When Timothy Chalamet made headlines earlier this year for his bizarrely uncultured denouncement of opera and ballet as forms that “no one cares about anymore”, he clearly hadn’t seen Rosalia’s current Lux tour. Landing at London’s O2 Arena for the first of two nights, the live manifestation of the Spanish superstar’s tour-de-force 2025 LP is not only a breathtaking showcase for both of these mediums (alongside Latin pop, multilingual vocal prowess, and a thousand other things), but proof that, to fully entertain 20,000 people every night, you can set the bar as high as you like and bring people up to it with you. Take note, Chalamet.
It is hard to think of a major label, commercial artist who has ever attempted a show quite like this. From the moment that the 22-piece Heritage Orchestra walks out and takes their place on a second stage in the centre of the crowd, the scale of intention is clear. But the sheer virtuosic skill that Rosalia demonstrates throughout is on a whole other plane to her peers. Transported onto the stage in a white box that breaks down to reveal the singer in a pink tutu, by second song Reliquia she’s already on pointe, moving across the space like a professional ballerina.
