Royal Albert Hall

The London venue where Dua Lipa filmed her 2024 television special with a 53-piece orchestra.

The Royal Albert Hall in London, England, is the venue where Dua Lipa recorded her television special An Evening with Dua Lipa on 17 October 2024. The special aired on ITV1 on 8 December 2024 and later on CBS and Paramount+ on 15 December 2024. The concert featured a 53-piece orchestra, the Heritage Orchestra, conducted by Ben Foster, and included a duet with Elton John. The performance was part of the promotion for Lipa's third studio album Radical Optimism (2024). The hall's distinctive circular design and grand atmosphere provided a fitting backdrop for the orchestral arrangements and the singer's two custom outfits, including a Jean Paul Gaultier corseted cherry-red dress and a Chanel gown.

Quick Facts

Cost: £200,0001
Client: Provisional Committee for the Central Hall of Arts and Sciences
Owner: The Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences
Address: Kensington Gore; London, SW7
Location country: United Kingdom
Inauguration date: 29 March 1871
Renovation date: 1996–2004
Height: 135 ft / 41.1 m

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

The Royal Albert Hall was the setting for a one-off show by Dua Lipa on 17 October 2024, which was recorded for a television special and a live album. The concert featured the Heritage Orchestra, a 53-piece ensemble conducted by Ben Foster, along with Lipa's seven-piece band and fourteen choristers. The special included solo performances and a duet with Elton John, who performed "Cold Heart" (2021) with Lipa. The show was part of the promotion for Lipa's third studio album Radical Optimism (2024), which was released on 3 May 2024. The hall's stage was transformed with an S-shaped catwalk, and the performance was later released as a live album titled Dua Lipa Live from the Royal Albert Hall on 6 December 2024 through Warner Records.

Reader's Guide

The Royal Albert Hall concert was recorded for the television special An Evening with Dua Lipa, which aired on ITV1 on 8 December 2024 and on CBS and Paramount+ on 15 December 2024. The show featured a 53-piece orchestra, the Heritage Orchestra, conducted by Ben Foster, along with Lipa's seven-piece band and fourteen choristers. Lipa performed songs from her album Radical Optimism (2024), including "Houdini", "Maria", and "Anything for Love", as well as older hits like "Levitating" (2020) and "Don't Start Now" (2019). The special also included a duet with Elton John on "Cold Heart" (2021). The concert was released as a live album, Dua Lipa Live from the Royal Albert Hall, on 6 December 2024 through Warner Records. The album received a four-star review from AllMusic, with Neil Z. Yeung praising Lipa's vocals and the arrangement of the songs.