Inside Dua Lipa's ‘dream' Wembley shows with five outfit changes, star fans and cover with 90s music megastar
DUA LIPA realised a life dream as she played to 70,000 adoring fans at Wembley Stadium.
Her Radical Optimism tour's sell-out gig on Friday — followed by another one yesterday — came ten years after she first per-formed in the capital to just 350 people.
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The singer said: 'Wembley, thank you. It is something I've dreamt of my whole life, and all day I have been feeling so much love and gratitude to be here with you guys.
'It is just surreal. It feels like such a journey, but also like everything has happened so quickly. I want to thank you for believing in me and trusting me, dancing with me, singing with me — and allowing me to wake up every single morning to do what I love to do. Looking out and seeing all you guys means the absolute world to me.'
Dazzling in a white Valentino sheer lace catsuit, she added: 'It has been ten years since our first London show and I just dreamt of a night like this.'
Dua paraded in five different outfits during her set — also including a petrol-blue Balenciaga slip dress draped in a faux-fur coat lined with the Union Jack flag and a silver custom Swarovski bodysuit with matching Christian Louboutin boots.
And it certainly seemed Queen Dua was reigning over North London — as billboards promoting her YSL plumping lip gloss were plastered on the famous Wembley Way.
Fans, many of whom got tickets through Priority from O2, queued at merch-andise stands with T-shirts priced £40.
She opened with hit track Training Season and thrilled the crowd with No1 singles New Rules, One Kiss and Dance The Night.
Her ballad Falling Forever cast a spell as fans lit up the stadium by holding their phone torches in the air.
Dua's mum Anesa and sister Rina, as well as actor fiance Callum Turner and model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley were all in the audience.
She even had support from the Spice Girls who sent her flowers.
Dua Lipa surprises fans by bringing 90s band on stage as she stuns in diamonte bodysuit in front of star-studded crowd to Wembley
And Dua shared a letter from the girls on Instagram.
The post read: 'Dear Dua, we just wanted to wish you lots of luck with your sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium . . . that's Girl Power! We love you! The Spice Girls. XXXX.'
Dua also got Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay on stage to join her in singing his band's 1996 hit, Virtual Insanity.
She told fans: 'This next song is a really, really big dream for me because I want to introduce someone who has inspired me from the moment I started making music.
'He is someone who has been a trailblazer for British music and paved the way.'
I imagine these Dua shows have inspired the next gener-ation of British music stars, too.
A FEW months ago, Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock parted ways with label Warner Music and landed a new deal with Virgin – and she's wasted no time getting started with new music.
The singer shot a video for upcoming single, Been A Minute, in Stoke Newington, East London, last week.
An insider tells me: 'The song has a carnival vibe and Leigh-Anne is really excited about it.'
Leigh-Anne will showcase the tune when she performs at Reading and Leeds Festivals later this year.
OASIS STRING 'EM UP
OASIS have spent weeks rehearsing in a secret location in London ahead of their reunion tour – and I can reveal that when the lads hit the stage they will be joined by an orchestra.
As well as Liam and Noel Gallagher, Bonehead, Gem Archer and Andy Bell, there will be musicians playing the cello, violins and woodwind for several of their hits.
An insider said: 'The live orchestra will add a cinematic element to their sound and elevate some of the harmonies. It won't take away from the band, just boost the sound.'
I can also reveal that everyone around them has ditched booze and turned to clean living in a bid to spur on the brothers, inset below, as they prepare for their Live '25 shows.
Cigarettes and alcohol have been binned in favour of non-alcoholic beers and meditation.
An insider tells me: 'In these final few weeks before the tour kicks off, those around Liam and Noel have decided to focus on clean living.
'There are lots of positive vibes in the camp, a very meditative, focused mindset. Everyone around them is aware this is history in the making.
'Liam and Noel are the best of British, working class heroes, and they deserve this incredible moment.
'So those around them are determined to set positive examples and make sure everyone is giving 100 per cent. It's pretty impressive to see how dedicated everyone is.'
Some Might Say they will be the gigs of the decade . . .
MEL C says she is super 'pedantic' about pre-show rituals.
Sporty Spice told England rugby star Natasha Hunt that she sticks to the same routine while on tour.
Mel said: 'I get the mickey taken out of me because of how pedantic I am about my preparations. I will eat well, try and sleep well, hydration is key.'
She spoke as part of Volvic's Force of Nature initiative, in partnership with the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025.
Sporty by name, sporty by nature.
LIKE THE LUNCH BOX, PAUL
PAUL MESCAL and girlfriend Gracie Abrams have been preparing for her gig at Glasto next week – with sunshine picnics in the park.
The Normal People actor and the singer have been relaxing with friends before she rocks up at Worthy Farm to play The Other Stage on Friday – where Paul is expected to be cheering her on.
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One park-goer at Highbury Fields in North London said of the pair: 'Paul and Gracie have been making the most of the warm weather by hanging out with friends in the park.
'Paul was boun-ding around and is clearly loving the long summer evenings.'
The couple were first linked a year ago when snapped on a dinner date at London celebrity hang-out the BRAT Restaurant – and they seem to be going strong.
Our source added: 'They looked super loved-up and Paul couldn't resist taking a picture of the sunset on his phone to capture the moment.'
DUFFY TO RETURN
DUFFY is secretly working on her long-awaited third album just months after she thrilled fans by appearing in a TikTok video.
I can reveal that the Welsh singer, who posted herself lip-syncing to a remix of her hit Mercy back in March, has been in the studio working with ex-Suede musician Bernard Butler, who was a producer on her debut 2008 album.
Duffy, whose first name is Aimée Anne, disappeared from the spotlight in 2011 after being kidnapped and raped and told her harrowing story in 2020.
A source said: 'The time is right for her to make a comeback, she has done enough healing and is ready to make music.
'She has a great working relationship with Bernard and they trust each other.'
In 2020, Duffy revealed in a social media post: ' I am OK and safe now, I was raped and drugged and held captive over some days. Of course I survived.
'The recovery took time. But I can tell you, in the last decade the thousands and thousands of days I committed to wanting to feel the sunshine in my heart again, the sun does now shine.'
STRICTLY star Carlos Gu says he would love to perform with chat king Graham Norton.
The pro dancer, who has previously been paired with EastEnders' Molly Rainford, said at the British LGBT Awards: 'I want to show two men can dance sexily and beautifully. I would love to dance with Graham. He would be great.'
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Jebelli urges readers to prioritise sustained wellbeing over 'short-term productivity' and recognise the early warning signs of work burnout. He runs through all the stages, which will feel distressingly familiar to anyone who has experienced it: a subtle feeling of dissatisfaction, followed by stress and emotional exhaustion, that quickly leads to cynicism. • How to supercharge your brain — the experts' rules 'Next comes dehumanisation,' he warns, which manifests as an 'emotional hardening' towards your colleagues. You start complaining about everything, which leads to irrational worry and a 'heavy, suffocating feeling of dread'. Your mind stores feelings of guilt, hopelessness and incompetence that you wear 'like a skin'. Then the most alarming sentence: 'Once it sets in, it can take up to three years to recover.' In the case of Jebelli's father, Abolfazl, though, it's probably too late. 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It's a continuing source of anguish for Jebelli, who insists that the sacrifices they have made on their health are 'not in vain, for it taught me the value of rest'. He struggles with a 'debilitating' anxiety disorder', alleviated by embracing the Dutch art of niksen, a verb that literally means 'to nothing'. He doesn't just stare into space. He forest bathes (walks in the woods), goes for long runs, finds solitude in ten-day solo retreats in remote cabins and plays a fair bit of Mario Kart and zombie shooter games. Still, there are several moments when Jebelli's assertions seem more borne of personal preference than actual research. I don't believe that computer games are better for your health than socialising (an 'unhealthy obsession' of the modern world, he believes). Similarly, he conflates scrolling TikTok with watching a TV show on Netflix, which is apparently full of 'complex storylines' and 'moral dilemmas', which overtaxes your brain. I'd be interested in seeing him go head to head with the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the author of The Anxious Generation, on this one. 'Here's what's really bad,' Haidt has said. 'iPad time by yourself. It's solitary.' • Read more book reviews and interviews — and see what's top of the Sunday Times Bestsellers List Nor does Jebelli address the gendered nature of rest. Women at work who slack off face far more stigma. In my present co-working space, I have a running joke with my male colleagues — or 'leisure dads' as I've dubbed them — about their hour-long lunch breaks in the park and 11.30am starts after a rock climbing session. But perhaps we could all learn from the leisure dad class. I don't see them suffering from burnout. The revolution has to start somewhere and I think Jebelli's spotlighting of the cognitive benefits is supremely helpful. For all my niggles, The Brain at Rest is inspiring and practical and, I hope, signals a wider change in how we think about work. 'We need to set firm boundaries so that saying 'no' becomes a respected choice, not a sign of weakness, a mark of wisdom, not a failure.' The Brain at Rest: Why Doing Nothing Can Change Your Life by Dr Joseph Jebelli (Torva £20 pp256). To order a copy go to Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members 1. Walk slowly through a forest. This helps to improve our creativity and problem-solving abilities. While you're there, hug a tree, which reduces cortisol and activates your brain's default network. 2. Listen to sad music. Not only does it improve your mood, it's also associated with stronger mind wandering, which can enhance your intelligence, creativity, social empathy and emotional processing. 3. Try to nap for 30 minutes daily. It reduces stress, regenerates damaged brain cells and makes your brain bigger. One study suggests that nappers' brains are 15 cubic centimetres larger.
