Benson Boone had Glasgow feeling mystical, and maybe even magical, during his American Heart Tour stop at the OVO Hydro.
Benson Boone had Glasgow feeling mystical, and maybe even magical, during his American Heart Tour stop at the OVO Hydro. With the release of his latest album American Heart in June 2025, Boone set out on his sold out world tour, gathering fans of all ages for a night that they surely wouldn’t forget any time soon. With a combination of some of his older, well-loved songs, and his newest hits, Boone had the room lighting up with excitement, ready for the show of a lifetime.
As testament to the dedicated following of Benson Boone, some fans had begun queueing from as early as 7am, with a few even going as far to dress up like the singer, moustaches and all! The dreary Glasgow weather was no match for the infectious enthusiasm of early concert queuers, with every passing minute only adding to the steadily rising anticipation for the show. Fans were rewarded with Elliot James Reay as the opening act, his timeless voice and standout stage presence making him the perfect start to the night. With an incredible band behind him, Elliot sang a captivating set, most notably a cover of ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ and his debut single ‘I Think They Call This Love’, which garnered crowd participation with the OVO being lit up by swaying phone torchlights. When his set began drawing to a close, Reay pulled out all the stops with his high energy song, ‘Who Knew That Dancing Was a Sin’, leaving the Glasgow crowd cheering for more.
With the crowd primed and buzzing with energy, the screen above the stage began to play a slideshow style video, featuring an instrumental backing track of Boone’s unreleased song, The Night of Our Lives. Benson soon took to the stage, rising up from a platform below amidst earsplitting screams, flashing lights, and eye-catching pyrotechnics. As a surprise to no one, he was quick to exhibit his secondary talent, backflipping. The all-American singer quickly established his gymnastic abilities early on within his career, very quickly becoming known for jumping off of high surfaces mid show, including his piano! Glasgow was in for a special treat regarding his famous jumpsuits, with his outfit choice of the night being worn for the first time since its appearance at the Grammys almost a year ago.
Benson’s set began with I Wanna Be The One You Call, and he was quick to utilise every inch of the stage, running up and down with seemingly endless energy. The building guitar and drum beat quickly had everyone up on their feet and dancing, and as Boone upped the octave, he was almost drowned out by the cheers of the crowd. During Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else, Benson was slowly lifted into the air by, yet another, rising platform, which very soon became the location of his second backflip of the night, though it had no hindrance upon his singing, which he remained doing flawlessly throughout. After wishing his Glasgow audience a happy Halloween, he headed toward the centre of the catwalk to begin singing Drunk In My Mind, garnering rising screams from the crowd as he leapt off of the side of the stage to sing the second verse face to face with one lucky fan.
With his hit song Mystical Magical going viral on social media, the crowd’s anticipation was at an all time high, eagerly awaiting for the ‘moonbeam icecream’ singer to perform the catchy lyrics that everybody knows and loves. And with this, Benson Boone did not disappoint. He appeared back on stage, not on solid ground, but atop a blazing chandelier that then proceeded to ferry him around the room. It’s safe to say that Boone loves his theatrics as much as he loves singing, and who can blame him when he does it this well.
Taking a break from the high energy songs, the chandelier deposited him back onto the main stage, where Boone took to standing upon his piano under the focus of a single spotlight to perform, In the Stars. Torches once again lit up the arena, becoming a uniting force amidst the highly emotional melody and hard hitting lyrics. Once everyone had thoroughly cried their hearts out, Boone pieced us back together with a mashup of rarely played songs, Let Me Go/ There She Goes/ Sugar Sweet, featuring incredible high notes and riffs that left everyone with their jaws dropped long after he disappeared back beneath the stage.
After an unbelievable solo from Boone’s guitarist, Sus Vasquez, Benson appeared again with an outfit change and the drum beat of Young American Heart echoing throughout the room. Halfway through the chorus the confetti cannons running alongside the walkway of the stage released a tsunami of red, white and blue, thrilling the audience as it rained down on the pit. After wowing us with his piano skills during Mr Electric Blue, the American singer was met with Scotland’s iconic, and true, chant of ‘No Scotland, No Party’ which he then playfully imitated with his own take of a Scottish accent. Carrying on with crowd interaction, Boone tested out his acting skills by creating a love story between a fan and a fictional love interest, Jimmy (we’re all still rooting for you guys!) Though his ‘Scottish’ accent turned more Mrs Doubtfire towards the end, Benson remained determined to keep it up, leaving the crowd laughing the whole time.
Once Benson had left the stage for what we assumed was the final time, he shocked us all by returning for an encore dressed up in his very own gladiator costume to sing Cry. The show ended as he kneeled in the middle of the stage, hand on his heart, seemingly appreciative by the overwhelming love and support given by the crowd. It’s clear that he is outstanding at putting on a memorable show, and the connections he is able to make with crowds, no matter the size, is rare for an artist of his stature. Benson Boone certainly puts the whole of his Young American Heart into all that he does, and hopefully all that he will continue to do.