Dua Lipa stormed the music scene with a live performance that left her fans chanting for more. It started during the European leg of her “Radical Optimism Tour,” which commenced in April 2025. The 29-year-old singer began headlining her 3rd career tour, with the first show of the European leg held in Spain’s Movistar Arena, located in Madrid, on the 11th and 12th of May.
The first show of the “Don’t Start Now” singer in Europe was all her European fans needed to feel her change as an artist. Her evolution was evident in her concerts, with attendees describing the experience as a pure rush of adrenaline. One that’s accompanied by hypnotic basslines, tight choreography, and glittering outfits that complement the overall theme of the tour.
Dua Lipa managed to change the overall experience of anyone attending her concerts by creating an adventure with her setlist. She picked up a strategy that worked magic in her concerts back in 2022, during the “Future Nostalgia Tour.” This involved the categorization of her setlist into acts that collectively tell a story when she performs on stage.
We’ve seen iconic acts such as Coldplay and Taylor Swift make use of this method, and it helped enhance the excitement of fans attending their concerts. The fans love the idea of a setlist representing more than just a collection of songs, and that’s what the acts in Dua Lipa’s setlist present. It gives the fans an idea of a personality, which Dua Lipa helps them wear with her lyrics, proudly.
Each track—from her electric openers to anthemic encores—has a purpose and a precise emotional role. It allows Dua Lipa to connect intimately with her fans, passing her messages of self-belief deeper, sharper, and more meaningful than ever. Above all, for those who might want to compare the setlist length of her current tour with her previous tours, know that what the “Radical Optimism Tour” lacks in length, it makes up for in precision, making it her best as it is.
We’ll be going into detail about the story that Dua Lipa tells with her “Radical Optimism Tour” setlist as this article progresses. You can also look up Dua Lipa tickets through a secondary ticket marketplace for tickets to her upcoming concerts. The minimal traffic there usually makes securing her tickets easier compared to other conventional sites.
Act I—”Training Season” to “One Kiss”: First Impressions
Dua Lipa began her current tour with a certain practice that turned into a tradition along the line—talking about how she opens her shows with “Training Season” each night. The single is a deep cut from “Radical Optimism”—this makes it sound more like a command from the stage, with Dua Lipa being the supreme commander.
One of the iconic nights where we saw this in full display was during her London show, which was held at the Wembley Stadium on the 20th of June. The song’s tone and title signal rebirth and discipline, which collectively serve as open invitations to her fans, prompting them to commit to the journey she is about to carry them on. After a surf through some of her classics, she breaks forth an atmosphere of jubilation with the performance of “One Kiss,” sealing the night and the mood of her fans as well.
Act II—”Whatcha Doing” to “Maria”: Momentum & Mood Swings
Dua Lipa’s ability to effortlessly switch between her songs in Act II is another session of the evening that drives the crowd crazy. She handles this part so well, overall complementing her grouping of songs in the acts. Songs like “Levitating” and “Whatcha Doing” create a high-octane energy, which the fans need to get in the right mood.
Then comes the performance of songs like “These Walls,” which brings down the emotional weight of Dua Lipa’s lyrics to the chest of her fans. This song not only makes them emotional but also reminds them that Dua Lipa writes based on their feelings. “Maria” comes with a vibe check that restores Dua Lipa’s playful and theatrical vibes, reaffirming that confession and celebration can co-exist in a night.
The “Surprise Cover” Tradition
The “Love Again” singer also developed the habit of surprising her fans with a cover song that is either a local hit of an artist from the city she is performing in, or one of her very own hits. While this very practice was few in her European appearances, she created an intimate connection with her fans in France with the same act.
Dua Lipa performed the cover of “Moi… Lolita,” which was sung by Alizée, in Paris La Défense Arena as a homage to her French fans. It was received as a celebration of French pop culture and went on to show her dedication in passing her message regarding language as an insurmountable barrier. Additionally, the act single-handedly expressed her setlist as an inclusive list that celebrated her local fans as well as reinjecting spontaneity into her tour’s narrative.
Act III—”Physical,” “Hallucinate,” “Illusion”: Disco Liberation
During Dua Lipa’s European appearances, we discovered that she isn’t just a great singer but also a great performer. Her every act on stage is aimed towards achieving a particular result, and she ensured she got that result with the way she arranged her setlist.
For instance, once she’s done paying homage to French pop culture with her covers, she proceeds to reignite the energy of her fans by performing hits like “Physical,” “Hallucinate,” and “Illusion.” These songs do not just change the atmosphere of the concert but also support the fact that weeping endures during the night, and joy comes in the morning. Except at Dua Lipa’s concert, you don’t have to wait until morning.
Act IV – Balladry & Reflection: “Falling Forever” to “Be the One”
The artistry in Dua Lipa’s setlist is felt in the final act, which contains songs like “Falling Forever” and “Be The One.” These songs dramatically shift the tone of the night, allowing Dua Lipa to deliver heartfelt poignancy with ease. This is made possible through her song, “Anything For Love,” which commands attention from her fans.
It has been described as the only pure ballad that occurs in her concerts, but her artistic performance of the songs that come before it in other acts makes it land on a giant fur coat, demanding full emotional attention. Safe to say, this act is her emotional section where she expresses vulnerability wrapped in sonic warmth.
Encore—”New Rules” to “Houdini”: Empowered Exits
The excitement on her fans’ faces when they discovered her intention to maintain her encore tradition throughout the “Radical Optimism Tour” was priceless. To top it all off, she prepared some of the best singles as her encores for the tour. Songs like “New Rules,” “Dance The Night,” “Don’t Start Now,” and “Houdini” have always created a different personality in her fans whenever she performs them on stage.
She uses these songs to seal the experience of her fans, assuring them of a better future after they’ve undergone their emotional journey together. These songs collectively elevate the feelings of Dua Lipa’s fans, allowing them to balance between remaining sad or heartbroken over anything while living in and enjoying the moment life places them in. Most fans always choose the latter, and they leave the concert grounds knowing they’ve been through fire and emerged radiant.
