There’s no doubt that Olivia Dean is one of the biggest British stars on the music scene in 2026. Having picked up a Grammy for Best New Artist in February earlier this year, the 27-year-old star has recently embarked on her world-wide tour in celebration of her second studio album, The Art of Loving.
The Co-Op Live on Saturday was abuzz ahead of Dean’s first show of the weekend, amassing perhaps the highest density of polka dots in a square mile. This is Olivia Dean’s first headline show at Co-Op Live, having performed ‘Man I Need’ at the venue during this year’s BRIT Awards, following a set at Albert Hall for BRITs Week in the lead-up to the main event.
Saturday night started with an opening set from London collective Kokoroko, who brought suitably warm and summery vibes for a blissfully warm April weekend. As the lights dimmed, Olivia Dean began the show with the album opener, ‘The Art of Loving (Intro)’. The curtains dropped, revealing Dean in a jaw-droppingly elegant red dress as she launched into ‘Nice To Each Other’ and ‘Lady Lady’ — the epitome of Dean’s classic, jubilant soul-pop sound.
“This is so crazy!” shouts Dean as she looks out over the 23,500 screaming fans at the UK’s largest indoor arena. You have to wonder how it feels to be stood up on that stage, and to look so graceful and elegant at the same time is a true testament to Dean’s professionalism. The message “be present, be here for me,” seems to have fallen on deaf ears, however, as it was hard to get over the wave of phones thrown up into the air when she stepped onstage.
‘So Easy to Fall in Love’, ‘Close Up’, and ‘Let Alone the One You Love’ from The Art of Loving followed, with the latter allowing Dean’s dazzling backing vocalists to shine when accompanying Dean’s simultaneously tender and powerful voice. Dean then took a trip back to her first album, Messy, performing the titular song which encompasses the artist “allowing [her]self to be imperfect”. It’s an endearing message for the crowd to hear (even if Dean is perhaps the most elegant and put-together person on Earth), and it’s particularly important for the young women in the crowd to have heard. In a more intimate section of the set, Dean took a seat alongside long-term collaborators Dan (guitarist) and Finn (bassist) to perform stripped-back versions of ‘Touching Toes’, ‘UFO’, and the Labi Siffre-style ‘I’ve Seen It’, a heartfelt track about “recognising love which exists outside of romance”.
The fourth act of Dean’s set saw her take to B-Stage, after a quick outfit change. Dressed in all-white, it was hard not to feel as if Dean was an angel floating, accompanied by a beautiful guitar arrangement for ‘Loud’, ‘A Couple Minutes’, and ‘The Hardest Part’ — the latter of which saw Dean overwhelmed with emotion as thousands sang her own words back to her. This section highlighted that Dean’s vocals shine particularly in the songs which allow her to dig a little deeper and convey a more impassioned spirit beyond the summery joy that a lot of her music brings. Alongside ‘Close Up’ which appeared earlier in the set, ‘A Couple Minutes’ may have been the stand-up track of the set.
Returning to the main stage for the final section of her show, Dean did not disappoint as she performed the ever-celebratory ‘Ladies Room’, which showcased the talent of her band with some gnarly brass solos from Dean’s saxophonist, trumpeter, and trombonist. As the disco lights flashed across the stage, she launched into a cover of perhaps the sunniest, happiest song in modern history — Curtis Mayfield‘s ‘Move On Up’, which served as perfect accompaniment to the rest of her joyous set.
Closing with fan favourites ‘Dive’, from her debut album, and Instagram sensation (whether you like it or not) ‘Man I Need’, Dean showed that not only can she recreate the original spirit of her studio performances, but use the live setting to bring something extra to her music, ensuring that her shows don’t fall flat or feel boring. Olivia Dean is clearly a star with a bright future ahead of her. Having played Gorilla only two years ago, to see her pack out Co-Op Live two nights in a row is truly impressive.
