Sofia Isella w/ Seb Lowe – The Albert Hall, Manchester – 29th May 2026

SEB LOWE

Sofia Isella’s crowd are famously loyal. Loud and ready to get involved with her music and you could see the audience devote that energy towards Seb Lowe. It is so nice to see the audience so welcoming and fully embracing him and his music as he walked onto the Albert Hall stage and instantly the energy shifted. Everyone stopped what they were doing and focused to the two people on stage with guitar and violin in their hands.

There is something about his delivery that works perfectly in a venue like the Albert Hall. The space is made for big performers, stained glass glowing, balconies curving around the room full of watchful audience members and Seb’s voice and presence filled the room with this raw, unvarnished honesty. Every song and lyric of his lands hit audience members hard, political without preaching, emotional without begging for sympathy. You could see people who may never heard him before lean forward and listening closely to what he is saying although many members of the audience knew his songs and lyrics, singing the lyrics back to him, getting up to sing and dance if they were sat down.

CONTROL

What made this set so gripping was how he had control over the space. Openers can rush their sets, trying to win an audience that is not theirs but Seb did not have to chase anything. He allowed the songs he performed to speak for themselves. Usually during the openers, you can hear the audience talking to one another but for Seb the room was still, no chatter, just undivided attention to him. People were waiting for whatever he was about to say or do next and that is raw.

Visually his set was magnetic, the lighting team kept the lighting nice and simple, focusing on him and Kate Courie on violin. Both of them were lively and energetic and you could not help but want to keep watching the both of them. Their chemistry on stage was electric, working together in perfect harmony.

Seb Lowe did not just open the show at Albert Hall he set the tone for the whole night. He was able to make this space his own moment in a night that was not technically his. When he left the stage and people started to look into him more you know that he will be seeing a few of these faces coming back to his show later this year wanting more.

SOFIA ISELLA

By the time Sofia Isella came onto the stage, the room was already warmed up and wanting more. Her crowd is intense in the best way possible; their energy unmatched and all eager and ready for Sofia. Her set was built fast, one minute she was standing with her guitar one side of the stage and next she was on the floor reaching out to her fans in the audience.

Sofia had this ability to make a room feel personal even when it is packed; able to speak to the crowd like she was talking to one person a time. It made sense why her fans are so devoted; her music and vocals are phenomenal but because she has this ability to make the room feel intimate and how she is with her fans that is how she has been able to grow into the artist we saw today.

A HUGE MARK

By the end of the night it felt like both artists had left their own imprint on Albert Hall. Seb opened the evening and left a huge mark on the audience; he was able to get a crowd who was not technically there for him involved with his music and performance and made their night even more special.

Seb Lowe: Website

Sofia Isella: Website

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