Dua Lipa’s headline set at Mad Cool is utterly glorious

It’s proof, if any more was needed, that she’s going to absolutely own Wembley Stadium next summer.

Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Frances Beach.

“Are you ready for a party?” Dua Lipa asks the crowd of Mad Cool with a knowing grin. Her music has always flirted with the world of giddy dance but since the release of ‘Future Nostalgia’, she’s chased euphoria at every turn. ‘Radical Optimism’ adds to the urgent excitement but cuts it with the fierce determination to make the most of every moment. It makes for the perfect festival soundtrack.

And today, she absolutely owns Mad Cool. Fresh from her blistering set at Glastonbury, Dua kicks off the set by marching down the runway for a joyful ‘Training Season’ and smirks at the massive crowd before launching into an extended, swaggering ‘One Kiss’. She’s got the field on the palm of her hand, and she knows it.

With bursts of confetti, fluid dance breakdowns and a real sense of purpose, Dua Lipa’s set is a masterclass in pure pop spectacle. What else is there, when you’ve got mammoth anthems like ‘Physical’, ‘Levitating’ and ‘New Rules’ in your back pocket?

Sometimes such a relentless run of hits can leave the audience feeling detached from the action on the stage though, but there’s a real sense of warmth to the entire show that has nothing to do with the glorious weather. Dua addresses the crowd in Spanish, talks about how every show remains a dream come true and constantly encourages everyone to lose themselves in the moment. It’s playful as well, with Dua looking like she’s having an absolute ball.

She isn’t afraid of taking risks though. The indie heartbreak of ‘These Walls’ and the reflective ‘Happy For You’ wrestle moments of calm from the ongoing rave, but their tender lessons in loss and love only make the euphoria that much more cathartic. Elsewhere ‘Be The One’ is a moment of pure celebration, in a set that’s relentlessly triumphant. The fizzying ‘Electricity’ and the arm-in-arm performance of ‘Cold Heart’ inspire big, heartfelt singalongs.

Finding togetherness in big, dance-pop anthems, Dua Lipa’s headline set at Mad Cool is utterly glorious. Feel good, communal but ambitious, it’s an almighty flex from one of the brightest stars around who remains determined to give people the time of their life. It’s proof, if any more was needed, that she’s going to absolutely own Wembley Stadium next summer.