“Shout It From The Rooftops!” James Arthur Returns to The Royal Albert Hall

LIVE REVIEW | JAMES ARTHUR w/ Venus Grrrls – TEENAGE CANCER TRUST | THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL, LONDON 26th March 2025 by Georgina Daniels

James Arthur’s Royal Albert Hall show wasn’t just about the music—it was about connection. As part of Teenage Cancer Trust’s annual fundraiser, the night carried extra weight, with a zesty compère to introduce young people receiving treatment through the charity. A moving video about Venus Grrrls lead singer Grace Kelly and her own experience with TCT made their opening set feel even more powerful.

Venus Grrrls (credit John Steady)
Venus Grrrls (credit John Steady)
Venus Grrrls (credit John Steady)

Arthur kicked things off with Bitter Sweet Love, instantly shrinking the vast space with his ability to make every lyric feel personal. From the first song, the crowd was in it with him, voices already lifting alongside his own. That call-and-response energy became a defining feature of the night.

His rock influences shone through early on. Comeback Kid carried a Springsteen-esque heartland drive, with an anthemic chorus made for stadiums. You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You leaned full tilt into Aerosmith-style rock, the guitars crunching under a searing solo that let the band have their moment. His love of big, classic rock sounds was obvious, but there were also flashes of Sam Fender’s sharp, emotive intensity—especially in the way the drums chugged along with a relentless pulse.

Arthur’s ability to balance grit with tenderness is what makes him stand out, and the softer moments landed just as hard. Can I Be Him was full of longing, his vocals weaving effortlessly with the recurring backing harmonies. Train Wreck stripped things back to just him and a guitar, leaving space for the rough edges in his voice to shine.

One of the most powerful moments of the night came before Pull Me Out, when he spoke about mental health. He admitted he wasn’t great at speeches, but the weight of the moment was clear, and when he sang, the emotion in his voice did all the talking. His signature growl, breaking at the edges, only made it more raw.

The crowd was fully locked in by the time Naked rolled around, which turned into a full-on Freddie Mercury-style call-and-response moment. His vocal range was on full display here, effortlessly shifting from deep chest notes to falsetto, all while enlisting the audience as his backing choir. This was where Arthur truly thrived—not just performing to the crowd but with them.

He also had time for a bit of fun, throwing in a cheeky “Here’s Anne-Marie!” fakeout before launching into Rewrite the Stars, which was delicate, heartfelt, and backed by a sea of phone torches.

One unexpected choice was a cover of A Thousand Years. It was beautifully done, but with Say You Won’t Let Go still to come, it felt a little redundant. Lasting Lover, on the other hand, injected a dose of synth-driven energy, nodding to The 1975 with its shimmering production.

Then, the big one. Say You Won’t Let Go was inevitable, but that didn’t make it any less special. The entire venue sang every word back to him, the kind of moment that reminds you why this song has become his defining hit.

More than just a showcase of his vocal ability, this was a night about shared experience—between Arthur and his fans, between the audience and the cause, between music and something bigger than itself. And that’s what made it special. With only a taster of what’s to come for his next release Pisces, which drops April 28th, James Arthur’s music transcends well past music for soppy, loved-up couples, and lands neatly in a realm full of possibility, vulnerability and speaking truth to the realest human moments.