By Emma Turner
The Stella Artour – the best place to be this Sunday evening, with Arthur Hill blowing the roof off of the Manchester Academy, proved just how talented he really is. And that’s without mentioning the sheer strength of his fan base, where many queued outside the venue from the early hours of the morning, eagerly waiting for his arrival.
Before it was time for Arthur to take the stage though, Brighton-based singer-songwriter Benjamin Steer was the first to receive a warm welcome from the audience – some of whom were clearly familiar with him, judging by the loud screams.
Playing a variety of songs from his new EP Figuring It Out, and a couple of unreleased tracks, his set provided the perfect overview of him as an artist. He described his songs as “lyrically depressing”, singing about how he didn’t want to die alone, finding purpose, and heartbreak. Yet all the while – they were incredibly upbeat, and the crowd were clapping along and cheering throughout the set. Even when he was introducing a song about “going back to someone you know you shouldn’t”, they all yelled in support.
The standout was definitely Trophy, written in spite of someone who told him he could never write a “sexy song”. Immediately, it had a much funkier tone than the rest of the set, and the crowd couldn’t help but dance.
After Benjamin’s fabulous support slot, the only thing left was the main act. With the audience clearly buzzing, they couldn’t have been more ready.
Arthur walked on stage to none other than Thunderstruck by AC/DC, and as the lights went off, his ‘Stella Artour’ sign at the back of the stage illuminated. The crowd chanted his name along to the song, and instantly, you could tell that this would be a wild night.
Starting off strong with fan-favourites She’s So Handsome, and Late for the Reservation, Arthur’s presence created an instant surge of energy that continued to grow throughout the night. Fans screamed the lyrics like their lives depended on it as Arthur danced around the stage, inviting everyone to join in.
Despite using lots of his energy to put on one hell of a show, his humour never dulled, and there was a point in the set where he announced he was going to “get genuine” for a moment, but suddenly a large amount of autotune was added to his voice as he spoke, which made everyone laugh. Through the autotune, he spoke on how he once played to 300 people in Manchester, and how he’s eternally grateful to now be performing to an even larger audience of 2,500. From watching the show, it was obvious how much his confidence has grown since those small venues. He’s a born performer – his full authentic self was out on display, and he enjoyed every second of it.
To add something special to every night on tour, Arthur has added a section where he performs a new cover at every city, to which people online were gutted when Dublin got to hear Role Model’s Some Protector, because they didn’t want to miss out. In Manchester, he said he hoped his song choice was even better than that – stepping out to perform Night Changes by One Direction. The entire room erupted into happy chaos. It was a lovely, intimate moment where Arthur sat down by himself on the stage, spotlight on him, making things feel more relaxed and open, letting the crowd’s singing ring out across the venue.
Arthur then moved over to another side of the stage, this time to perform a mashup of different tracks, as he didn’t have the time to add them all to the setlist. This was great way to still include some of his older songs, whilst also making room for his newer work, which has clearly grown in depth and confidence. Tracks included the likes of Too Much Ain’t Enough, How About Then, Try a Little Harder, Passing Thought, and of course, his first ever single, Tiny Room.
You’re Not A God then shifted the energy into something spine-chilling, with dramatic, deafening guitar strums, along with powerful high notes that left the room frozen in place. It was a truly unforgettable moment that had everyone in the room caught by the intensity of it.
The viral hit Hey Arthur! then began with his staple call-and-response that has gone down a treat on tour so far, and Manchester was no different. The second the keyboard kicked in on this bright, bouncy indie pop sound, the fans jumped as one. The whole night felt like a dance party, and of course, Dead In The Disco took this feeling to a whole new level. The crowd and stage were engulfed in rainbow coloured flickering lights, capturing the electric atmosphere at its fullest.
It was clear by the end of the night why Arthur Hill has become such a force. This show felt like an entire celebration of how far his music and performance has come, and we cannot wait to see what is next.
Unless otherwise stated, Photography & Text Copyright 2025 © Emma Turner/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Alexandra Pullen