Lewis Capaldi – Spark Arena: December 2, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)
Lewis Capaldi was out of the spotlight for a while from 2023 to mid this year, and he’s finally back touring (and in New Zealand)!
Last night he graced Spark Arena with his trademark humour and cathartic lyricism, and what a beautiful night it was. If anything, Lewis’ time off has made his fans appreciate his presence and effort even more.
While I missed Jude Kelly’s set (yay, parking!) I did have the privilege of watching her last year at an intimate fashion show set, and I’m sure she wouldn’t have disappointed in the slightest. Her hits like Bonnet Bunny are undeniably the perfect vibe for a Lewis show, as they’re toned-down and thoughtful.
Aaron Rowe
Luckily, my friend and I squeezed in just in time for Aaron Rowe, an Irish singer who has apparently never been this far from home. He’s got 106k monthly Spotify listeners, and there’s no doubt that he brought infectious energy to the stage as he belted his tunes, including Talking with You and Hey Ma (his most popular).
Lewis Capaldi
But of course – we were all there for Lewis, and as soon as he arrived on stage, the crowd erupted. Frankly, it erupted in a way that I’ve not experienced at a show for a while. With an immediate launch into his powerful comeback track Survive, Lewis made it clear that he’s here to stay this time. He followed it with Grace, one of his early hits, and Heavenly Kind of State of Mind.
Bouncing between songs with jovial energy and witty jokes, he kept the audience captivated throughout. The inability to know where he was going next also helped with that, as he swept the audience along on tangents and (gracefully) checked in to make sure everyone was having a great time.
His next songs were Forever, Wish You The Best, Love the Hell out of You and Almost, marking a deeply moving romantic quartet. Since he was last in NZ, he’s released a new EP and another album, so there were many more songs to choose from this time. However, it didn’t stop the audience from knowing every lyric, hanging onto his vocals and the sound of his guitar.
Bruises is another popular track, one that – like so much of Capaldi’s music – is bound to resonate. His lyricism has a way of making you feel like your struggles are shared and understood, fostering a sense of community that’s hard to comprehend unless you’ve experienced it yourself. Bruises is one of those songs.
He continued with Pointless (from his first album) and Something in the Heavens (from his second). SITH was a particular heart-stopper live, touching on themes of grief and trying to find acceptance. By the time he finished the song, there was likely not a dry eye in the house.
Forget Me was maybe the evening’s most upbeat thematic moment, providing rock-style drama before Lewis moved on to the emotional song The Day That I Die. Written during a difficult mental health period for Capaldi, it was stripped back to just him and the piano, making all of us feel like we were listening to the recital of a diary entry. Between the references to imposter syndrome and anxiety on the raw ‘How I’m Feeling Now’ and heartbreak love hit ‘Before You Go,’ Capaldi effortlessly took us from elation to devastation and back again.
The encore was perhaps the most intense part of the whole set (excluding Survive). Lewis played some of the tracks that landed him in pop superstardom, including Someone You Loved and Hold Me While You Wait. He’s returned to the stage triumphant and with a renewed sense of purpose, and closing with the songs that made him a household name felt like a perfect tribute to honour his journey so far.
He’s magnetic, an unstoppable force – especially when it’s just him and his guitar. And it’s undeniable that performing is his true calling. There’s nothing dramatic about it, just a beautiful voice and rawness that almost cuts listeners open. His return to his fans down under (and the promise that he’ll be back) is undoubtedly one of the best moments for music this year.
Chantal Dalebroux
Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Michael Jeong:
Lewis Capaldi:
Aaron Rowe:
Jude Kelly:
