Singer of the moment Raye returned to Bristol last night to perform a sell-out show at 02 Academy and it was the hottest ticket in town.
A concert rescheduled from last December when she had to postpone a tour due to medical advice to rest her voice, ticketless fans desperate to see her paid up to £100 for resale tickets - almost three times the original price.
Back to full fitness - and fresh from a tour of Australia, New Zealand and dates earlier this week in Poland and Denmark - Raye is the hottest British singer for years.
Next week, the 26-year-old performs at the 2024 Brit Awards at London’s 02. She’s up for a record-breaking seven Brit Award nominations herself including artist of the year, best new artist, best album (for My 21st Century Blues), best pop act and two in the best song category for Escapism and Prada.
Performing with a slick five-piece band dressed in white shirts and black bow ties, Raye played at Bristol’s 02 Academy for 90 minutes and seemed relaxed and happy to be performing in a smaller venue than she’s now used to.
Between songs, she talked to fans and at one point joked with a couple temporarily leaving the venue for a cheeky cigarette to make sure they were coming back after their smoke.
Fans, some of whom had been queuing since the afternoon to ensure they got a place at the front, were treated to a set crammed with Raye hits including Worth It, You Don’t Know Me, Secrets and Ice Cream Man. Halfway through the set, she performed fan requests acoustically at a keyboard.
But it was the Brit Award-nominated Prada and an encore of Escapism that really got the sell-out crowd singing along.
Scroll through for a gallery of photos of Raye on stage in Bristol last night.
1. Raye at Bristol 02 Academy on February 21, 2024 (photo: Bella Taylor)
2. Raye at Bristol 02 Academy on February 21, 2024 (photo: Bella Taylor)
3. Raye at Bristol 02 Academy on February 21, 2024 (photo: Bella Taylor)
4. Raye at Bristol 02 Academy on February 21, 2024 (photo: Bella Taylor)