Whoever doubted Dua Lipa’s impact is definitely biting their tongue now. The Radical Optimism Tour finally arrived in Brazil! The São Paulo concert took place on Saturday, November 15th, at Morumbis Stadium, and the tour heads to Rio de Janeiro on the 22nd. It was a night truly worthy of a superstar.
A sensational performance
Dua Lipa has stepped on Brazilian soil a few times before: in 2017 as the opening act for Coldplay and with a solo show at Audio Club in São Paulo; in 2022 as one of the main headliners of Rock in Rio and in that same year with the Future Nostalgia Tour in São Paulo. Now, she’s back once more with her latest world tour.
Comparing her last two albums, Radical Optimism (2024) didn’t reach the same massive heights as Future Nostalgia (2020)— which dominated the pandemic era and won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards—but that never discouraged Dua. On the contrary, she put together an even more special tour for her fans.
The concert featured a massive stage setup, a catwalk, stairs, big screens with live visuals, stunning lighting, and pyro effects. There were also outfit changes across the four acts. Dua didn’t hold back: together with her stylist Lorenzo Posocco, she chose five different looks, including brands like Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Balenciaga for the São Paulo show.
The setlist blended songs from all three of her studio albums. There were iconic hits like “New Rules” (2017), “Levitating” (2020), and “Hallucinate” (2020); collaborations like “One Kiss” (2018) and “Electricity” (2017); and, of course, her most recent singles “Training Season” (2024) and “Houdini” (2023) from the album that gives the tour its name. Even if you didn’t know all the songs, the energy was absolutely contagious.
Dua and the Brazilian crowd
Sorry to the rest of the world, but everything hits harder in Brazil. The very first fan accounts dedicated to the British-Albanian singer came from here — “Dua Lipa Central,” active since 2016, was shouted out by Dua herself during a fan interaction moment. Another major account, “Acervo Dua Lipa,” helped boost ticket sales for the Brazilian shows on X — and it worked! The stadium was completely packed. The owner’s phone was even chosen for another interaction moment during “Be the One”.
One of the most anticipated parts of every show on the tour is the cover Dua performs from the country she’s visiting. For São Paulo, she didn’t just sing in Portuguese, but she also brought Carlinhos Brown and Caetano Veloso, two legends of Brazilian music, to perform “Magalenha” and “Margarida Perfumada” together. If you think that was an easy choice, just listen and imagine the level of dedication it took for her to learn them.
This kind of affection for her fans is what sets Dua apart. While many artists skip Brazil, she shows up and makes sure to give everything she can. And it wasn’t just her paying homage: during “Anything for Love”, fans lit up the stadium with phone flashlights in the colors of the Brazilian flag, a moment that visibly moved her.
If you get the chance, go to the Radical Optimism Tour — because even if you’re not a fan yet, you’ll leave as one. After a show like this, Dua Lipa deserves even more success.
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The article above was edited by Maria Esther Cortez.
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