By Alexandra Pullen
Photo Credit: Emma Turner/ADRENALINE Magazine
On this glorious Saturday evening in Manchester, the sun glared down onto the hundreds of people queuing outside the O2 Apollo on Stockport Road. Of course, they all gathered eager to see Cat Burns, three-time BRIT Award nominated artist and previous BRIT School pupil, on the penultimate night of her How to Be Human UK tour.
Burns began to gain traction online when, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she posted videos of covers but also sang some original tracks; in particular, her song go brought her much attention and an entirely new fan base. Last year, the singer experienced this all over again, when viewers of the first season of The Celebrity Traitors completely warmed to her transparency about how it feels being neurodivergent, as well as her fantastic sense of style.
For tonight, fans were eager for the show to begin, with six cities having already witnessed the spectacle.
The stage was dressed with a homely set, filled with lamps, plants, a rug, and comfy-looking chairs which made for an intimate feeling that carried throughout the night. Burns clearly values her fans and wants to build a soothing atmosphere during her shows, and that she did, as she sat back in her armchair and invited us in for a night of storytelling in her very own ‘living room’.
Before the headline, it was Mancunian artist Nxdia’s hometown show, an inevitably special night for any performer. They immediately connected with the crowd after a strong opener, Jennifer’s Body, by sharing that they grew up in the Hulme/Stratford area of Greater Manchester, and experienced many gigs in this very venue: “I’m so glad to be back home”. They were extremely chatty and relatable throughout – which warmed people up – discussing the Wetherspoons breakfast they had had, as well as potentially buttering us up a bit with the flattering (but true) statement: “us Mancunians are a vibe”.
Nothing At All, Body on Me and the heavier Wet Leg-esque More! all featured in Nxdia’s 30-minute set, but a highlight was certainly She Likes A Boy, where they got the entire 3,500 capacity venue chanting “f*ck that guy”!
A final call for togetherness with the closing song, Feel Anything, led to everyone cuddling the people they were at the show with, as Nxdia came to the barricade and sang into the audience.
In the style of Lily Allen on her most recent tour, celebrating her album West End Girl, Burns played her 16-track album How To Be Human in its entirety, from beginning to end: a potentially risky move, and one that did impact the pacing of the show. There were moments which seemed to hit a bit of a lull, perhaps as a result of the crowd’s unfamiliarity with some of the album tracks, but it was nice to see each song get its moment.
Cat began with a warm welcome during Come Home, sitting in her armchair and easing herself and the crowd into the show. Throughout songs like Can Time Move Faster? and Small Talk, voice notes were incorporated into the recorded tracks, and seeing Burns vulnerably reflect on them during the live show was brilliant. Even through humour, joking “what a drama queen!”, you could tell how proud she was about how far she has come, and the way in which music has given her an avenue to express such strong and difficult emotions.
“I love Manchester so much”, she shared early on in the show before reflecting on the “ridiculous” amount of nights out she has experienced in the city. Burns did have her moments of chatting with the audience, but for the majority of the night it was all about the music. In moments of performance, you could still sense a feeling of reflection and growth radiating from the singer.
All This Love saw a magical moment: a project where attendees held up colourful paper love hearts to Burns, swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the song and showing their appreciation.
This tour, which had been set for November, off the back of her Celebrity Traitors stint, was rescheduled so the singer could “take care of [her] wellbeing”, so it’s safe to say that fans had been waiting a while for this night to come. It is arguable that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that certainly seemed to the case for the general reception towards Burns, but it must be noted that the crowd did fall quite flat in some moments.
A change in pace helped, with Burns stating after Gemini – which acts somewhat as the album’s volta – that from then onwards, it “gets fun”, and the audience did seem to perk up a bit. Cat herself also eased into the show, with a strong flow between GIRLS!, There’s Just Something About Her, and Lavender. The former two are uplifting celebrations of queer identity and have a lightness about them which seemed to translate to the stage. Similarly, the opening “la-la-la-la”’s of Lavender could be heard echoing through the audience.
The remaining tracks from How To Be Human flickered between the integral themes of grief, love and identity. Burns went on to share personal stories about her relationship with her girlfriend Sarah, expressing some important lessons that “if you put love and light out, you get it back”, as well as dedicating the album’s title track to “all my neurodivergent people”.
Burns’ vocals were extremely powerful and soulful the entire night, but they reached their peak in the encore. There was some evident confidence behind her older and more well-known songs, including people pleaser and go, from her 2024 album, early twenties. Additionally, the crowd gained energy during this segment and were possibly the loudest they had been all night.
Manchester’s O2 Apollo may have had some competition for the most bustling place that Saturday night, with The Rolling People and Skye Newman performing at venues across the city, but what the crowd did witness was an evening of poignancy and transparency.
Despite the setlist having some issues with pacing, Burns certainly made the stage her own. She would alternate between dancing around the stage in moments of celebration, and sitting thoughtfully in her armchair, throughout the entire night, allowing for moments of emotional outlet and reflection as well as some partying with her fans.
Photography Copyright 2026 © Emma Turner/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Text Copyright 2026 © Alexandra Pullen/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Chloe McLelland 
Alisha Lawton 
Kelsey McAndrew