent. Meeks’ voice and delivery sit somewhere between Norah Jones’ warmth and Nancy Sinatra’s poise, a combination that worked perfectly in Union Chapel.

Her set leaned into the season without overdoing it. Magic in the Season set things off gently, followed by Girl of the Hour, which carried an easy confidence. Christmas With You felt sincere rather than showy, festive without leaning too hard on the moment.

Originally from Florida and now based in Nashville, Meeks comes across as a songwriter who knows her lane. Life of the Party, due out in January, sounded like a track with a life well beyond this tour, while Ready for Christmas, her collaboration with Pixie Lott, helped link the support slot directly to what was to come.

It felt less like a warm-up and more like a friend setting the tone. A thoughtful, well-judged opening that left the room in exactly the right place.

Pixie Lott

Before Pixie Lott appeared, the stage at Union Chapel was already in motion. One by one, what felt like ten or eleven band members walked out and took their places, gradually filling the space and building a quiet sense of anticipation. It was hard to keep count, but the scale of what was coming was clear long before she arrived. When she did finally emerge, dressed in black and wrapped in a hooded cape, it felt deliberate and dramatic, the kind of entrance designed to still a room.

She opened with Oceans, and from the first note the audience was caught. The song seemed to wash through the chapel, drawing everyone in and holding them there. From that moment on, she never really let go. A broad smile appeared almost immediately, “I have been excited about this show for so long,” the excitement stayed with her throughout the night. Looking around the chapel, it was obvious how quickly that energy travelled, the crowd smiling right back at her.

That warmth carried seamlessly into Catching Snowflakes, joined by children from her dance school who drifted across the stage like tiny snowflakes. Their excitement was unmistakable, and the room responded instantly. It brought a softness and sense of inclusivity to the evening, reinforcing the feeling that this was more than just a show.

As the set continued, the energy lifted further. Boys and Girls and Gravity introduced a larger group of male and female dancers who framed the performance with momentum and precision. Pixie was fully involved in the choreography, holding her own alongside them, even being lifted at points, yet never losing her presence at the centre of it all.

For a venue known for its seated, attentive audiences, the tone was set early. This was Pixie Lott’s first Christmas show at Union Chapel, and there was a genuine sense of occasion throughout. She leaned into it completely, inviting people to dance, smiling constantly, and creating a night that felt warm, celebratory and shared from beginning to end.

The stage was busy throughout the night in a way that felt celebratory rather than cluttered. Dancers came and went, the Union Chapel choir appeared later, and at times there were so many people involved it felt communal rather than staged. Pixie kept everything grounded by chatting between songs, telling short stories and building an easy rapport with the audience. She even shared a couple of brief duets with audience members, moments that worked because of how relaxed and open the atmosphere was.

Ready for Christmas brought Tabitha Meeks back on stage on keys, reinforcing the collaborative feel of the night, followed by First Christmas, Turn It Up and the live debut of Albert, a brand new song written for her son. She explained it was the first time she’d ever played it in public, and the room listened closely, the chapel’s acoustics carrying every detail.

She promised a special guest for Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and delivered Santa himself, played entirely straight and taken in good humour. Later, during Somebody’s Daughter, a man walked across the front of the stage and Pixie laughed, calling out, “you’re not leaving are you on Somebody’s Daughter?”, another small moment that summed up how comfortable she seemed. She couldn’t stop smiling throughout the show, and neither, it seemed, could anyone else in the room.

Mama Do became another reason for everyone to get back on their feet, aisles filling with movement as the chapel briefly forgot its usual restraint. White Christmas, introduced as her grandad’s favourite song, was a clear emotional highlight, followed by Last Christmas, Coming of Age, Happy and Cry Me Out.

The encore of This Christmas and All About Tonight wrapped things up on a high. Pixie said she wants to make this a regular Christmas event at Union Chapel, and based on the reaction in the room, it’s hard to argue. As people filtered back out into the cold, there was a noticeable warmth lingering — everyone leaving with that proper Christmas feeling you hope for at this time of year. It was a perfect show for getting people in the festive mood, and a night that felt likely to return.