On November 2nd, Swedish singer Zara Larsson brought the Midnight Sun Tour to Lotto Arena in Antwerp, Belgium, in support of the album of the same name. It was a magical night filled with colours, bright lights, and high energy. To start the show, Omar Rudberg took to the stage to get the crowd warmed up. His set was a perfect teaser for what could be expected when Zara took the stage later. For 30 minutes, the Venezuelan-Swedish singer gave his all through upbeat bangers paired with energetic choreographies. In the front row, some fans already seemed to know all the words, and soon he had the whole room dancing.
After a short break, it was Larsson’s turn. When the room went dark, a sea of phones rose into the air, but fans had to wait just a little longer. Before the actual show started, the song ‘Fireflies’ by Owl City began to play, and a live video of the audience was projected on the screens. The audience enjoyed some karaoke but was clearly eager for the show to start. The stage soon lit up, revealing the set, which bore a striking resemblance to the album art. The band was standing on platforms disguised as hills covered in grass and flowers, the screens were filled with dreamy visuals, and in the middle of it all hung the brightly glowing midnight sun.
Zara opened the set with a bang. The track that gave the tour its title, ‘Midnight Sun’, complete with spot-on vocals, a choreography performed by her and her dancers, and a bright light sequence immediately captivated the audience. The setlist was a balanced mix of old favourites, radio hits, and songs from her latest album, released in June. Every song’s performance was carefully thought out, with outfit changes, cheeky dance moves, and visuals ranging from sunset colours to a fairy-like forest matching the stage.
The audience sang and danced along throughout the night, but certain songs seemed to get them extra excited. The first highlight came during ‘Pretty Ugly’ from the latest album. The song contains a chant that had the crowd screaming a little extra loudly: “Have you ever seen a pretty girl get ugly like this, messy like this, losing her sh*t?”. From that moment on, the bar was set, because next came her 2017 hit ‘It Ain’t My Fault’. Throughout the next few songs from Midnight Sun, Larsson showed off her incredible vocals, all while dancing and never missing a beat.
Then came the moment that, for many fans, seemed to be the highlight of the evening. Some people had been waiting twelve years to hear her sing ‘Uncover’, the song that launched her career in 2013. Larsson came back on stage, wearing a red, flowy dress, and for the next few minutes, it was just her, the piano, and the audience lit up by a sea of flashlights.
Nearing the end of the night, Larsson had a few more bangers lined up, accompanied by a few surprises. Right before she sang her hit ‘Lush Life’, she invited three fans on stage to sing and dance along with her. A fourth fan got to join them and even got to stay for a second surprise. During ‘Puss Puss’, she was handed a camera to let the audience see Larsson from her point of view on stage. If it wasn’t already unforgettable, this moment sealed the deal for these four lucky fans.
Finally, Zara gave all her remaining energy to the final song of the night, ‘Symphony’. One of her biggest hits, released in 2017 as a collaboration with Clean Bandit. The song topped the charts all over the world and was the perfect endnote to the evening. After confetti filled the air, the final notes rang through the room, and the crowd sang the famous chorus one last time.
