Back when Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving global tour was announced last summer, a month before the album’s release itself, you’d be forgiven for thinking some of the venue choices were punchy. Prior to this run, Dean’s biggest show in the capital had been at London’s 3,500 capacity Eventim Apollo, and debut album Messy topped out at No. 4. Now it’s six sold-out nights at the O2 Arena to a combined 120,000 fans. Now? It feels like she could have done six more, judging by the clamor for tickets at this U.K. run before the tour goes global.
The Art of Loving looks set to be one of the U.K.’s defining albums this century. Since its release it has scarcely left the top five of the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart and has earned eight weeks at the summit. The LP has collected the best album prize at the BRITs — and Dean herself won best new artist at the Grammys, a rare feat for a British artist. Expect it to pick up an album of the year nod at next year’s ceremony and be a favorite to win.
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Beyond the commercial heft, Dean’s The Art of Loving was built for broad appeal. The LP deftly glides between pop smashes (“Man I Need”), soul-infused groovers (“Baby Steps”) and intimate R&B (“A Couple Minutes”). The album’s visual aesthetics — and Dean herself — are leading its own inimitable style; the amount of polka dot skirts and floating dresses, Dean’s signature style, worn by fans give viral math-rock duo Angine de Poitrine a run for their money.
Now she’s bringing all of those sounds and visual references to life with a powerhouse show, one that’ll be one of 2026’s most sought-after tickets. These were the best moments from Dean’s Saturday night (May 2) showcase at London’s O2 Arena.
Guns N’ Roses returned to the stage on Thursday night (April 30), putting on a career-spanning show that was as comprehensive as it was satisfying to some of the most hardcore fans that showed up to celebrate the group’s 40-plus-year career.
After a global 2025 tour that took the iconic rock band from Korea to Mexico, they kicked off their 2026 dates at the Hard Rock Live club in Hollywood, California, playing to a crowd that was raucous and eager to see the group play the States for the first time in three years, since the fall of 2023 tour wrapped with two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
And the group came out on fire, running through a quick opening stretch of songs from their game-changing 1987 album Appetite For Destruction — the project that launched them into superstardom — before going deeper into their catalog, playing both lesser-known cuts and some newer tracks, including more new songs like “The General” and “Perhaps.” But it was the old stalwarts — show opener “Welcome to the Jungle” and show closer “Paradise City” among them — that got fans truly rocking and off their feet, while lead guitarist Slash showed off the chops that have made him rightfully considered one of the greatest players who has ever picked up the instrument.
While the band gears up for the rest of their tour — so far, they have two more dates in Florida in May, before more fully hitting the road in July — their tune-up ahead of F1 Miami this weekend in south Florida proved to be a mesmerizing one for their legions of fans who have been there from the beginning. Here is the set list from that first show of their 2026 run.
Breakout folk duo Buffalo Traffic Jam will make their debut trip to Australia and New Zealand later this year, announcing a four-date run across the region as part of their Down Under Tour 2026.
The Montana-based pair — comprised of Frankie Cassidy and Nathan Ross — will kick off the tour on Oct. 28 at The Tuning Fork in Auckland, before heading to Sydney’s Metro Theatre on Oct. 31, Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on Nov. 4 and Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre on Nov. 7.
The dates mark the duo’s first performances in both territories, arriving on the heels of a sold-out U.S. tour that has helped expand their audience beyond their home market.
Tickets for the shows will go on sale May 1, following a Live Nation presale beginning April 30.
Buffalo Traffic Jam have steadily built momentum over the past year, driven by a run of independently released material and growing streaming numbers. Their latest project, Take Me Home, has generated more than 8 million streams across platforms, adding to a catalog that includes early singles “Rescue Me” and “Forgot Your Roots.”
Formed in Bozeman, Montana, the duo first connected as students at Montana State University before developing a sound rooted in traditional folk instrumentation and harmony-driven songwriting. Their recent rise has been fueled by touring, including festival appearances at Under the Big Sky and Redwest Fest, as well as support slots alongside country singer-songwriter Dylan Gossett.
The upcoming tour places Buffalo Traffic Jam within a growing wave of U.S. folk and country-adjacent acts finding traction in Australia, where audiences have increasingly embraced stripped-back, narrative-driven songwriting alongside mainstream country imports.
While still early in their international rollout, the Down Under dates represent a key step in the duo’s expansion beyond North America, offering a first look at their live show for audiences in the region.
Buffalo Traffic Jam — Down Under Tour 2026
Oct. 28 — Auckland, NZ @ The Tuning Fork
Oct. 31 — Sydney, AU @ Metro Theatre
Nov. 4 — Brisbane, AU @ Fortitude Music Hall
Nov. 7 — Melbourne, AU @ Northcote Theatre
Sometimes you just want a well-paced, hit-packed pop show — it’s really not that deep! At her sold-out Madison Square Garden show in New York City on Friday (April 24), Demi Lovato absolutely understood the assignment.
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The Grammy-nominated pop sensation delivered a dance-pop spectacle built around her most recent album, last October’s It’s Not That Deep. A carefree, no-frills dance record — as its title suggests — Demi’s latest LP became her ninth to reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 (No. 9), spawning the Hot Dance/Pop Songs top 15 hits “Fast” (No. 8) and “Here All Night” (No. 13). Executive produced by Zhone, It’s Not That Deep heralded yet another new chapter in Lovato’s career, yet last night still felt decidedly full-circle.
After breaking through with Disney Channel pop-rock anthems and becoming a top 40 mainstay with hits like “Heart Attack” and “Give Your Heart a Break,” Demi veered into soul-pop (2017’s Tell Me You Love Me) and rock (2022’s Holy Fvck), tying each era together with redemptive ballads and an endlessly resilient voice. Her musical evolution has always reflected the hills and valleys of her personal life, and her fans, particularly the OG early Gen Z Lovatics who grew up with her, have stuck beside her through it all. That context made Lovato’s Madison Square Garden stop a particularly triumphant show, but, perhaps more impressively, she didn’t coast on that nostalgia.
To be clear, this is truly the It’s Not That Deep Tour; the album’s songs make up the bulk of the setlist, with Demi fully committing to the post-Brat aesthetic in her industrial set design, flashy lights and use of behind-the-stage steadicam shots. Between sensual, club-evoking choreographer and rave-leaning mixes of the album cuts (and her previous dance bops), the It’s Not That Deep tour is two hours of standard pop fun. Of course, it’s not a Demi Lovato show without a few jaw-dropping vocal showcases, and she granted New York City just that with particularly impassioned renditions of beloved ballads like “Stone Cold” and “Skyscaper.”
Assisted by Adéla, as well as surprise appearances by husband Jutes and Jojo Levesque, Lovato made her Madison Square Garden headlining debut a night to remember.
Here are the five best moments from Demi Lovato’s It’s Not That Deep Tour stop in New York City.
xaviersobased is heading to Australia for the first time, with the New York rapper-producer announcing a three-date run this June as part of his Riverside Tour.
The dates kick off at The Princess Theatre in Brisbane on June 3, followed by Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre on June 4, before wrapping at Sydney’s Metro Theatre on June 7 as part of Vivid LIVE. Tickets went on sale April 24.
The shows mark a milestone moment for the rapper, who has built a fast-growing audience online before translating that momentum into touring. Over the past few years, xaviersobased has emerged as part of a new wave of internet-led rap acts, with his music gaining traction across platforms like SoundCloud and TikTok.
That momentum accelerated with the release of his debut album Xavier earlier this year. The project earned Best New Music from Pitchfork, which described it as “a cult rap record with big ambition,” pointing to the artist’s evolving sound and approach.
Before that release, he had already built a steady catalog through a run of mixtapes, including Keep It Goin Xav and with 2, helping establish his presence within underground rap circles. His work blends elements of trap, rage and experimental hip-hop, often shifting styles from track to track.
Touring has also played a role in that rise. In 2025, xaviersobased completed a national run and appeared alongside artists including Yung Lean and Bladee, expanding his reach beyond the U.S. market.
The upcoming Australian dates will feature support from ksuuvi and Backend and arrive as part of the wider Riverside Tour 2.0. His inclusion on the Vivid LIVE lineup also places him alongside a broader mix of international and local acts appearing across the Sydney program.
xaviersobased Australia Tour Dates:
June 3 — Brisbane, The Princess Theatre
June 4 — Melbourne, Northcote Theatre
June 7 — Sydney, Metro Theatre (Vivid LIVE)
Charlie Puth is back on the road.
Following the release of his fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever!, earlier this year, the singer/songwriter and prodigious producer kicked off his trek in support of the project with a career-spanning show in San Diego, California, on Wednesday night (April 22).
Taking the stage at the city’s Viejas Arena, Puth opened the show with a banger about giving yourself grace from his new album — track 2, “Beat Yourself Up” — before immediately going back and forth between older hits and Whatever’s Clever! tracks. The set included his 12-week Billboard Hot 100-topping smash with Wiz Khalifa, “See You Again,” along with catalog jewels such as “Attention,” “How Long” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore.”
Whatever’s Clever! dropped in late March, opening at No. 46 on the Billboard 200. He’s said that the project forced him “to take a closer look at myself” and “sing about things I normally wouldn’t sing about” so that his audience could finally get a chance to know him on a personal level.
With his tour’s opening night now in the books, the Grammy-nominated artist will next stop through arenas and theaters in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver, New York City, Boston and more major North American cities in the coming weeks. Then, in June, he’ll head overseas for a European leg, wrapping the trek in the fall with a few shows in Asia, New Zealand and Australia.
If you’re planning on catching a show or just want to see which tracks made the cut, check out Puth’s setlist on the first night of his Whatever’s Clever! Tour — featuring which albums each song comes from — below.
Sabrina Carpenter‘s Coachella weekend two headlining set on Friday night became one of the festival’s most memorable moments in recent history, when Madonna crashed the stage for a show-stopping surprise appearance.
The Queen of Pop emerged during Carpenter’s performance of “Juno” — at the song’s iconic pose moment — as the track cut into Madonna’s “Vogue” medley, with the two pop stars performing the 1990 classic together to a frenzy from the crowd.
The pair then appeared to perform an unreleased track together, widely believed to be from Confessions II, Madonna’s long-awaited sequel to her 2005 dance landmark Confessions on a Dance Floor, due July 3 via Warner Records.
Before closing out with “Like a Prayer,” Madonna addressed the crowd directly, tying the moment to a personal Coachella milestone.
“20 years ago today I performed at Coachella — I was at the dance tent,” she said from the stage. “It was the first time I performed Confessions from the dancefloor. Same boots, same corsets… it’s like a full circle moment.”
She then noted the astrological significance of the evening: “I also want to point out it’s the new moon of Taurus. Seven planets lined up in Aries… avoid confrontations. In all circumstances — for the rest of the month — let’s try to get along, let’s try to be together, let’s try to avoid disagreements.” Carpenter, for her part, leaned into the moment: “She’s pointing to me because I’m a Taurus.”
Madonna’s 2006 Coachella performance served as a warm-up for the launch of her Confessions Tour, which went on to gross over $194 million from 60 shows and became the highest-grossing tour by a female artist at that time.
Her return to the same stage two decades later, performing the same era’s music ahead of its sequel, gave Friday night’s appearance a rare sense of full-circle weight that the crowd felt viscerally.
The appearance made for a considerably more musically star-studded set than Carpenter’s weekend one showing, where guest appearances were limited to actors Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell and Sam Elliott.
The surprise appearance comes after Madonna confirmed that Confessions II will bring the Queen of Pop back to the dance floor this summer, as well as the release of her first full taste of new music, “I Feel So Free.”
The weekend, Actress Geena Davis also joined for a spoken word monologue — mirroring Sarandon’s cameo from the prior weekend — while Terry Crews appeared mid-set to poke fun at his iconic role in White Chicks and lightly sing “A Thousand Miles.”
Carpenter’s Coachella headline run concludes her blockbuster run behind her 2024 album Short n’ Sweet, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and produced the top five Hot 100 hit “Espresso.” Madonna, meanwhile, heads toward the July release of Confessions II — one of the most anticipated pop albums of the year.
Charlie Puth is heading to Australia and New Zealand this November on his Whatever’s Clever! World Tour.
Live Nation confirmed the six-date run on Tuesday, with general on-sale tickets available from Thursday, April 23 at 1 p.m. local time.
The tour opens Nov. 5 at Spark Arena in Auckland before moving to Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Nov. 7, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Nov. 10, Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Nov. 13, Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Nov. 15, and RAC Arena in Perth on Nov. 17.
Puth will be backed by a full live band across all dates.
“I feel like I’ve worked and waited my entire career to put this sort of live show on for you all,” Puth said in a statement. “We have worked so hard to bring you the sort of top-level musicianship and arrangements that you all deserve in a live show, and I am beyond excited to bring my music and this incredible band and show to some of the most iconic rooms in the world. It’s going to be fun!”
The tour supports Whatever’s Clever!, Puth’s fourth studio album, which is out now. The run follows a strong start to 2026 for the multi-platinum artist, who performed at the Super Bowl in San Francisco in February. An artist presale begins Monday, April 20 at noon local time at charlieputh.com, with Vodafone and Mastercard presales also running from Tuesday, April 21.
Puth has built one of pop’s more consistent chart resumes over the past decade. His highest-charting solo single remains “Attention,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017, while “We Don’t Talk Anymore” featuring Selena Gomez reached No. 9. His co-written and co-produced track “Stay” for The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber topped the Billboard Hot 100 and reigned atop the Billboard Global 200 for 11 weeks in 2021. To date, Puth has amassed over 35 billion career streams, nine multi-platinum singles and four Grammy nominations.
Tickets for all dates are available via charlieputh.com, livenation.com.au and livenation.co.nz.
The third and final day (Apr. 12) of this year’s Coachella festival might have been its most diverse, particularly among its two main stages. The two performance areas spent the final portion of the night ping-ponging between EDM, alt-pop, hip-hop, jazz, reggaetón and K-pop — an array of genres even remarked upon by Laufey while delivering the penultimate set of the night on the Outdoor Stage.
Closing the Coachella Stage shortly after was of course Sunday headliner Karol G, who went on a half-hour late but made the wait worth it with a triumphant closing set that brought the fireworks both figuratively and very, very literally. She also brought out a variety of guests, including Mariah Angeliq, Becky G, and Wisin, who performed a number of Wisin y Yandel favorites. (A reunited BIGBANG also played out the Outdoor Stage simultaneously.)
In general, it was easily the most temperate of the three days at the festival, with a hint of rain even briefly materializing in the afternoon. But the performers continued to bring the heat, with yet more big Coachella debuts and reunions, and even a mini-run of punk rock legends in the early evening. And one of the biggest disappointments from earlier in the weekend was made good on when DJ/producer Anyma’s Friday set — which had been canceled due to weather concerns — was rescheduled for the DoLab on Sunday night.
Round out a strong weekend of big performances and memorable moments, here were our staff’s 10 favorite things we saw on Sunday.
Arguably, Bruno Mars has held the keys to the Las Vegas Strip for more than a decade, thanks to two record-breaking residencies at The Cosmopolitan and Dolby Live, which have brought in more than $200 million.
As of Friday, April 10, Mars now possesses the actual key to the city thanks to a day of back-to-back career milestones, which included a street named in his honor, Bruno Mars Drive; an official day proclamation and a real key to the castle; and a ceremonial state flag from Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. The spectacle coincided with the launch of his first tour in more than a decade, where he will visit North American football stadiums for the first time.
All this … and a parade with Hello Kitty made the debut of Mars’ The Romantic Tour an unforgettable occasion for the sold-out crowd that gathered to celebrate Mars both during the day and later that night at Allegiant Stadium.
As for the main event, the first of his two shows in Las Vegas, Mars kicked off the two-hour maximalist soul, funk and pop jam session, around 8:50 p.m., and didn’t relinquish until he played every new track, old hit and crowd favorite — even bringing back Silk Sonic with Anderson .Paak.
The setlist immersed the stadium of 65,000 fans into Mars’ universe from the soul-piquing opening ballad “Risk it All” to the anthemic “Uptown Funk.”
Between razor-sharp choreography and the enrapturing musical talent of his band The Holligans, Mars framed the night not as a retrospective, but as a statement — one that positions The Romantic era as his most confident and swagger-laden yet. Living up to the newly bestowed title, the “King of Las Vegas,” Mars is one of the greatest showmen on the road today.
Here’s a look at the full opening night setlist for The Romantic Tour.
RISK IT ALL
CHA CHA CHA
ON MY SOUL
24K MAGIC
TREASURE
GOD WAS SHOWING OFF
I JUST MIGHT
PERM
WHY YOU WANNA FIGHT
LOW RIDER MEDLEY (OH GIRL, MISS YOU, EVERYTHING, WANNABE, THAT’S WHAT I LIKE
SOMETHING SERIOUS
BLAST Off
777
FLY AS ME
SMOKING OUT THE WINDOW
LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN
MARRY YOU
DIE WITH A SMILE
PIANO MEDLEY – IT WILL RAIN
TALKING TO THE MOON
WHEN I WAS YOUR MAN
LOCKED OUT OF HEAVEN
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
UPTOWN FUNK
DANCE WITH ME