James Bay | Live at OVO Wembley Arena

1883 attended James Bay's biggest headline date at the OVO Wembley Arena in London.

For British singer-songwriter James Bay, his sold-out, triumphant show at OVO Wembley Arena was 12 years in the making.

Bay, a previous 1883 Magazine cover star, first captured the public’s attention with his debut LP Chaos and the Calm in 2015. However, his journey began years earlier, performing at open mic nights in Brighton and London, and releasing his debut EP The Dark of The Morning in 2013. Over the past decade, he’s had the privilege of sharing the stage with musical icons like The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen.

Following the release of his fourth studio album Changes All The Time last October, Bay embarked on a UK headline tour in February, with the final night taking place at OVO Wembley Arena. The sold-out show, his largest to date, saw him perform to a crowd of 10,000. As he stepped onto the stage, the atmosphere was electric, and Bay immediately connected with the audience, opening with “Up All Night” from his latest album, followed by “Give Me the Reason.” Beaming, he addressed the crowd: “I think we did it Wembley, you look incredible, you sound incredible, and I need you to sing with me tonight.”

The setlist drew from his entire catalog—Changes All The Time, Chaos and the Calm, Electric Light, and Leap—with Bay delivering a masterclass in soulful, stunning vocals. Songs like “If You Ever Want To Be in Love” and “Hope” brought a raw emotional depth to the evening.

Halfway through, Bay welcomed Myles Smith to the stage for a special rendition of one of his biggest hits, “Let It Go.” After powering through Electric Light’s “Wild Love,” Bay paused to interact with the crowd: “Thank you so much, London. How are you feeling? You are making me feel like a billion bucks.”

Other highlights included the crowd lighting up the arena with phone lights during “Scars,” which Bay introduced with a snippet of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” He also performed an exceptional medley of “Peer Pressure,” “Craving,” and “Pink Lemonade,” before launching into the Brandon Flowers co-written tune, “Easy Distraction.”

The true highlight of the night, however, was the sense of gratitude Bay radiated throughout the performance. After a powerful, on-his-knees guitar solo during an extended version of “Best Fake Smile,” he took a moment to thank the audience during the encore. He said: “Have you got time for one more, what about two? I cannot express how grateful I am; it’s been 12 years in the making, thank you so much.” He concluded the monumental performance with “Dogfight” and his breakout hit, “Hold Back The River.”

Though it may have taken Bay some time to reach this pinnacle, the wait was undoubtedly worth it. With such a memorable performance, it’s clear that he’s destined for even bigger arenas in the future.

Words Cameron Poole