Radical Optimism Tour
The Radical Optimism Tour was the third concert tour by English singer Dua Lipa in support of her third studio album, Radical Optimism. The tour commenced in Singapore on 5 November 2024 and concluded in Mexico City, Mexico, on 5 December 2025, consisting of 81 shows. It featured headlining performances at various festivals, including ZFIC and I-Days Milano, as well as Lipa's own music festival, Sunny Hill, which takes place in Pristina, Kosovo.
An updated version of the tour was produced months after the shows held in Asia during late 2024, being divided into four sections and an encore with the four classical elements as the central key of the concert production. The [|set list of the show] consisted of songs performed from Radical Optimism and some others from her 2017 eponymous debut studio album and Future Nostalgia, while the tour's wardrobe included custom outfits by the Attico, Balenciaga, Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Valentino.
The tour received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised Lipa's performance skills, vocal delivery, and charisma during interaction sections of the show with the audience. The Radical Optimism Tour also experienced commercial success, earning million within its first 59 concerts and thus becoming the highest-grossing tour of the singer to date, according to sales reports provided by Billboard.
Background
On 19 March 2024, Lipa announced four promotional standalone shows and several summer festival appearances across Europe, with ticketing going on sale on 21 March, in addition to US performances at the iHeartRadio and Austin City Limits music festivals in September and October, respectively. On 28 May 2024, she announced the tour, with dates for concerts in Asia scheduled for that same year's last two months; tickets went on sale on 11 June.On 1 July 2024, Lipa announced her first-ever headlining show at Wembley Stadium, London. Ticketing became available on 12 July, and an additional show in the same venue was announced right after the first one was sold out. On 12 September, she announced concert dates for the tour in Oceania, Europe, and North America. Artist pre-sale and general sale were announced at the same time. Six days later, additional dates in Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the UK, and the US were announced, due to high demand. On 8 November 2024, she announced her concert in Jakarta for the following day was cancelled, citing safety concerns pertaining to the show's staging. Moreover, Lipa was announced as the headliner for the 2024 edition of the Zomato Feeding India Concert, as well as for the 2025 lineups of I-Days Milano and the Kosovo-based Sunny Hill, her own organised music festival jointly with her father, Dukagjin Lipa.
In March 2025, Kita Alexander was announced as the supporting act for shows in Australia and New Zealand. On 1 April 2025, eight stadium concerts in the Latin America region were announced. After selling out her shows in Santiago, Buenos Aires and Mexico City, new shows were announced in those cities, respectively. That same month, Alessi Rose was announced as a supporting act for several European concerts; Dove Cameron also served as a supporting act alongside Rose on select dates. Merk & Kremont served as co-supporting acts during the 7 June concert in Milan, Italy, alongside Rose. Cil served as the supporting act for the North American concerts. The supporting acts for select South American concerts were revealed in November: Yami Safdie in Buenos Aires and Princesa Alba in Santiago. Bu Cuarón, daughter of the Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, performed as the supporting act for the final concert of the tour in Mexico City.
Production
Staging
The Asia leg of the tour featured an extended main stage with two staircase structures and a backdrop including a scenic video facade, risers for her band, and an integrated lift, which allowed for dynamic entrances and transitions. The stage design for the 2025 dates was developed by American company Tait Towers, resembling the infinity symbol, with the main stage having a curved shape and platforms that evoke ocean waves. At the back of the stage there was an integrated widescreen curved at the top edge that projected visuals such as water, light, and different landscapes throughout the show. Secondary circular stages were located closer to the audience for parts of the concert that allowed greater "intimacy and interactivity", as the C-stage additionally consisted of two scissor lifts that raised Lipa to about 14.5 ft, and during indoor arena shows, a "floating platform" was positioned in the center of automated rings.Meanwhile, Charm La'Donna served as choreographer, the tour's production design was handled by Matt Pitman of Pixelmappers, and video graphics based on the four elements mixed with natural and "surreal" landscapes were created by Luke Halls Studio. Cinema cameras such as the Panasonic PLV100, Sony FR7 mounted on tracks and Autopod systems for dynamic camera movements were used. The Disguise GX3 Media Servers and Atmos Shogun Studio 2 were employed to control LED lighting, effects, and synchronisation. For audio engineering, a Neve 5045 system was applied on every vocal channel to tame any potential feedback problems, and Shelford Channel microphones inserted with the Red Silk feature enhanced the harmonic content generated by the highs and high-mids. Pyrotechnics, confetti cannons, smoke, and other special effects were also used.
Fashion and styling
From the Oceania leg onwards, Lipa presented a wardrobe of five outfits styled by Lorenzo Posocco, which represented each act of the concert. During an interview with Teen Vogue, Posocco expressed his desire for Lipa to feel "extremely sexy and strong at the same time" and explained that he came up with the fashion by focusing on the set list of the show: "A live show is usually divided into different moments, and that's what gives you the number of looks." He further described the creative wardrobe process as his favourite: "I'm not a fan of costumes—I want to see fashion houses living on stage." While coming up with the footwear, Posocco had to consider ankle support for the singer to accomplish the choreography routine, with Lipa admitting that it helped her to feel confident onstage up to a level in which " can do anything in a heel."For the first act, Lipa wore a Jean Paul Gaultier satin corset featuring a sheer fabric halter neckline, with visible seams and boning, both adorned with Swarovski crystals, paired with matching fishnet stockings and mid-calf boots custom-made by Paris Texas. The second outfit comprised a customised, long-sleeved lace jumpsuit by Valentino, paired with a faux fur coat and complemented by matching boots from Christian Louboutin. The third look was a tailored bustier mini dress by the Attico with exposed boning at the back and a layer of textured floral lace at the front, cascading over fringe with sparkling crystals, completed with custom-made boots by Paris Texas. Lipa also wore a sheer lingerie dress by Balenciaga, a personalised rendition of a design from the fashion house's spring/summer 2025 collection, featuring the lace main piece and a matching giant faux fur coat. The fifth and final outfit was a Chanel bodysuit adorned with gold chains, paying homage to a dress presented during the spring/summer 1992–1993 haute couture show.
Additional clothing featured a Schiaparelli bodysuit designed by Daniel Roseberry, which was adorned with trompe-l'œil beads and complemented by a matching necklace crafted from pearls and crystals; a Gucci ensemble featuring a black bikini layered beneath sheer lace fabric, accompanied by gloves and a delicate fuzzy scarf; and a Courrèges short bodysuit made of leather, paired with gloves and boots adorned with rhinestone embellishments. Correspondingly, all aspects of beauty styling were in harmony with the fashion rhythm of the wardrobe. The hairstyle, styled by Peter Lux, was blown out, voluminous, and sexy, as requested by Lipa, who stated: "The sweatier I get, the better it works." Meanwhile, Katie Jane Hughes' disco-inspired makeup consistently highlighted a glossy shine on the lips as a key feature.
Concert synopsis
The show for the 2025 dates lasts approximately two hours and is divided into four acts and an encore, with the displaying of an aquatic/"sea wave" atmosphere before the concert starts, playing a sound and visual introduction that depicts water, breaking waves, and a deep blue that creates the sensation of a "rolling tide". Lipa emerges in the centre amidst white smoke and performs "Training Season", kicking off the recital. She then performs "End of an Era" surrounded by her backup dancers manning burlesque-style feathers and a backdrop of pastel clouds. Next, "Break My Heart" is performed set against deep red lighting, as dancers lift Lipa into the air, followed by the closer of the first act of the show, the 2018 hit with Calvin Harris, "One Kiss".The second act begins with Lipa in a new outfit performing a chair routine for "Whatcha Doing" and a "cosmic" version of "Levitating". After this, she walks through the crowd to greet fans and take selfies with them as she makes her way to the B-stage for "more" intimate songs. There, Lipa performs "These Walls", preceding a cover of a song by a local artist based on the city she is touring in and, on select dates, accompanied by a surprise guest. A "Mexican-indebted" visual performance of "Maria" closes the second act on the extended section of the stage in the middle of the venue. The opening of act three is handled by the performance of "Physical", where dancers use glowing LED batons in a "high energy" routine after a "Jazzercise-like" warm-up interlude during an offstage costume change. Lipa additionally commands the audience through the speakers to "shake those hips" and "swing around" like a workout instructor. "Electricity" follows as a house-inspired rave and hyped-up version, and a "churned out banger" rendition of "Hallucinate" is sung next after. Lipa closes the section with a "killer version"-described performance of "Illusion".
The element of fire is dubbed as the centrepiece of the fourth act. "Falling Forever" is performed as Lipa stands atop the C-stage, and two backup singers are brought out in the middle of the song. For "Happy for You", Lipa is located amid a "striking" tableau of clouds, which gives the illusion of a beautifully blossomed ambience. Following this, "Love Again" is performed with Lipa singing in a ring of fire while hoisted in the air on a platform and cloaked in a faux fur coat. To close the act, she performs "Anything for Love" still surrounded by the leaping flames and "Be the One" with a portion of the song a cappella, remarking on the track as her "personal favourite". She also goes back into the crowd, standing amongst the barricaded fans and directly interacting with them for a second occasion at the show. After a last interlude and outfit change, the encore begins with "New Rules", followed by the Barbie soundtrack single "Dance the Night" during a "glittering" performance. "Don't Start Now" precedes the closing number of the night, "Houdini", with Lipa disappearing behind a puff of smoke as the lights shut off.