Olivia Rodrigo brings out her best Pop-Rock Princess Performance to Co-Op Live, Manchester

Concluding her GUTS World Tour this month, Olivia Rodrigo brought her best pop-rock princess energy to her two rescheduled Manchester tour dates at the Co-op Live arena. Due to issues with the same venue last year, both performances had been called off. However, Rodrigo and her team were determined not to disappoint fans and, a year later, were able to reschedule the shows to the 30th of June and the 1st of July of this year. Many fans had been waiting over a year to see Rodrigo perform in Manchester, and it is safe to say that the wait most definitely paid off.

Following the busy weekend of performing at BST Hyde Park and Glastonbury, there was a buzz online, in the queue, and the crowd as fans excitedly waited to see what Rodrigo would bring to the rescheduled shows. Many were curious whether the performance would be akin to the singer’s GUTS solo tour sets or more similar to her recent festival appearances. In the end, it turned out to be the perfect combination of both, which successfully showcased Rodrigo’s growth as an artist and performer, whilst still delivering the pop-rock princess energy fans have grown to know and love.

With the audience greeted by new background visuals used in her recent festival performances and masterful instrumentals from her fellow band members, the anticipation kept building exponentially until Rodrigo’s arrival on stage. Diving straight into the rock-sensation track ‘Obsessed’, Rodrigo took the crowd on a journey through her music career, performing both older and newer songs. During the set, the singer expressed her gratitude for being able to perform the rescheduled shows, saying, “we’re finally here, I’m so happy!” and thanked fans for their patience.

In addition to the usual songs that have become signature features in Rodrigo’s sets (such as ‘Vampire’, ‘Good 4 U’ and ‘Traitor'), the singer took time to mention that the crowd would also get to hear songs that hadn’t yet been played during her festival performances. These included ‘Lacy’ and ‘The Grudge’ as well as two quite unexpected choices: ‘All I Want’ (from ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’) and ‘Can’t Catch Me Now’ (from ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’), which elicited a cathartic reaction from the crowd, with screams of excitement and tears all around the venue.

Another heartwarming section of Rodrigo’s set, which brought tears to many fans’ and even Rodrigo’s eyes, was organised by the fans themselves. Through the use of social media, word of mouth, and distribution during the queue and amongst the crowd, a fan project was able to flourish. During ‘Pretty Isn’t Pretty’, fans placed light purple printed hearts over their phone torches to flood the stadium in a purple glow — it was a spectacular sight, and with the amount of effort and emotion that went into it, it turned into an incredibly uplifting moment, showcasing the sense of community Rodrigo has built and continues to grow through her music.

Of course, no Manchester show would be complete without a bit of football banter, and one particularly hilarious and memorable moment came when Rodrigo accidentally caused some friendly discourse amongst the audience. She explained that she had spent two months in Manchester the previous year and had attended a Manchester United game, which prompted many boos from the crowd. She then apologised and mentioned Manchester’s other main football team, Manchester City, which funnily enough, also received boos. The light-hearted riff between the two fanbases lasted a while, with Rodrigo laughing and saying she had “never heard a crowd so 50/50 split between boos and woos before”, a spontaneous and hilarious moment to be part of.

Being a mix of her GUTS World Tour sets and festival performances, there were new production elements in the set. One of the most interesting parts was the strategic use of the clear sections of the stage, which allowed for dynamic, upward-facing camera angles. This truly elevated the production value of the show and made for striking visuals for the crowd to watch, particularly during ‘Obsessed’ and ‘Get Him Back!’ when Rodrigo and her band stood on the transparent section and stomped on beat with the song, encouraging the crowd to join in too. Another moment, also borrowed from her recent festival sets, was when Rodrigo climbed a short tower on stage and used a megaphone to begin ‘Get Him Back!’, hyping the crowd up by shouting, “Are you still with me, Manchester?!”

Towards the end of the song, star confetti rained from the ceiling in a blur of colour, with some pieces featuring written messages thanking the fans for coming to the show. It was an incredible end to a set full of energy and star power, leaving the crowd with the classic feeling of post-concert euphoria.

Although Rodrigo’s official GUTS World Tour has now finished, the singer is still taking full advantage of summer festival season, performing at many different festivals around the world. We can’t wait to see what the artist does next, and look forward to seeing future announcements and performances from Rodrigo in the future.

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