Roxette: OVO Arena Wembley, London   ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Roxette have a long history with Wembley, returning tonight after five shows between 1991 and 2011.

This was my second Roxette concert here and my sixth overall. I last saw them at The O2 a decade ago, which sadly became the final time I saw Marie perform. That still hits hard of course, but I’m not ready to say goodbye to the catalogue.

This time the return is in a different format, without Marie, and in turn a new ‘Roxette Catalogue Tribute Format’ featuring for the first time, headlining guest vocalist, Lena Phillipson.   I didn’t know much about Lena before, as to be frank, she’s doesn’t have the same level of fame Roxette achieved outside of Sweden, but that never mattered. I went in with an open mind, seeing this as a live tribute rather than any attempt at her replacing Marie.

So how was it this time around, 6th time a charm?

Truthfully, it felt a little strange at first. Front row centre with a mix of nerves, a touch of sadness, but mostly curiosity.

Then the lights dropped, the band kicked in, and within seconds it felt like coming home. For nearly two hours the concert was filled with emotion, celebration and pitch perfect pop craftsmanship. Per, Lena and the band brought the catalogue back to life with real care and conviction, offering a heartfelt tribute to Marie, while proving the songs still deserve to be heard on the biggest stages –  Rewriting nothing, but celebrating everything.

Lena was astonishing. Confident, charismatic and powerful. This isn’t an easy role by any stretch, yet she approached it with respect, individuality and a vocal strength that carried the room. She was able to honour Marie without imitation, and struck the perfect balance between delivering Roxette’s legacy and bringing in her own artistry. Any instinct to compare her to Marie disappears the moment you see her perform. She was superb and a lot of fun.

Per deserves real credit, as the magic is still here.

He’s been thoughtful and wise in the way he brought the Roxette catalogue back to the live stage. This Tour exists because both Per and Marie wanted their music to live on. When you see the show in person that intention becomes unmistakable. This is remembrance, not reinvention. A chance for fans old and new to celebrate a catalogue that still means a great deal.

That respectful intention was felt in every arrangement and every choice on stage. Per looked energised, grateful and genuinely moved to be performing his self-penned Roxette songs again. His connection to the material hasn’t dimmed, and the band played with tight musicianship. As a collective, they sounded phenomenal. For Lena, these were enormous stage shoes to step into, and she filled them with both professionalism and heart.

My only wish tonight would’ve been to hear the album version of fan favourite “Things Will Never Be The Same“, which featured earlier in the Tour. That’s just a personal wish from a long-time fan though.  Also great to see Matt Lucas and Jonas Åkerlund in the crowd.

This was a triumphant return to the stage.

A live celebration of one of pop’s most joyful and enduring catalogues. A beautiful tribute to Marie.
A magical evening where we all remain magic friends, and were reminded that music this good never fades.

Things Will Never Be The Same, but the Joyride continues…

Roxette, OVO Arena, London   ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Highlights: Dressed For Success / Vulnerable / Fading Like A Flower / She’s Got Nothing On / Spending My Time / The Look
Lowlights: Milk And Toast And Honey

Hit after Hit!
My Setlist Commentary

The Big L, an odd opener I thought, but it did pack a punch and from then on it just got better and better.  Maybe The Big L would have been more suited elsewhere in the set, even as a funky acoustic number, who knows. Could be interesting?

Sleeping In My Car.  Now you’re talking.  POW!  Lena strutted, owned the melody, and showed exactly why she’s the right person for the role. The new drummer, Magnus “Norpan” Eriksson added real punch too, and the rest of the band sounded tight.

Dressed For Success.  I’ve always loved (the now defunct) Q Magazine’s review of this song (from the Crash! Boom! Bang! Tour) describing it as “The Trogg’s ‘Wild Thing’ with a little bit of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’” – always thought that was spot on!  Much fun, and again, Lena nailed it.

Crash! Boom! Bang!  Per and Lena sharing vocals in this version which was lovely.  Very powerful live, as good now as when I first heard it way back in 1994.  (I’m still enjoying Crash! Boom! Bang! 30^th Anniversary Vinyl btw).

Wish I Could Fly.  I’ve always loved this song.  The live arrangement has drifted away somewhat from the original haunting feel of the studio version, but Lena carried it with conviction and warmth.

Opportunity Nox.  This is pop perfection.  I would have liked to have seen it swapped out for something else this time around though, but only because I’ve heard it live a few times now.  You can tell that Per enjoys performing it, so can see why it made into the set again. No biggie.  Still great, still packs.

Fading Like A Flower.  What a classic.  There’s nothing I can say about this one.  Amazing from start to finish, and where Lena hit her stride tonight.  I’m really impressed.

Vulnerable a gorgeous live debut for me. Hearing Per sing it felt special as I’ve always loved this song.

Milk And Toast And Honey followed with a gentle shift, although the transition could have been smoother. Lovely song, but not essential in a catalogue jam-packed with so many other classics far more worthy of inclusion.   I’m still patiently waiting for the return of Run To You, which deserves a modern revival.  Am I alone in missing this pop ditty?  It was never off UK radio back in the day (remember Atlantic 252 anyone?).

Almost Unreal.  Hooray.  A Top 10 hit here in the UK (No.6 if memory serves?) and I’m super pleased it’s in the set.  Sounded great – thank you Per for popping this one back in.  Very fond memories of the song, and especially buying the single at Woolworths in my hometown.

Stars to be frank, I thought would give me a chance to pop to the bar. It’s literally the only Roxette song I’ve never connected with, but that’s another story (I still bought the Star singles though – I am a fan you know).  However, this version was fun, and it was certainly a party pleaser.  Could it be finally growing on me?

She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio).  Always loved this, and more so live.  Sounded awesome, just like in 2011.  One of my faves of the evening and would have made a great opener instead of The Big L I thought.

It Must Have Been Love brought a moment of remembrance. Lena handled the introduction with sincerity and sang with real heart. I have no doubt Marie would have approved. Beautiful. The crowd seemed to agree too.

How Do You Do, Dangerous, and Joyride created a full arena singalong. The crowd was loud, happy, and absolutely up for it!  I did have to laugh with the God Save The King intro by Chris (Same as 2011), as the crowd were singing God Save The Queen.  We have King Charles now people!

Spending My Time.  Acoustic, beautiful.  You could hear a pin drop, until everyone joined in for one huge sing-a-long.  Another highlight of the show for me, but always knew that would be the case as I think it’s one of Per’s strongest power ballads.  A masterpiece for sure. Lena was suffering from a cold, but you really couldn’t have noticed.

Listen To Your Heart.  I felt the ground shake.  Amazing to see Jonas perform his guitar solo here. My goodness, this was just epic from start to finish.

The Look.  The song that got me hooked on Roxette way back in 1988.  How can this still sound so fresh and new?  Timeless.  Utter joy.  I think this was one of the first singles I ever bought.

Queen of Rain.  I adore this song, but I think ending the gig on a high would have been more fitting of the catalogue.  Especially after the highs of The Look, this one seemed a bit of mis-step.  That said, the arrangement was great, and Lena truly shone.  It was a thoughtful ending to the show… “There’s a time for the good in life…”. Indeed, there most certainly is.

Time for a quick history lesson before you go?

OK, so Wembley Arena is the oldest Arena here in the UK.  It was built way back in 1934 as the ‘Empire Pool for the British Empire Games‘. It was then transformed from an Olympic standard swimming pool into a major events concert hall.

Alongside generations of world-class performers like The Beatles, ABBA, Queen, Beyoncé, Prince, Madonna, Kylie, and of course Roxette, the venue has also hosted everything from Ice Hockey Finals, Olympic Boxing to major Comedy Tours, X-Factor Finals (yawn), Dance Championships, and even Political Conferences (bigger yawn).

Fellow Swedes, ABBA, played a seven night residency here as part of their final major Tour in 1979. The shows were professionally recorded and released as “ABBA Live at Wembley Arena“. Check it out, as live albums go, it’s a goodie!

The hall was then renamed Wembley Arena in 1978 (the year I was born, spooky), and it’s now known as the OVO Arena Wembley. To this day, it remains one of the UK’s most iconic entertainment venues, thanks to its distinctive architecture and rich cultural history.  It’s one of my favourites venues here in the UK, alongside The Royal Albert Hall.

Roxette’s Wembley History

Join The Joyride World Tour 1991 (Broadcast on BBC Radio / Bootleg – ‘A Night To Remember’ Listen Here…)
19th October 1991
20th October 1991

Summer Joyride Tour 1992
25th June 1992

Crash! Boom! Bang! World Tour 1994
9th November 2011

Charm School Tour 2011 (Audio professionally recorded, or so we’re told)
15th November 2011   Check out Dressed For Success

Roxette Live 2025 Tour
1^st December 2025