Arriving early, I managed to secure a great position just a few rows back from the barrier, with plenty of time to catch the support act. I’d already seen Finn Forster earlier in the year when he opened for Stereophonics on their summer stadium tour, so I knew exactly what to expect – and he didn’t disappoint.

By the time Finn and his band took the stage, the arena was almost full. Within just a couple of songs, he had the crowd in the palm of his hand, even getting the entire arena to light up their phones in a beautiful sea of lights. I recognised a few tracks from those stadium shows, but it was one of his newer songs that really stood out for me: “Pablo”, a heartfelt track about a childhood friend who left the country for six years before suddenly turning up on his doorstep again.

Setlist:

Burning Bridges

Circles

Sisters

Can’t Back Down

Good Old Days

Feels Like

On My Mind

Broken Game

Over and Over

Pablo

Grey Skies

Stay Right Til the End

Stereophonics reaffirmed their status as one of the UK’s premier rock acts with a commanding performance at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena on 13 December 2025. The second of two sold-out shows in Birmingham on their winter arena tour drew a capacity crowd of 15,000, who remained on their feet throughout a dynamic two-hour set.

Frontman Kelly Jones dominated the stage with his signature gravelly vocals and understated charisma, delivering raw and authentic performances across the board. The setlist struck an ideal balance between timeless anthems and tracks from their latest album, opening strongly with “Vegas Two Times” and maintaining momentum with classics such as “Have a Nice Day,” “Just Looking,” and “Pick A Part That’s New.”

A poignant mid-set interlude saw Jones share reflective stories from the band’s early days in Cwmaman touching on the late drummer Stuart Cable, his mother Mabel Cable and the squeaky wheeled shopping cart they used to transport their kit to band practice. This intimate moment preceded a stripped-back ukulele rendition of “I Wouldn’t Believe Your Radio,” which hushed the arena and provided a memorable emotional highlight.

Birmingham-born guitarist Adam Zindani received enthusiastic hometown applause, notably injecting a playful snippet of Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” into “The Bartender and the Thief,” sending the crowd into frenzy. Ballads like “Maybe Tomorrow” transformed the venue into a sea of illuminated phone lights, showcasing the band’s ability to evoke collective emotion.

The stunning visuals and lighting elevated the whole set – dynamic colours washing over the stage, highlighting the band’s energy, and atmospheric effects that added real depth and emotion to each track. The Aurora Borealis visuals during “Fly Like An Eagle” were amazing.

The evening culminated in a triumphant encore with massive balloons released into the audience as “C’est La Vie” & “Dakota” had the whole arena erupt in unison – a fitting climax to a celebration of 30 years of hits. For me this was a near perfect set list with a blend of tracks from every album, my only personal gripe being they didn’t play “Local Boy In The Photograph” ( the first song I learned to play on the drums ).

Stereophonics continue to deliver no-frills British rock with enduring power and sincerity. This tour stop was a standout demonstration of their live prowess. 9/10

Setlist:

Vegas Two Times

I Wanna Get Lost With You

Have a Nice Day

There’s Always Gonna Be Something

Do Ya Feel My Love?

Pick a Part That’s New

Rewind

Superman

Geronimo

Maybe Tomorrow

Colours of October

More Life in a Tramp’s Vest

I Wouldn’t Believe Your Radio (Ukulele)

Mr. Writer

Seems Like You Don’t Know Me

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Fly Like an Eagle

Just Looking

The Bartender and the Thief (with ‘Ace of Spades’ snippet)

Encore:

100MPH

Traffic

C’est la Vie

Dakota

Words & images: Mac Byrne