18 November 2025 @ The O2 Arena London for Bastille’s “From All Sides” Tour where the band play songs from the last 15 years to celebrate a massive milestone as a band. Over the last 15 years Bastille have had a plethora of big hits and beautiful lyrics that have been the soundtrack to massive milestones in my life. After seeing them from the early days in 2014 at Ally Pally to the Reorchestrated tour at the Royal Albert Hall and now at The O2 arena, I always have high expectations that they know how to make the crowd electric with their upbeat hits. Everyone has something they love on the setlist and this tour showcases the range that Bastille have collected throughout their musical career.
Bastille were able to create an intimate atmosphere considering the large venue and after 15 years they are still likeable and not tainted by fame, and this is especially visible when front man, Dan Smith, interacts with the audience. He even owns up to making a few mistakes during the performance which makes him and the band appear more down to earth. This has always been a draw to the band and their ability to create an authentic experience despite a significantly overwhelming venue like The O2. It’s no mean feat to change the bulk of the set list every night of the tour and roll with the missteps or whatever touring throws at them. I did feel that by changing the setlist, the show lacked Bastille’s signature cohesion that I have always loved about their concerts. The usually slick transitions, visuals and instrumentals were replaced by a casual laid back approach, which felt more akin to a lounge than a massive arena. The high energy anthems were speckled with slower mash-ups or even piano based performances like Oblivion or No Bad Days which slowed the pace and left the atmosphere supercharged with emotion.
As with most Bastille concerts I’ve attended the inclusion of special guests are always welcomed and in this case Myles Smith joined the stage to perform one of Bastille’s oldest songs, Flaws. While many will hate it when a musician plays an upcoming release, in this case, Dan ensured that the audience could still sing along with teaching the crowd the chorus and the help of lyrics that appeared on the screen. Bastille’s upcoming single, Save My Soul has the band’s signature sound and I cannot wait for the song to be released. Other stand out songs was of course classics such as, Pompeii, Of the Night and Doom Days, Warmth, What You Gonna Do?? and much more. I highly enjoyed hearing some songs that have often been neglected in previous sets and the mash up of Other People’s Heartache was an exciting addition that almost became a sort of rave with the high energy and strobe lighting.
In my opinion, the mood dipped in the middle with the depressing part of the set but it wouldn’t be a Bastille show without that. While the show lacked its usual cohesion and slick visuals, I wonder if this type of show would have been better suited to a smaller more intimate venue. That being said, Dan’s vocals were as strong and crisp as ever and there is no doubting how much passion he exudes into his performances and he always tries his best to interact with the audience. This creates an intimacy that is often lost with large venues. The “From All Sides” Tour is a casual way to showcase the band’s talent at letting the beautiful and well crafted lyrics and sound take centre stage without the need for elaborate staging and their ability to switch up the setlist highlights their bursting catalogue that have fans singing along no matter what.
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Amy is a writer and reviewer and her action-packed debut novel, CORNELIA FAIRFIELD AND THE DARKENED HEART is set to be published in 2026! For more content read Amy’s book reviews, short stories and updates on Amy’s writing journey posts.
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