Alt-pop’s most fearless new voice, Nxdia, has spent the past year carving out a lane entirely their own. With the release of their debut mixtape I Promise No One’s Watching, the Egyptian-Sudanese, Manchester-raised artist has continued to challenge expectations, blending vulnerability and rebellion in equal measure.
Their music, a genre-bending reflection of queerness, identity and self-discovery, found its truest form on stage this October. Across the UK and Europe, Nxdia’s first-ever headline tour became a celebration of freedom and connection, a cathartic, sweat-soaked communion between artist and audience.
From intimate club rooms to packed venues, Nxdia commanded every stage with infectious energy and unfiltered emotion. Taking 1883 Magazine behind the scenes, Nxdia reflects on their sold-out UK and EU headline tour, offering a powerful snapshot of an artist coming fully into their own.
I can’t believe tour is over already! I’ve been reliving all the moments in my mind & can still feel the mix of anxiety and excitement of the first soundcheck, it was nuts.
Kicking it off in Manchester was really so meaningful to me, to have my family at the first date of my headline tour is something I’ll forever carry with me – and something that definitely didn’t make me super emo (it did).
It was my third time playing in Glasgow, and it was delicious! The crowd chanted for an encore, we hadn’t planned for one, but I was so caught up in the energy of that room…I ran back again and we sang “Feel Anything” for the second time. My in-ears were all tangled, and it was extremely chaotic in the best way.
It was my third time playing in Glasgow, and it was delicious! The crowd chanted for an encore, we hadn’t planned for one, but I was so caught up in the energy of that room…I ran back again and we sang “Feel Anything” for the second time. My in-ears were all tangled, and it was extremely chaotic in the best way.
For my entire tour and literally my day-to-day life, I try to find my outfits from vintage/charity shops or on Vinted and on a whim, in a shop three minutes from the venue, in Birmingham, I bought my leopard coat one hour before doors opened, maybe even less. I saw it and fell in love, so I changed my outfit on the spot for the night. Bonus points because it was so soft, which everyone I met after the show kept saying….the wildness of the fit matched the crowd energy to a T.
I love trinkets and the community knows me so well! So I brought back one luggage worth of trinkets and the sweetest, most thoughtful letters and gifts…not to be all soft but I could cry typing this, they really get me. I felt such an honest and loving energy in each of the rooms on tour.
I love love love the venue in brussels, it was just so lush! just like the people at the show!! the set up was so weird but one of the craziest parts was when we were all moshing in the pit, i could literally feel the floorboards straining from how much we were jumping, did get a bit spooked lol- continued anyway
Halfway through the tour i got really sick, so went to see a doctor (fun fact the receptionist had saved my songs on his spotify, that was a plus kinda!) and got told i had nasty laryngitis.
But there was no way i was gonna cancel any shows, i knew so many people had planned, travelled or waited for this – myself included !! even if i was feeling very rough and at low, the crowd in Hamburg and Berlin really helped me and gave me so much energy, those shows were pure adrenaline
This is photographic evidence that i did actually kiss the postcards for all the presale tickets holder, one thing about me is that i love a diy/ handmade/handcrafted gift. im very grateful for all the time and effort people have been giving me and my music so i want to make sure i also match that energy lmaoo
i call this “van in october”, pretty much had a cloud follow us the entire journey, not an omen though!! we got these moments where the weirdest scenarios would happen at hotels or dinner or after the show so we laughed our way through mostly everything
One thing i will never take for granted is people knowing the lyrics and EVEN the arabic ones, so when i played in warsaw and katowice and had people singing every single lyric with me, i compleeeetelt melted, genuinely insane- also if you caught me getting emotional through all the special moments with banners/flags that people held up no you didn’t! (thanku ilyilyily)
Moments before i am left backstage on my own singing to Teenagers by My Chemical Romance whilst my band (thea & george) head on stage. having this song was a little nod to little Nxdia who couldn’t even dream of playing a sold out tour and feeling seen – we did it kiki!
ipiw tour lore: the only media consumed were probably (most definitely) celebrity traitors uk & spongebob. if you ask thea and george they could probably recite you any episode from memory
a (head) banging end of tour, prague was so so sweet to me when i first played there at metronome (shoutout to the girl that left her own graduation party to come to the meet up, ur a real one) and it felt serendipitous that it was also the last date of the tour. in my heart im in denial and ipiw tour never ended and will go on forever, because it was truly one of the best things i have ever done
I Promise No One’s Watching is out now, follow via @nxdiamusic
