02 December 2025 (gig)
5 h
Tony Hadley brought Christmas - and a whole lot of class - to the Royal Albert Hall in a show that felt like stepping back to the glitz and glamour of the Rat Pack era.
Buzzing with festive spirit, the legendary venue was transformed into a winter wonderland, providing the perfect backdrop for Tony’s Big Band Christmas Tour.
With Christmas lights wrapped around balconies, shimmering trees gracing the stage, and “Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall” glowing above Tony and his band, it was impossible not to feel the season spark to life the minute he started singing.
Performing covers from a galaxy of greats, that included Tony Bennett, Jack Jones, Sammy Davis Jnr, Tony Christie, Frank Sinatra and Elvis, Tony provided a show-stopping soundtrack with timeless appeal.
With numbers including Too Close For Comfort, I’ve Got To Be Me, Fly Me to the Moon, Mack The Knife, I’m Feeling Good, The Good Life and Music to Watch Girls By, Tony was clearly in his element to be singing the songs he’s always loved.
It was also a dream come true for Tony to perform again at the same venue he had once met Frank Sinatra as a teenager. Telling the audience how he approached Sinatra after his gig, Tony revealed he asked Frank for advice on his ambition to be a singer.
All these years later, and Tony did Sinatra proud. Smooth, powerful and completely effortless, his voice wrapped around the room like liquid gold. His renditions of My Way and That’s Life evoked the spirit of ole blue eyes himself, with the added bonus of some Hadley appeal.
You could almost imagine yourself seated at a smoky Vegas lounge table circa 1962, cocktail in hand, as the music washed over you.
But Hadley wasn’t content with simple nostalgia. One of the evening’s standout surprises was a new original number called Mission Impossible - a suave, cinematic piece brimming with James Bond swagger. Dressed to kill in his trademark suit and armed with a glass of Jack Daniels, Tony pulled off the 007 vibe with ease. If Bond ever needs a new theme singer, he should be at the top of the list.
Of course, no Tony Hadley concert would be complete without the hits that defined a generation. The crowd rose to their feet for the Spandau Ballet classics including Tony’s favourite Spandau track Through The Barricades, Only When You Leave, True and naturally, a triumphant, shimmering Gold. Each song was delivered with the same richness and command that made them timeless but with the added pazzazz of his rousing big band.
The finale brought everyone firmly back into the festive fold with Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, All Alone on Christmas, before ending on a joyful Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.
By the time the last notes dissolved under the Royal Albert Hall’s iconic dome, the entire audience was glowing - wrapped in nostalgia and true Christmas spirit.
A magical, memorable night from start to finish, Tony Hadley’s Christmas Big Band Tour didn’t just entertain, it transported. And for a few enchanted hours, Christmas felt wonderfully, unmistakably Gold-en, all thanks to our national treasure that is Tony Hadley.
