Future Nostalgia Tour

Promotional poster

The **Future Nostalgia Tour** is the fifth official headlining concert tour by Dua Lipa, in support of her second studio album *Future Nostalgia*. Originally announced in December 2019 and scheduled to take place from April to June of 2020, the tour was postponed several times due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It finally began on February 9, 2022 in Miami and is scheduled to conclude on November 16 in Perth, with several shows throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and Oceania. Caroline Polachek, Lolo Zouaï, Megan Thee Stallion, Tkay Maidza, Griff, Angèle, Iann Dior and Tove Lo serve as opening acts on the tour.

## Background

On 2 December 2019, Lipa formally announced the Future Nostalgia tour, with 24 shows across the UK and Europe from April to June of the following year. Tickets went on sale four days later. Several tiers of VIP tickets were also offered, including ones that included meet and greets with the singer and one where fans could battle Lipa in a game of *Dance Dance Revolution*. The album's title track was released in conjunction with the tour announcement. On 13 January 2020, Lipa announced British DJ Buck Betty and American singer Lolo Zouaï as supporting acts for the tour. On 21 February 2020, the singer announced two new UK shows in Liverpool and Nottingham, with tickets for those dates going on sale a week later. On 23 March 2020, Lipa announced that she had been forced to postpone the tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic; she also revealed that she was planning tour dates for the rest of the world. Rescheduled tour dates for January and February 2021 were announced the following day with Betty and Zouaï still scheduled as supporting acts. Shows in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo were cancelled due to the inability to be rescheduled and the Vienna and Munich shows were still attempting to be rescheduled at that time, but not formally cancelled. Tickets for the original shows remained valid and tickets for the cancelled shows were refunded.

The tour was postponed for a second time to September and October 2021 on 23 October 2020 with it being unconfirmed if Betty and Zouaï would still support her. Following this, Lipa announced a livestream concert titled Studio 2054, which was developed after she was unable to tour for her album. After the concert on 27 November 2020, ticket sales for the tour increased by 70 percent. On 28 June 2021, the tour was rescheduled for a third time to April, May and June of 2022. With this postponement, several new shows across Europe were announced along with the rescheduled Vienna and Munich shows; tickets went on sale that week. Lipa announced North American shows for February, March and April 2022 on 13 September 2021, with Megan Thee Stallion, Caroline Polachek and Zouaï as supporting acts. Tickets went on sale four days later, with several VIP upgrade packages available. A second show in Los Angeles was announced on 17 September due to popular demand with tickets for that show going on sale a week later. The November 2022 Oceania leg of the tour was announced on 19 September 2021, with tickets going on sale four days later; a pre-sale occurred in the 24 hours prior. Extra dates in Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne were announced on 25 September 2021 after several shows sold out very fast; tickets for those shows went on sale three days later. On 22 November 2021, Lipa announced four new European dates in Lithuania and Scandinavia; tickets for these shows will go on sale four days later. Also with this announcement, Angèle, Griff and Tove Lo were announced as the new opening acts. Two Canadian shows originally scheduled for the first North American leg in February 2022 were postponed to late July 2022 due to newly announced restrictions in January. The same week two additional North American shows were announced in Milwaukee and Elmont set to take place instead of the two postponed shows in February 2022. The tour will be produced by Ceremony London, promoted by Live Nation and sponsored by Truly Hard Seltzer.

## **Concert Synopsis**

The concert’s intro begins with the stage backdrop cutting to static before revealing the words "In Stereocolor: Future Nostalgia" with *Miami Vice*-styled graphics. A 1980s aerobics-themed video montage, similar to that in the “Let’s Get Physical Work Out” video, introduced the ten dancers (including two roller skaters) and Dua Lipa as an extended intro to “Physical,” containing elements of the song’s Leo Zero Remix, played.  The dancers made their way to an exercise bar located on an elevated platform toward the rear of the stage as Dua was raised on a stage lift directly in front of them. During this act, Dua wears a custom neon yellow catsuit with matching opera gloves by Balenciaga.  She typically wears her Eera Chiara earrings in green, pink, and blue for the duration of the show.  “Physical” was performed with full choreography and contained a dance break after the bridge where Dua and her dancers performed a cardio-aerobic dance routine.  The song concluded on the main stage at the base of the runway.  Dua and her female dancers then perform “New Rules” with choreography that features transparent iridescent umbrellas.  The majority of the song is performed at the end of the runway on the B-Stage.  The song features a dance break after the bridge in which Dua performs with an umbrella before throwing off stage to a stagehand in the crowd.  Dua returns to the elevated platform on the main stage where she poses with two male dancers as in the intro to “Love Again” plays. The song is performed with Western-influenced line dance choreography on the main stage.  The song ends with Dua on the B-Stage posing similarly to how she did at the beginning of the song.  An extended intro to “Cool” begins to play as Dua makes her way up the runway to a microphone stand in the center of the main stage.  “Cool” is performed at the microphone stand while two male roller skaters perform around Dua as a spinning disco ball graphic plays on the screen behind her.  An extended intro to “Pretty Please” that features elements of “Cool” immediately beings to play. Dua and her dancers perform the song with choreography on the main stage.  A free-hanging sculpture composed of individual circular lights is then lowered over the main stage.  The sculpture changes colors and is suspended over the main stage for the remainder of the first act.  Dua performs “Break My Heart” with choreography on the mainstage and runway. Her dancers join her holding small heart-shaped disco balls.  The song features a dance break before the bridge in which Dua dances with her male dancers.  The song features elements of “D.A.N.C.E.” by Justice.  Dua briefly talks to the crowd to introduce her next song.  “Be The One” is performed on the main stage with choreography.  The song’s bridge I extended to allow Dua to interact with the crowd.  Dua introduces her four backup singers before running off stage for a quick change.  The backup singers perform the song’s last chorus before the stage goes black.

    A neon sign reading “Yours Truly: Fresh Seafood and Cocktails” appears on the screen behind the main stage as a muted, elevator music-inspired version of “IDGAF” begins to play.  The two roller skaters return carrying trays with cocktail glasses and cans of Truly hard seltzer to interact with the crowd.  As they exit the stage, a graphic novel-inspired short film entitled “Lobster Attack” begins to play.  In the video, Dua escapes from a giant lobster while a quiet instrumental version of “We’re Good” Plays in the background.  An inflatable lobster stage prop then appears on the elevated platform on the main stage.  Dua performs “We’re Good” while sitting on the edge of a lowered stage lift in the center of the main stage.  This performance is an homage to the “We’re Good” music video.  During this act, Dua wears a custom Swarovski crystal-embellished asymmetric bodysuit by Atelier Versace and matching booties.  Dua then performs “Good In Bed” while interacting with the crowd along the sides of the runway and the dancers perform choreography on the main stage. The intro to the song contains elements of the Zach Witness & Gen Hoshino Remix.  Dua then performs “Fever” alongside her dancers from inside the lowered stage lift on the main stage, which has now been filled with fog to give the illusion of a hot tub/spa.  During Angele’s verse, her prerecorded vocals play while a video of her singing plays on the screen at the rear of the stage and Dua performs choreography.  The song ends with Dua, by herself, inside the lowered stage lift.  As she emerges from the lift, she is now wearing a floor-length white skirt.  She makes her way to the elevated platform on the main stage where she performs “Boys Will Be Boys.”  After the bridge, the Dua is quickly lowered from the stage as the “Club Future Nostalgia” mix, beginning with the “Boys Will Be Boys (Zach Witness Remix)”, starts to play.  The mix also features elements of “Hallucinate (Mr. Fingers Deep Stripped Mix)” and “Levitating (The Blessed Madonna Remix),” as well as Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl.” The dancers perform on the main stage and B-Stage while Dua changes clothes.

    A metal-grate floating platform with lights is lowered and suspended above the B-Stage.  Dua emerges on the B-Stage wearing a red lace bra by Savage X Fenty, red tights by Marine Serre, monogrammed black hot pants by Marine Serre, black nylon jacket by Puma, and the Mayze Flutur sneakers from her collaboration with Puma.  The “Club Future Nostalgia” mix transitions into a “One Kiss” and “Electricity” medley, during which Dua and her dancers perform updated choreography on the B-Stage.  During “Electricity,” a mock power outage occurs before the last chorus. Dua and her dancer make their way to the main stage where they perform “Hallucinate” with choreography using transparent chairs. The song concludes with an extended outro featuring elements of “Technologic” by Daft Punk where Dua and her dancers strut down the runway to the B-Stage.  Dua and her dancers then sit on the steps connecting the main stage and runway where Dua performs a shortened version of “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix).”  A Video of Elton John can be seen on the screen while his prerecorded vocals play.  Dua leaves the stage for a quick change while her background singers finish the song.

    A space-themed eclipse interlude plays as inflatable iridescent spheres and stars are lowered above the crowd.  The floating platform is lowered onto the B-Stage.  Dua emerges from under the stage wearing a custom black rhinestone corset catsuit by Mugler.  She enters the floating platform as “Levitating” begins.  She is lifted above the crowd on either of the runway during the first and second verses and choruses of the song.  A musical break featuring hidden vocals from the song is added before the bridge while Dua is escorted from the floating platform by two male dancers. The song concludes on the main stage with choreography during the bridge and final chorus. Dua thanks the audience and leaves the stage.  Several moments of darkness and silence occur before a voice can be heard saying “From a distant star, a powerful force will come to Earth, we call this force Future Nostalgia.” Dua is then raised onto the platform on the main stage by a hydraulic lift where she performs some light choreography to the extended intro of “Future Nostalgia.” As the song begins, Dua grabs her microphone stand from the base of the runway and makes her way to the B-Stage where she performs the remainder of the song.  Dua returns to the main stage where she shouts out her band, singers, and dancers. Dua meets her female dancers on the raised platform on the main stage where she performs her viral dance move as “Don’t Start Now (Live in LA Remix)” begins. The song is performed with full choreography with a dance break before the bridge. Dua and the dancers make their way to the B-Stage for the final chorus and confetti cannons are shot off into the crowd. Elements of ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” are played during the songs outro as Dua is lowered from the main stage’s raised platform for the final time.

## Setlist

This setlist refers to the show on February 9, 2022 in Miami and does not refer to all dates on the tour.

## Personnel

#### Dancers

* Kane Horn
* Lamar Manning
* Zacc Milne
* Thanh Jason Nguyen
* Robyn Laud
* Didde Mie Lykke From
* Sharon June
* Samantha Lee Jayne
* Fatou Bah
* Demi Rox Mensah
* Darion Reyes
* Bobby West
* Shawarah Battles (Swing)
* Alex Clark (Swing)

#### Vocalists

* Naomi Scarlett
* Izzy Chase
* Ciara O'Connor
* Matt Maijah

#### Band

* Drums - Duayne Sanford
* Guitar - Alexander Lanyon
* Bass - Matty Carroll
* Keys - Georgie Ward

## References

1. ↑ *Wikipedia* - Future Nostalgia Tour
2. ↑ *Future Nostalgia Tour Opening Night News & Media (@theIookofdanger) on Twitter* - Future nostalgia tour setlist (February 9, 2022)
3. ↑ *Setlist.fm* - Dua Lipa Concert Setlist at FTX Arena, Miami on February 9, 2022