By Kelsey McAndrew
On Thursday night, Tom Grennan brought his ‘25 tour to Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, in celebration of his latest album Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn’t Want to Be. Fans from across Scotland flocked to the venue for this highly anticipated and nearly sold-out show.
Before Tom took the stage, fans were treated to stellar opening acts, Cork-born busker Allie Sherlock and beloved Scottish singer-songwriter Tom Walker, who both got Glasgow roaring and ready for the night ahead.
Irish singer-songwriter and busker, Allie Sherlock opened the night. Her angelic vocals had the crowd in awe, and her spectacular cover of Alex Warren’s The Ordinary gave them the perfect introduction to who she is as an artist. With a sea of fans’ phone flashlights illuminating the venue, it was the standout of her set.
While renowned for performing covers, Allie gave the audience a taste of her own music style, with original track Ex Friend, a single she released back in January. Pink lights flooded the stage, and everyone rushed to capture the moment. Allie told the audience about how she wishes to release more music in the future, before playing I Don’t Need Saving, an unreleased original track fans can expect soon. All I’m going to say is… if you’ve ever been loved-bombed before – then this is the one for you.
Allie made sure to interact with as many people as possible during her set, walking down the elongated catwalk to play to the crowd on a more intimate level.
Sherlock then covered Tom Odell’s Black Friday, calling it her ‘song of the year’, and urging the crowd to stream it: “I need everybody dancing to this next song”, Allie said – and they sure did, as gig-goers echoed the lyrics through the arena in the thousands.
Allie ended her set with energy and emotion, including covers of Lola Young’s hit single Messy and her second most-streamed single How Love Works, which currently amasses 1.3 million on Spotify.
The Irish singer-songwriter then delivered an emotional and vulnerable performance of Adele’s Set Fire to The Rain, which got fans out of their seats. The crowd sang every lyric at the top of their lungs as their voices flowed through the arena. Before she left, she described the Glasgow crowd as her “best audience”, before declaring how excited she is to come back to the UK on her October tour, where she’ll make stops in Liverpool, Brighton, Birmingham, and London, before heading back home to Ireland for a few more shows. Missing from the lineup, however, is a Glasgow show. Allie – if you’re reading this – we need a Scottish date!
It wasn’t long before Scottish singing legend Tom Walker was up on the stage next. A powerful, electric intro sent waves through the arena, before lights flooded the stage and Tom appeared.
“Glasgow, how you feeling?!” Tom shouted before kicking straight into his 2024 hit Holy Ghost. The track’s layered vocals and the catchy riff made for the perfect mix, before Tom kicked straight into Angels, track one of his beautiful debut album What a Time to Be Alive. He began the track acoustically before his band joined in and made the performance even more moving and emotional.
Tom thanked his crowd for having him before performing one of his biggest hits Just You and I to a sea of flashlights in the audience.
He encouraged the crowd to make some noise for Tom Grennan and his crew and well, the audience went wild at the simple mention of his name. As the Hydro began getting more packed, Tom then sang his hit Head Underwater, prompting the crowd to chant the chorus over and over again – believe me, the atmosphere was electric! The Hydro couldn’t have been more ready for Tom Grennan.
Before Walker finished, he told the crowd to dig deep and let all their anger out, whilst copying Freddie Mercury’s famous vocal warmups. The atmosphere was buzzing.
Tom then closed his set with Leave A Light On; the audience swaying and watching the Scottish artist in awe.
And before you knew it, the lights went down, the curtain was lifted, and Tom Grennan appeared on stage. The stage had a cool 80s vibe to it with each band member set up across the stage, and with ‘GRENNAN’ illuminating the background in big bright letters.
Tom kicked off his show by energetically making his way down the catwalk, greeting fans and spinning around the stage. It was impossible not to get caught up in all the glitz and glam!
The pop sensation opened with his catchy single Full Attention, released earlier this year. Everyone in the arena was instantly out of their seats, dancing to the music. Playing back-to-back hits, he then performed Higher, a track which has an astonishing 7.6 million streams on Spotify. The crowd was belting the lyrics out loud to this one especially.
With mini fireworks being set off and confetti cannons firing, it was without a doubt an unforgettable opening. Tom described his Scottish crowd as the “best in the world” and made it known that “Scotland cannot be beaten”, which, obviously, as a Scot myself, I have to agree with. The floor was shaking during some of the songs due to the sheer amount of people dancing! So, it’s clear – no one does it quite like a Scottish crowd.
Tom then threw it all the way back to 2018 with his irresistible classic Found What I’ve Been Looking For. It’s one of those tunes that everyone knows, regardless of whether you’re a casual listener or a superfan.
“I love the city, and I love Scotland” the 30-year-old star shouted as he encouraged the crowd to go crazy. Tom wasn’t afraid to show his love for Scotland during the show and even explained how much he loves the Hydro, describing it as “one of [my] favourite venues to play”.
Of course, this prompted cheers, and the audience was full of energy as the iconic “No Scotland, No Party” echoed throughout the venue.
Tom commanded the crowd throughout the night, but a standout moment was when he encouraged them to hold hands with the person beside them for Crown Your Love. It was a beautiful sight to see as the arena was filled with warmth.
Tom’s wonderful backup singers strutted down the catwalk as they showcased their talent to the audience on a closer level. They truly were amazing and helped make the show that bit more special. Tom then sang Let’s Go Home Together and Diamond back-to-back, alongside his backup singers, before kicking into his hit How Does It Feel.
The spectacular show eventually came to an end, and ended on a high, with 2021 platinum Little Bit Of Love. The crowd was unbelievably energetic, though there definitely was a sense of sadness throughout the venue as no one wanted the show to come to an end.
Overall, Tom Grennan really proved his star-studded status. He’s a true entertainer in his prime, and from here the only way is up.
It was a great night all-round, and I can speak for all of us Scots when I say that we hope to see him back in Glasgow at some point in the near future.
Text Copyright 2025 © Kelsey Sarah McAndrew/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Photography Copyright 2025 © Kyle Horne/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Madi Briggs 
Alisha Lawton