Royal Albert Hall – 18th October 2026
Darren Criss rocked up at London’s Royal Albert Hall with a stunning voice, a cheeky sense of humour and enough surprise guests to make your jaw hit the floor. Throw in a Glee reunion that triggered the loudest screams I’ve ever heard and a setlist that jumped between pop, rock and musical theatre, and you’ve got one seriously special night out.
From playing Blaine Anderson in Glee to conquering Broadway and picking up Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe awards along the way, Criss had certainly kept himself busy. This show was a chance to look back at the music, memories and people who had shaped his career.
Criss kicked things off with Blur’s Song 2, immediately setting the tone for an evening that refused to stick to one musical lane. It was followed by Tom Jones’s It’s Not Unusual, before For a Night Like This brought another side of his musical personality to the fore. The variety was there from the start, and it quickly became clear that this wasn’t going to be a concert where you could predict the next song. One minute you were getting your alternative rock fix, the next you were heading straight into classic musical territory.
Then came McFly’s Bubble Wrap, with Tom Fletcher joining Criss on stage for a particularly lovely surprise and some gorgeous harmonies. It was a brilliant reminder of just how far the evening’s musical reach extended, with familiar favourites getting a fresh outing and the guest appearances adding an extra layer of excitement.
And the surprises didn’t stop there. Mason Alexander Park joined Criss for Wig in a Box, bringing a fabulous dose of theatrical flair to the proceedings, before the StarKid fans got their moment with Goin’ Back to Hogwarts. For anyone who had followed Criss’s work from his early days with StarKid Productions, it was a nostalgic treat and had the audience up on their feet.
And wow, those vocals! Criss could absolutely belt when he wanted to, filling the Royal Albert Hall with powerful, soaring notes that showed off the sheer strength of his voice. But what made him such a compelling performer was his ability to switch gears completely. When a song called for something softer, he delivered gorgeously raw, delicate vocals that felt intimate and vulnerable, drawing you right into the emotion of the moment. He didn’t need to go full theatrical all the time to make an impact. Sometimes, the quieter moments said everything.
That contrast shone through on Not Alone and On the Street Where You Live, which allowed him to explore the emotional and theatrical sides of his repertoire. There was a real sense of storytelling in his delivery, with every song given its own personality rather than simply being another number on the setlist. He could move from soaring musical theatre vocals to a more restrained, tender approach without losing that connection with the audience. It was a real showcase of his versatility, and a reminder that there was so much more to him than the character who first made him a household name.
The set continued to jump between genres, with Computer Games’ Lost Boys Life bringing Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo on stage for another great collaboration. Maybe Happy Ending offered a nod to Criss’s acclaimed Broadway work, while Muse’s Time Is Running Out injected another shot of rock into the evening. He seemed perfectly at home tackling such different material, and that willingness to move between styles kept the concert fresh and unpredictable.
Naturally, the Glee fans were waiting for their moment, and Criss certainly delivered. The Glee set included I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You, before Alan Cumming appeared for ABBA’s Does Your Mother Know. It was an unexpected pairing that brought so much fun to the night, but the biggest moment for many fans was still to come.
When Chris Colfer, aka Kurt Hummel, appeared on stage to join Criss for Baby It’s Cold Outside, the reaction was absolutely ridiculous. And I mean that in the best possible way. The biggest scream I’ve ever heard at a concert erupted around the hall, and you could practically feel the excitement bouncing off the walls. Seeing the pair reunited on stage was a huge nostalgic moment, bringing back all those memories of their characters and the musical performances that made fans fall in love with the show. If you’d been waiting for a little Klaine magic, this was your moment.
The musical theatre fans were also spoilt rotten. Modern Family star Sarah Hyland joined Criss for Suddenly, Seymour, bringing a lovely theatrical sparkle to the evening, while I Dreamed a Dream offered an opportunity to show off his more delicate, emotionally driven vocals. Ben Folds’ The Luckiest provided another softer moment, proving that Criss didn’t need a huge production or a guest star to hold the room. His voice could be powerful when the music demanded it, but its rawness and sensitivity were just as impressive.
Then came This Time and Young the Giant’s Cough Syrup, adding further variety to a set that seemed determined to cover as much musical ground as possible. The audience were treated to a little bit of everything, from theatrical showstoppers and pop classics to alternative rock and songs packed with personal meaning. Rather than feeling like a random collection of covers, the choices reflected the different stages of Criss’s career and the music that had helped shape him as a performer.
Of course, it wasn’t all big voices and celebrity appearances. The storytelling gave the concert its heart. Criss was happy to laugh at himself, share little insights into his life and career, and let the audience in on the stories behind the songs. Those moments made the show feel personal rather than polished to within an inch of its life. You weren’t just watching a star perform; you were getting a glimpse of the person behind the performances.
And just when it seemed the evening couldn’t possibly squeeze in any more highlights, the encore delivered two more crowd pleasers. Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know brought a wonderfully familiar singalong moment, before Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream rounded things off with a final burst of pop nostalgia, complete with a bedazzled Warbler’s vest. It was a fantastic end to a show that had celebrated so many different musical influences, with Darren Criss once again demonstrating just how comfortably he could move between styles.
The Royal Albert Hall provided a suitably grand setting, but the atmosphere was anything but stiff. There were huge cheers, plenty of laughter and moments when the audience seemed almost too excited to let the next song begin. The guest appearances were a huge part of the appeal, but they never overshadowed Criss himself. His personality, vocal talent and obvious affection for the people and projects that had shaped his career held everything together.
Darren Criss Live was a joyful celebration of music, memories and a career that refused to be boxed into one category. Whether you came for Glee, the Broadway numbers, the pop and rock covers or the chance to see an extraordinary collection of guests, there was plenty to love.
The vocals were outstanding, the setlist was wonderfully unpredictable and the Chris Colfer reunion alone was more than worth the price of admission. Add in the laughs, the nostalgia and those unexpected collaborations, and you’ve got a concert that left me wishing Darren Criss would do it all over again. What a night!
Darren Criss Tour Setlist
- Song 2 (Blur cover)
- It’s Not Unusual (Les Reed cover)
- For a Night Like This
- Bubblewrap (McFly cover) with Tom Fletcher
- Wig in a Box (John Cameron Mitchell cover) with Mason Alexander Park
- Goin’ Back to Hogwarts (StarKid Productions song)
- Not Alone
- On the Street Where You Live
- Lost Boys Life (Computer Games song) with Gaten Matarazzo
- Maybe Happy Ending
- Time Is Running Out (Muse cover)
Interval
- I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You (Black Kids cover)
- Does Your Mother Know (ABBA cover) with Alan Cumming
- Suddenly, Seymour (Alan Menken cover) with Sarah Hyland
- I Dreamed a Dream (Claude Michel Schönberg cover)
- The Luckiest (Ben Folds cover)
- This Time (Glee Cast song)
- Cough Syrup (Young the Giant cover)
Encore
- Somewhere Only We Know (Keane cover)
- Teenage Dream (Katy Perry cover)
Darren Criss London review – 5 stars
