Sam Smith at the London Coliseum

A beautiful evening at the London Coliseum for Sam Smith’s To Be Free Residency. 

We recently had the pleasure of seeing Sam Smith live at the stunning London Coliseum. What an evening it turned out to be!

Over the years, we’ve been to our fair share of concerts at venues such as Wembley Arena, Hammersmith Apollo, Brixton Academy, and The O2. But the London Coliseum? That was a first. In my mind, the grand and ornate venue was reserved exclusively for opera, ballet, classical concerts, and lavish theatrical productions. A pop concert felt completely out of place.

And if I’m honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Sam Smith. I was half-prepared for a dazzling spectacle of sequins, elaborate costumes, dramatic choreography, and enough glitter to blind the front row.

How wrong I was.

An Intimate and Understated Performance 

Instead, what unfolded was an incredibly intimate, elegant, and refreshingly understated performance. The focus was entirely on the music. No dancers. No extravagant costume changes every five minutes. No over-the-top theatrics. Just Sam Smith, a fantastic live band, and three exceptional backing singers.

Before Sam Smith took to the stage, West London singer-songwriter Tyler Lewis warmed up the audience beautifully. Her smooth R&B vocals immediately won over the crowd and set the perfect tone for the evening.

The residency, titled To Be Free, showcases material from Sam’s latest album, Hazel Eyes, across 24 performances around the world. The album embraces a more intimate, soulful sound, weaving blues and jazz influences into the mix and creating a noticeable contrast to the more polished pop feel of The Thrill of It All and Love Goes.

The concert opened with “Love Is a Stillness”, performed beside a grand piano that looked perfectly at home in the Coliseum’s opulent surroundings. Dressed smartly in a tailored suit, Sam effortlessly demonstrated his incredible vocal talents. 

The evening flowed perfectly between tender ballads and crowd-pleasing hits. Favourites such as “I’m Not the Only One” had the audience hanging on every note, while a quick wardrobe switch into leather trousers signalled a change of pace. Suddenly, everyone was on their feet dancing along to “Dancing with a Stranger” and “How Do You Sleep?” One of the night’s highlights was a joyful cover of Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody,” which had the entire audience singing at full volume.

Stay with Me

Between songs, Sam spoke warmly and candidly to the crowd, expressing gratitude to fans, collaborators, family, friends, and their fiancé for years of unwavering support. In classic Sam fashion, he joked that it is hard to be a Sam Smith fan, drawing plenty of laughs from the audience.

Of course, there was only one song that could close the evening. As the opening notes of “Stay With Me” filled the Coliseum, the audience joined in for a heartfelt finale. It was a fitting end to a show that celebrated not only Sam’s incredible catalogue of music, but also the loyal fans who have supported them through every chapter of his journey. 

All in all, it was a wonderful evening with “My Guy” in one of London’s most beautiful venues, enjoying a night of  beautiful music.  

Set List

Love Is a Stillness
Everlasting Love
I’m Not the Only One
My Guy
Lay Me Down
Too Good at Goodbyes
Constant Companion
Hazel Eyes
Moondance
Dancing With a Stranger
How Do You Sleep?
Gimme
Promises
Ain’t Nobody (Rufus & Chaka Khan cover)
Oh Mother
When He’s Gone
Burning
HIM
Unholy
Hold On
Stay With Me