SAM FENDER RETURNS TO THE “GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE BRITISH ISLES” IN ENERGETIC EDINBURGH HEADLINE

LIVE REVIEW | SAM FENDER | EDINBURGH SUMMER SESSIONS – ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOWGROUNDS 22nd August 2025 by Morgan Hermiston

If there’s anything Sam Fender knows how to do, it’s playing an invigorating gig that leaves you wanting more. Making his first return to the Scottish capital since 2018, the Geordie singer-songwriter delighted fans with a setlist packed with hits and the comeback of fan-favourite, and b-side, ‘Alright‘.

Building up the anticipation before he took to the stage, ‘Hey Jude‘, ‘Edge of Seventeen‘, and ‘Thunderstruck‘ played back to back through the many speakers dotted around the Royal Highland Showgrounds. As eclectic as these songs are together, they represent the variety in Sam Fender’s own discography. Cheers roared through the grounds and it wasn’t long before everyone was singing along in unison once again. Opening track ‘Angel in Lothian‘ was the perfect way to ignite and initiate a night of indie-rock infiltration.

The next couple of songs, including ‘Spice‘ and ‘Getting Started‘ brought immense energy. Pyrotechnics shot into the sky through the choruses of ‘Spice‘, adding depth to Fender’s otherwise minimalistic visuals. His setlist danced between his three studio albums, 2019 debut ‘Hypersonic Missiles‘, sophomore record ‘Seventeen Going Under‘, and most recent release ‘People Watching‘. I did hear a couple of people say that they wished there was more older material included. However, as artists go, Sam Fender is definitely someone who switches his setlists up frequently. If you’ve seen his shows more than once, you never get two the same.

Fan-favourite ‘The Borders‘ was sandwiched between two newer songs, ‘Arm’s Length‘ and ‘Rein Me In‘. The latter involved support artist Olivia Dean returning to the stage to perform the most divine of duets. Throughout, Fender’s incredible band, including saxophonist Johnny “Blue Hat” Davis and backing vocalist Brooke Bentham, maintained a meticulous momentum while still appearing to enjoy every second.

Later on in the show, Fender focused his attention back to the crowd. He said he was glad to be back in the “greatest country in the British Isles“, which gained him loud applaud and cheers. ‘Spit of You‘ followed punk-fuelled ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue‘. It was dedicated to Lewis Capaldi who Fender joked that he couldn’t talk to, drawing reference from the track’s lyrics.

Before the encore, hit single ‘Seventeen Going Under‘ provided a lasting impact. After dedicating it to his mum, who was somewhere in the crowd, he encouraged everyone to keep the chorus going longer, and it was such a joy to watch so many strangers simply sing along with one another in heartfelt harmony. Artists like Sam Fender really do bring out the humanity in everyone, with words that so many resonate with and sing along with proudly. The encore consisted of emotive track ‘The Dying Light‘ before finishing with the politically poignant ‘Hypersonic Missiles‘.

If, somehow, you haven’t seen Sam Fender, he absolutely is one of those artists you have to catch. His passion for performing is next to none, and with such a wealth of rich material behind him, it was a completely different experience to what I’d witnessed previously.