Live Zone

Mika / Jack Garratt, Ovo Arena Wembley, London,12th February 2026

 

Mika is back in the UK for just two shows: Manchester on Wednesday night and tonight in London as part of the 15-date “Spinning Out Tour” across Europe – which kicked off with two dates in France – to promote his seventh studio album, “Hyperlove”, which dropped  in January and marks his first English-language studio album in three years.

It is a sparkling 15-track album, which includes the recent singles “Modern Times,” and “Immortal Love.” In the set at this triumphant London show are eight songs from the new album.

Of course, there is also a chunk of sing-along stuff the fans instantly recognise and love; including the hits “Grace Kelly” [not stopped singing it since the gig!], “Lollipop”, “Love Today” “Relax, Take It Easy”, “Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)”,  “Happy Ending”, and “We Are Golden”.

The 20-song set included a two-song encore: “Love Today” and “Yo Yo”, a perfect slice of tasty pop pie.  He was full of energy, in perfect voice and no sign that the day’s activity of performing a live set for BBC Radio 2 with a full orchestra [that was also filmed], had cooled his jets at all.

The arena was close to full with circa 12,000 fans who were all well up for it, and many having travelled from overseas to catch the 42-year-old in action. Some in the big queue before doors opened got a wee bit wet when it peed it down. But to coin a cliched and well-worn journalism phrase; the rain failed to dampen the spirits of those there to enjoy the gig.

After a solo set from Jack Garratt as support, Mika arrived on stage from above, inside a giant wheel and for song # seven “Spinning Out”, he did just that; spinning around and around and upside down while singing live and not missing a word. The stage set looked fabulous with all the different wheels and the lighting. Wheeley good [Sorry!]

The sound was spot on, [but some have posted online about Mika’s voice being over-powered by the volume of the music – not an issue where I was sitting]. Kudos to his band too; nothing to find fault with at all from the whole evening about any aspect of this show. Five star entertainment without a doubt.

Grammy-nominee and BRITS award-winner Mika is a born showman and his star quality shines brightly. He has that likeability factor in his favour too, which is writ large when he is a judge on the TV programme “The Piano”.  When asked for names of my fantasy dinner guests, I think I need to include Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. – and ensure there’s a piano in the room too.

Mika was born in Lebanon, and raised in Cyprus, Paris and London. For nearly two decades, he has been in his own lane in modern pop music: ace songwriter, gifted vocalist and pianist; a performer whose work unites exuberant craftsmanship with disarming emotional depth.

“Hyperlove” is his first English-language album since 2019’s “My Name Is Michael Holbrook”. He was Born Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr., and exploded onto the global stage with his debut single “Grace Kelly” in 2007, which sold more than three million copies and became the second UK No. 1 achieved through downloads alone.

His debut album, “Life in Cartoon Motion”, earned an amazing 2.8 billion streams, 8.3 million albums sold, and 12.8 million digital tracks, topping charts in twelve countries. Kerchiing! “The Boy Who Knew Too Much” followed in  2009, “The Origin of Love” arrived in 2012, and in 2015 “No Place in Heaven”.

Fifth album “My Name Is Michael Holbrook” came out in 2019. His French language album “Que ta tête fleurisse toujours” was released in December 2023. His new LP “Hyperlove” peaked at # 14 in the UK album chart – his highest chart position since 2012. It is a lovely record.

In a world full of doom and gloom every time you put the TV on or check that day’s on-line news feed, we all need something to cheer us up and to forget politics, global conflicts and the flipping cost of living stresses.

Well, the remedy for all this is a concert ticket to go see Mika the next time he is back on stage at a venue near you.

There are no guarantees in life as we all know, apart from death and taxes. But I’ll go on record to state that with a Mika concert you are pretty much certain to have a bloody fabulous time. Try it…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Hyperlove" album
“Hyperlove” album

 

 

Wembley Setlist

Modern Times
Eleven
Relax (Take It Easy)
Hyperlove
We Are Golden
Lola
Interlude Everything’s Beautiful (tape)
Spinning Out
Dreams
Science Fiction Lover
Immortal Love
Lollipop
Excuses For Love
Popular Song
Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
Origin of Love
Grace Kelly
Happy Ending
Elle me dit
Encore:
Love Today
Yo Yo (R3HAB remix)

 

Jack Garratt

 

Jack Garratt

 

 

 

Photos by Liam Battersby

Words by Rowena Edos

 

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