Conan Gray has only cracked the UK Official Singles Top 20 once, with the soaring, generation-defining anthem Heather in 2020. Yet while mainstream chart dominance in the UK may have arrived slowly, his growth as an album artist has been impossible to ignore. Kid Krow — the record that spawned his biggest British hit — peaked at a respectable Number 30 on the Official Albums Chart, but every release since has pushed his profile to new heights. Last summer, his fourth studio album Wishbone came agonisingly close to the summit, climbing all the way to Number 2. With momentum continuing to build, it comes as no surprise that Manchester’s AO Arena is packed with devoted Coneheads, many queueing from early afternoon, eager to welcome their idol back to the UK stage for the first time since his trio of shows in 2024.
The anticipation inside the arena is palpable long before Conan appears. Supporting him tonight is Australian singer-songwriter Esha Tewari, who receives an impressively warm reception for her short but beautifully delivered opening set. Far from being treated as background noise, her songs are met with genuine enthusiasm by an audience that already seems deeply familiar with her material. Tracks are sung back with surprising confidence, and the emotional honesty of her performance resonates strongly throughout the arena. Among the highlights, About Me stands out as the defining moment of her set, showcasing both her lyrical maturity and clear star potential.
Following a brief interlude, the lights finally drop for Conan’s arrival and the crowd erupts as his chaptered production begins with Act I: A Wishbone Never Breaks Even. Launching straight into the euphoric My World, the arena instantly transforms into one enormous singalong. From the outset, it is obvious that both Conan and his audience are completely immersed in the shared emotional release of the performance. As the set moves fluidly between newer material and fan favourites, the true strength of his artistry becomes increasingly apparent. His lyrics carry remarkable emotional depth, his melodies balance heartbreak with irresistible pop sensibilities, and his live vocals prove even more commanding than on record — raw, powerful and consistently captivating.
Act II: I Got The Short End of The Stick opens with a brilliantly theatrical performance of Class Clown before building towards the devastating emotional punch of The Cut That Always Bleeds. Yet one of the evening’s most memorable moments arrives immediately afterwards, when Conan strips things back for the live debut of the recently released House That Always Rains. Performed acoustically during “Conan’s Campfire”, the song creates an atmosphere of complete intimacy within the vast arena, with thousands hanging onto every word. It is a beautifully understated highlight in a show otherwise packed with larger-than-life pop moments.
By the time Act III: I Took The Long Way to Realization begins, the energy inside the AO Arena has reached fever pitch. The section is stacked with undeniable crowd-pleasers, showcasing Conan’s growing confidence as a pop performer. Latest single The Best sounds sensational live, bursting with charisma and swagger, but it is the explosive performance of Heather that generates the loudest response of the night. Equally impactful is the deeply personal Family Line, which transforms the atmosphere entirely as fans scream every lyric back with overwhelming emotion.
Closing with Act IV: I Wished For Love, And I Found It, Conan delivers a finale worthy of the scale of the occasion. A stunning run of Actor, Maniac and the unforgettable Vodka Cranberry sends the crowd into absolute delirium before he briefly exits the stage. Returning for an encore of Memories and Caramel, he leaves the audience bathed in rolling tour credits, deafening applause and an overwhelming sense of joy.
Conan Gray may not yet be a fully-fledged household name in the UK, but nights like this prove that chart positions only tell part of the story. What he has built is arguably far more meaningful: a fiercely loyal, arena-sized fanbase connected to him through honesty, vulnerability and shared emotion. Backed by a stunning live vocal, exceptional songwriting and genuine connection with his audience, this was not simply a concert — it was a truly magical performance.
