Imagine Dragons at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
As Imagine Dragons take to the stage at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first of two London shows on their Loom World Tour, it is a curiously quiet start – a moment that doesn’t quite command the attention a band of their stature has earned. Kicking off with newer track Fire in These Hills, their entrance feels underwhelming, perhaps relying a little too heavily on the enthusiasm of die-hard fans in a crowd that at times seems more casual than committed.
Yet just as doubt threatens to settle in, the band make their declaration with a storm of confetti erupting during the first chorus, shaking the set into life. By the third song Bones, the energy is in full flow with multiple confetti blasts, an abundance of pyrotechnics and the kind of polished production value one would expect from the Las Vegas quartet.
While the evening feels full of heart – a trademark of any Imagine Dragons show – the introspective interludes shared between sections feel dwarfed by the enormity of the stadium, as the band struggle to maintain the momentum between hits. Visually, the show is exquisite — glistening lights, sweeping LED visuals and a sky filled with colour and flame — but it isn’t until the sun sets that the full extent of the production is realised.
Imagine Dragons tread the line between mellow and electrifying for much of the evening, speeding through a mix of their biggest hits and more recent tunes. The heavy-hitting I’m So Sorry contrasts against the acoustic I Bet My Life, keeping the audience on their toes. Radioactive is an unsurprising highlight, culminating in a thrilling drum battle that injects new life into the band’s breakthrough hit. It’s an interesting addition, no doubt inspired by the departure of their long-time drummer in 2024.
A tender moment before Demons shines a light on the band’s love for their craft and the fans that have brought them here. “This is everything to us,” frontman Dan Reynolds tells the audience, before a heartfelt speech about finding religion in music and the power in therapy: “When you hold in your truth, it’s poison. May your truth never be held inside you.” In a show full of fireworks, this is the moment that feels truly like a spark in the soul. It’s not performative, it’s confessional; raw, honest and unforgettable. The moment doesn’t last long, though, as Natural crashes in straight after.
Imagine Dragons may not have reinvented themselves on this tour, but if it isn’t broken, why fix it? Delivering an impassioned, high-value performance that celebrates the connection between band and audience, the Las Vegas natives remind everyone that, amongst the chaos, vulnerability can be loud too.
As an exhilarating finale of Believer draws the night to a close, the North London sky lights up in one last explosive display. It is a fitting end to a show that may have stumbled a few times, but ultimately leaves the crowd craving more.
Katherine Parry
Photos: Virginie Viche
For further information and future events, visit Imagine Dragons’s website here.
Watch the video for Fire in These Hills here:
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