Spanish singing sensation Rosalía makes a triumphant return to London this week, hot on the heels of her latest smash hit album Lux, with two concerts at the O2 Arena on Tuesday, May 5 and Wednesday, May 6. Few singers performing outside of the English language have broken down barriers quite like Rosalía, whose blend of traditional folk, flamenco pop and R&B has turned her into a world famous diva with two Grammys to her name.
Who is Rosalía?
Born in the Catalan town of Sant Esteve Sesrovires, near Barcelona, in 1992, Rosalía came from a non-musical family but became enchanted with the sound of Spanish folk music from a young age, in particular the Flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla. As a session singer, she provided vocals for a number of theatre shows and ad campaigns before graduating from the Superior School of Music in Catalonia in 2017.
Rosalía signed with Universal Records Spain in 2016 and quickly released her debut album, Los Ángeles, which was nominated in the Latin Grammy Awards and named Time Out magazine's best album of 2017. She then worked with Spanish musician el Guincho to record her second album El mal querer, recorded almost entirely in el Guincho's apartment and largely funded by Rosalía herself. It would go on to launch her as a massive star.
The album's first single Malamente earned praise from the likes of Dua Lipa and Kourtney Kardashian, who shared the track with their followers. A second single, Pienso en tu mirá earned critical acclaim, while the third Di mi nombre reached number one in Spain. Rosalía's third and fourth albums, Momotami and Lux have seen her break through into international charts, with two Grammy awards and headline performances at Coachella and Lollapalooza festivals.
Setlist
Based on Rosalía's setlist in Berlin on May 1, the two shows at The O2 could be arranged as follows:
- Overture (Musical introduction played by an orchestra)
- Sexo, violencia y llantas
- Reliquia
- Porcelana
- Divinize (Contains elements of Thank You by Dido)
- Mio Cristo piange diamanti (Followed by video interlude)
- Berghain (Extended outro; contains elements of Conrad Taylor’s remix)
- SAOKO
- LA FAMA
- COMBI VERSACE
- De madrugá
- El redentor
- Can't Take My Eyes Off You (Frankie Valli cover) (with fans on stage)
- Confesionario (With Najwa Nimri)
- La perla
- Sauvignon blanc (Dedicated to a fan in the crowd)
- La yugular (Followed by interlude)
- Dios es un stalker
- La rumba del perdón
- CUUUUuuuuuute (Shortened, with elements of Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics)
- BIZCOCHITO
- DESPECHÁ
- Focu 'ranni
- Magnolias
Last Minute Tickets
A number of last-minute tickets to see Rosalía are available at AXS and Ticketmaster, beginning from £78 right up to £503 for premium packages, although many available tickets including resales are in the region of £100 to £120. Resale tickets for Rosalía's O2 shows are currently being touted from over £100 on sites such as Viagogo and Stubhub.
Show Times
For her London O2 Arena shows on May 5 and 6, Rosalía is expected to take the stage at around 8.45pm, with doors opening at approximately 6.30pm. She has consistently started her sets at this time across her European tour stops.
Support Act
Interestingly, there is no support act for either of Rosalía's shows at the O2 Arena. It is thought fans will be treated to curated video performances of artists in the run-up to the concert.
