Last October, James revealed plans for their biggest UK arena tour to date, joined by fellow Manchester legends Doves. Kicking off at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena on 3 April 2026 and culminating in a landmark homecoming at Manchester’s Co-op Live on 18 April, the run came in support of their greatest hits collection Nothing But Love – The Definitive Best Of. But with James, nothing is ever that straightforward—even with a retrospective release behind it. Predictability is never part of the deal, and that sense of unpredictability only heightened anticipation. We caught the final night at Co-op Live, a show that felt less like a conclusion and more like the moment everything had been building towards.
Having released both a new studio album and a greatest hits collection last year, it’s a notably busy and exciting period for Doves. This tour, however, comes with a change—frontman Jimi Goodwin has stepped back from live duties to focus on his wellbeing. In his absence, Andy and Jez Williams are sharing vocal responsibilities, bringing a different dynamic to the band’s live performance. The band came on to the uplifting ‘Words,’ building a real sense of momentum for the rest of the set. ‘Here It Comes’ and ‘Kingdom of Rust’ showcased the band’s new live setup in full stride, with Andy stepping out from behind the drums to take on lead vocals before returning to the kit midway through the latter. ‘Pounding’ and ‘Black and White Town’ landed as clear highlights, both met with huge reactions, alongside the shimmering ‘There Goes the Fear,’ which has closed the band’s set throughout the tour. Marking their first ever appearance at the venue, and a hometown show to boot, they chose to dig deeper into their history for a surprise finale, revisiting their dance roots with ‘Space Face’—originally released in 1991 by Sub Sub, the early incarnation of the band.
A vast space like Co-op Live can be difficult to command, but James made it look effortless. Multi-instrumentalist Saul Davies was first on stage, drawing the crowd in with the extended violin intro to the stunning ‘Five-O,’ before Tim Booth’s tender vocal eased in. The uplifting ‘Waltzing Along’ followed, sparking the first mass singalong of the night as Tim made his way down the walkway to connect with fans at the barrier. Next came the jaunty Millionaires cut ‘I Know What I’m Here For,’ revived for this tour after not being played since 2023.
When a band has a song like ‘Sit Down’ in their back catalogue, it’s almost always reserved for the finale, but James have more than enough anthems to break that rule, bringing it out just four songs in. Led in by Mark Hunter’s delicate keys, it began in a hushed, almost reverent mood, with the crowd nearly drowning out Tim’s vocals before Dave Baynton-Power’s unmistakable drumbeat crashed in. What followed was the ‘Sit Down’ everyone knows and loves, its message of unity hitting even harder in a room of over 23,000 people—an emotional moment that rippled through the entire arena.
Tim is one of the finest lyricists around, and what followed underlined exactly why. Two very different tracks, both driven by powerful, purposeful writing, came next. The politically charged ‘Heads’ impressed with its intensity, its commentary on the current turmoil in America, delivered with a raw, almost shout-led urgency, underpinned by relentless, pounding percussion. ‘Zero’ began in a more restrained, measured way, unfolding as a quiet call to arms to make the most of life, its instrumentation ebbing and flowing throughout. Both morbid and unexpectedly liberating, the All the Colours of You track highlighted the tour’s striking production, with the band shown on the screens gradually transforming into skeletons in real time, adding a haunting visual edge to the performance.
Far from coasting on legacy, James performed with real urgency and clear joy, constantly reshaping familiar songs while embracing bold new ideas. This wasn’t just a celebration of where they’ve been—it was proof that James are still evolving, still searching, and very much at their best.