From Paradiso Upstairs to the bigger stage of Tolhuistuin: Matilda Mann is ready for the next step. On May 4, she brought her very first headline tour to Amsterdam. The room wasn’t completely sold out, but full and alive. You could feel that everyone was there with intention.
The night started with Jo Hill, a UK-based country-pop artist touring Europe for the first time, joined by her guitarist Kinga Hornik. She came on at 19:15 and immediately had the crowd with her. Her voice is strong but warm, and she has this natural way of making you want to sing along. She played a few songs from her debut album, girlhood, released in December 2024. Her songs have lyrics about being a girl in the music industry, the struggles that come with it, and the power of friendship. She ended her set with a little meet-up at the merch stand – super sweet and very her. One thing is clear: Jo Hill is one to watch.
Because it was Remembrance Day in the Netherlands, we all held two minutes of silence at 20:00. That moment felt powerful, even the international visitors in the room respected it fully. And then, the magic continued.
At 20:30, Matilda Mann stepped onto the stage in a beautiful outfit and opened with ‘Autopilot’. This tour is all about her debut album Roxwell, which honestly feels like a soft, heartfelt dive into growing up. Most of the songs are mellow but with a groove. The kind of music that gets under your skin and stays there.
One of my favourite parts was seeing fans give her drawings, and someone even brought this giant heart-shaped balloon that floated through the room. She was so touched and called us “talented.” The energy really peaked during ‘Say It Back’ – everyone was singing, dancing, and just living in the moment. A super fun moment? It was her guitarist’s birthday, so the whole crowd sang “Lang zal hij leven,” a Dutch birthday song. The band looked totally confused, but they loved it – and Matilda’s laugh was so infectious that half the room was giggling along.
Before the show, you could actually sign up at the merch table with your name, age, and interests, and after the encore, she picked two names – maybe they met their soulmate that night. Who knows? Her set lasted exactly an hour, but it felt like time flew by. For the encore, she came back with angel wings on and ended the night with three dreamy songs that had us dancing and singing right until the end.
If you don’t know her yet, Matilda Man is one to watch. Her voice is warm, her lyrics are personal and honest, and her shows feel like a safe space full of love. This first headline show in Amsterdam was just the beginning, and we were all lucky to see her perform.
