On Friday 26 April 2024, Sampha performed his biggest headline show to date at Alexandra Palace.
After a triumphant return to the music scene with his latest masterpiece LAHAI, which followed the success of his Mercury Prize-winning debut album Process, Sampha captivated our 10,000-strong audience with his unique sound, a bold jazz jam-inspired stage layout and a string of guest appearances ranging from Jessie Ware, Little Simz, Ghetts and Lil Silva to trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey of KOKOROKO.
Relive this special evening with our pictures, the setlist, reviews and audience reactions below:
★★★★ “Sold-out Alexandra Palace eating out of his hand: The south Londoner showed why it’s no wonder everyone from Beyoncé to Drake wants to duet with him.” – The Times
“Here was a risk-taker unafraid to shake things up in a room filled with thousands of people, his biggest headline gig to date.” – Financial Times
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There are 7,500 trees in our Park, and Stephen Middleton from the Friends of Alexandra Park is introducing us to some of his favourites…
Take time to sit and feed the birds or watch the people on the pedalos cruising on the boating lake and right by you could be the abundantly flowering Willow-leaved Pear (Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’), our April Tree of the Month. The tree is on the left hand side of the boating lake when viewed from the cafe.
As the name implies the leaves look more like a willow than most pear trees. The scientific name salicifolia breaks down into ‘salix’ meaning ‘willow’ and ‘folia’, meaning ‘leaves’ (think of the word foliage). This small tree is the weeping form and will only grow to between five metres and 10 metres high.
Take a closer look at the leaves and you can see that they are silvery or woolly. The tree flowers in April or early May producing large numbers of white flowers that cover the tree. Later in the year it produces a few small fruit (pears), which are not great to eat.
The willow-leaved pear originates from a relatively small area in Anatolia and the Caucasus mountains where it grows on mountain slopes and rocky plains. It was originally introduced into this country in the late eighteenth century and is planted for its blossom and leaf colour.
Pears and most fruit trees in this country are in the rose family along with other familiar trees such as the rowan, hawthorn and blackthorn.
If you are on the lookout for something more edible, head along to the Grove area of the park where there are two small orchards and where edible pear trees can be found.
Want to find out more about trees? The Friends of Alexandra Park run several tree walks throughout the year with one coming up on the Saturday 11 May 2024. Check out their website for details.
Australian singer-songwriter and rapper The Kid LAROI brought his The First Time tour to a sold-out Alexandra Palace on 16 April 2024, much to the delight of his fans who couldn’t wait to see the popstar perform songs from his new album.
In this recap, we’re sharing audience reactions, pictures, and the setlist of this electrifying performance which showcased The Kid LAROI’s energy and talent in our historic venue:
@riiano7 @The Kid LAROI. Love again live in London #kidlaroi #alexandrapalace #whatjusthappen #withoutyou #thefirsttimetour #London #thekidlaroiwithoutyou #withoutyouchallenge #thekidlaroiconcert #loveagain ♬ original sound – Ri
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On 13 April 2024, San Diego powerhouse punks Pierce The Veil headlined a sold-out Alexandra Palace for their biggest-ever UK show, rounding off the British leg of their long-awaited The Jaws Of Life Tour alongside special guests Holding Absence and Dayseeker.
This show is one that the band had been dreaming about putting on for their fans ever since they started touring overseas: a monumental celebration of everything that they have all built together over the years, playing a career-defining set which featured songs from their latest LP and fan favourites from their back catalogue like their breakthrough album Collide With The Sky.
Scroll down for the setlist, our picture gallery and your reactions!
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On 12 April 2024, Declan McKenna played the biggest concert of his career to date at Alexandra Palace.
The English singer-songwriter, a celebrated local to Ally Pally, experienced a full circle moment as he took to the stage in our Great Hall. This tour was off the back of his newly released album What Happened To The Beach?.
Check out the photos, the setlist and your reactions below:
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“Yet here he was, at London’s cavernous Alexandra Palace, playing what he declared was the biggest show of his career to an adoring audience who greeted every misshapen, distorted, and at times borderline cacophonic anthem as if it was a solid gold chartbuster.” – Telegraph
@declanmckennaAlexandra palace♬ original sound – Bella ꩜
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@breedpoo so excited for some sunmer picnics #declanmckenna #allypally #brazil #summer ♬ original sound – bronie⎕
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We have recently secured a rare find for our archive: a copy of the catalogue for the Art Spectrum exhibition held at Ally Pally in 1971. The event was notable for including Yoko Ono among the exhibitors, and for a visit to the Palace from Yoko and John Lennon.
Check out photos from the exhibition and visit below, as well reflections on the importance of capturing these stories for our archive from the Palace’s Curatorial and Interpretation manager, Kirsten Forrest.
How did we manage to get hold of this catalogue? It came up at auction in Amsterdam last year. I knew this was a rare opportunity and was confident that the item fitted our charity’s collections policy criteria, as well as our limited budget. I got approval for the archive acquisition, submitted a bid online and won!
How do you find out about historic memorabilia like this? Sometimes memorabilia, photos and stories come to us when people or families have been to a concert, exhibition or ice skating, and see that we are collecting and sharing our history. We recently had a fascinating case of a family spotting a relative in a photograph we had included in a BBC News report. It was brilliant to meet the family and reconnect them with the story of their father and grandfather. Alternatively, sometimes I might spend years trying to find a particular poster or piece of ephemera at auction or on Ebay.
Why is it important to maintain an archive? Using collections and archive creatively helps tell the stories of our communities and the unsung heroes who have held up the Palace for 150 years. It is an important part of maintaining and building connections. The Park and Palace have a special place in the hearts of Londoners in particular. I believe that pride of place is a huge factor in feeling good and having a positive sense of belonging. Our hope is to promote this culture, providing great experiences and lasting memories for all our visitors.
What is it like to seek out these amazing stories and moments of history? Working in a heritage venue with listed building status, means that we have an eclectic 150-year history to draw on and reveal. We are always on the lookout for new stories and pieces for our archive. The significance of a concert ticket, photo or poster isn’t always obvious at the time, but there are many ‘firsts’ and ‘lasts’ to commemorate at the Palace. Collections are the physical evidence of a huge range of activity, stories and emotions dating back to the 19th century, and we are still making history with events held here, so our archives continue to grow.
How might people support us in maintaining and building our archive? Of course, if you have any stories from your own family or local history you would like to share, we would love to hear from you. You can always support our charity through a donation too, which will help us to care for the heritage of the Park and Palace and to keep building our educational and engagement programmes for future generations. But everyone can help in their own way, whether it is taking part in our Creative Learning activities, visiting events, going to the Theatre, having a round at the Pitch and Putt, sending in a selfie or just taking your litter home after a picnic. After all it’s your Ally Pally!
Discover more about our history here
On 6 April 2024, godfathers of trance and acid house Rick Smith and Karl Hyde, better known as Underworld, delivered a show of epic proportions at the Palace.
The duo, who have been making music together since 1987, performed for over three hours in total, deciding to support themselves to bring not one but two sets to a sold-out crowd of 10,000 adoring fans who danced the night away. The setlist ranged from back catalogue gems, B-sides and more recent tunes to mega-banger of Trainspotting fame Born Slippy .NUXX.
Come with us as we recap this incredible evening with pictures, your reactions, and the full setlist:
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Incredible. I mean, really. Intense and moving. And mind blowing. I really liked the show being split into 2 parts with dreamy, majestic gems like Low Burn & Dirty Epic before the total carnage in part 2. And in the grandest venue. @Yourallypally was totally rammed. pic.twitter.com/ugDVTXYXrQ
— Piggy Stardust (@EnemyCoastAhead) April 7, 2024
Amazing sets! Thank you pic.twitter.com/HXNLT60pHi
— Warren (@warren_sherwin1) April 7, 2024
The best I’ve seen and heard you in 25 years. Truly amazing show ❤️
— Sean Thomas (@seansthomas) April 7, 2024
Seen Underworld loads of times but last nights felt so energetic, the crowd were so up for it and the audio sounded so good! I did a lot of smiling so thank you pic.twitter.com/vHjSnBwusi
— steve price (Loopz) (@steveloopzprice) April 7, 2024
Josh White and Matt Lowe, aka Hybrid Minds, reached yet another peak by bringing the TIDES live experience to Alexandra Palace on 30 March 2024.
As one of Drum and Bass’ most sought-after and electrifying acts, the duo have had an explosive journey through London’s most iconic venues, leading them to bring the biggest headline show they have ever thrown in the capital to Ally Pally.
Ravers were treated to a cocktail of ground-breaking production, Drum and Bass anthems and a few surprises along the way, from balloons and confetti to guest appearances by Tom Walker.
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On 29 March 2024, Sonny Fodera played his biggest UK headline show to date at Alexandra Palace.
The Ibiza legend and house music icon was joined by 10,000 dancers on Easter Friday for his only UK appearance this year. At the electrifying performance, Sonny debuted Mind Still, his new single primed to become a summer anthem and top track of the year.
Let’s recap this epic gig with pictures and audience reactions:
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@sonnyfoderaofficial A SOLD OUT ALLY PALLY, LONDON ❤️. Just wow. I am totally blown away. Still processing Friday night and everything that went down. I’ve never experienced anything like it! From the iconic Alexandra Palace and then onto the legendary Outernet in Soho. What an extraordinary night from start to finish. Thank you to everyone who made it so special and for making my dreams come true ♥️ #sonnyfodera #alexandrapalace #sonnyfoderaalexandrapalace #allypally ♬ original sound – Sonny Fodera
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On 28 March 2024, Welsh pop-punk kings Neck Deep played their biggest headline show to date at Ally Pally.
The boys from Wrexham supported a few times at the Palace over the years, but this milestone gig cemented their status as big-venue fillers themselves and came across as a celebration of their 12-year journey as a band, as proven by the ecstatic 10,000-strong crowd before them and a setlist showing the breadth of their back catalogue.
Check out our photos, the setlist and your reactions below:
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