Matilda Mann – Academy 2, Manchester- 9th October 2026
SOPHIE MAY
Before Matilda Mann stepped onto the stage, Sophie May opened the evening with a set that felt instantly grounding. Her vocals were soothing and confident and she captured the room’s attention almost immediately. Every time she spoke or sang, people leaned in and seemed genuinely interested in what she would do next. She appeared completely at ease on stage and she chatted with the audience without any awkwardness.
Later in her set she shared the story behind a song she wrote for Chicken Run 2. It was a track that did not make the final cut and she decided to keep it for herself. It was a sweet and funny moment that made her performance feel personal. It is nice when an opener is confident enough to talk to the audience and seem confident to do so. When her set came to an end, there was a sense of wanting a little more, but she left the room perfectly ready for Matilda’s arrival.
MATILDA MANN
Matilda’s set began with a small and funny hiccup. A mistake in the first half of the opening song sent her briefly back off stage. Her microphone had cut out while she was singing and instead of feeling embarrassed, she turned the moment into a joke and handled it with complete ease. Even when the microphone refused to work after several attempts to fix it, she stayed grounded and light hearted. She used this moment to interact with the audience, with some struggle to shout loud enough. It was nice to see how she took it in her stride and allowed this moment to be fun and light hearted making the audience laugh at this whole situation.
You can tell how much Matilda cares about her fans from moments like that. She makes sure that the fans can have the best experience watching her performance and instead of just going straight back into the song, she stepped back off stage and took it from the top. One thing that I thought was really cute, inspired by her song Meet Cute, was that Matilda had a little “Meet Cute” box at the back of the room. During the track, she briefly steps offstage and puts on her angel wings and draws names from the box, pairing up audience members for merch giveaways and a chance at their own real-life cinematic introduction. It’s always so exciting to see artists step outside the usual setlist to interact with fans and build unique live experiences like this.
NEW SONGS
Throughout her set Matilda performed a few songs she had never played live before and there was something special about watching her perform them. What made these songs so special was how the audience interacted with her and the music. Whenever she would announce this was the first time performing a song live the whole energy in the room shifted, they were eager and excited to hear what she was going to sing. No one were talking over her; people were just there soaking in the beat and the lyrics.
Across the night friends danced gently together, sang along and held onto one another in a way that made the whole evening feel communal. For many people it was not just a gig. Some came with close friends or partners and others with family and it was lovely to see how Matilda Mann’s music brought everyone together to celebrate both her songs and the relationships they shared with the people they arrived with.
Matilda’s music has a way of creating connection and seeing it live makes that feeling tangible. Her Manchester show was not loud or dramatic. It was humble, comforting and a beautiful way to begin her tour. Tonight was built on small and tender moments that will linger long after stepping out of the venue.
Matilda Mann: Website
Sophie May: Website