Music, News, Review

Ne-Yo @ AO Arena gallery – 2000s R&B evening with Ne-Yo and Mario

2 415

Featured image and gallery: Gracie Hall


Photographer Gracie Hall captures Grammy-nominated artist Mario as he takes to the AO Arena’s stage to open for R&B legend Ne-Yo on his ‘Champagne and Roses’ Tour. 

R&B singer Mario opens up the evening, dripping in diamond-studded chains and an Alexander McQueen bomber.

He treated the crowd to hit singles ‘Let Me Love You’ and ‘How Do I Breathe’, as well as his latest single ‘Main One’, featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga.

Mario is set to release his sixth studio album, accompanied by a headline tour, this year.

Ne-Yo opens in a red suit and matching hat, accompanied by a full band and contingent of backing dancers. He smoothly serenades with slick choreography and velvety vocals.

His latest Champagne & Roses tour celebrates his veteran status as an R&B superstar, spanning over two decades. Back in November, Ne-Yo added extra shows to his tour owing to the unprecedented demand seeing the original dates sell out. 

The “new classics” portion of his set includes chart-toppers ‘Sexy Love’, ‘Closer’, and ‘So Sick’. The show also included hits off his most recent record, 2022’s Self Explanatory, including ‘You Got the Body’, ‘U 2 Luv’ and ‘Don’t Love Me’. 

Ne-Yo has been keeping busy – this latest tour comes off the back of him competing on the US Masked Singer, winning as season as ‘Cow’. He also released an EP in December, a festive album titled Another Kind of Christmas Reimagined. 

No Ne-Yo show is complete without collaborative mega-hits with Calvin Harris (‘Let’s Go) and David Guetta (‘Time of our Lives’). The show closes with global smash ‘Give me Everything’.

About the author / 

Gracie Hall

2 Comments

  1. Fin 25th March 2024 at 10:07 pm -  Reply

    Sooo good!!

  2. Fin 25th March 2024 at 10:07 pm -  Reply

    Sooo good!!

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • A Mural for Mani – Manchester music legend to be immortalised with mural in his hometown

    Following the passing of iconic Stone Roses and Primal Scream Bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mountfield, there have been growing calls for him to be immortalised in a way that reflects both his cultural impact and the deep affection shared between the musician and his home city. GRIT Studios has answered the calls from fans, announcing plans…

  • London Fashion Week A/W 2026: The new designers shaping tomorrow

    Featured image: Evie Peattie  Often overshadowed in popular narratives by the heritage houses of Paris or Milan, London’s fashion ecosystem has long traded on creative freedom. As London Fashion Week prepares for its 42nd year, running from the 19 to 23 February, the British capital is poised to reaffirm its reputation not simply as a…

  • “It’s easy to lose yourself to this music”: Deptford Northern Soul club lead new wave of Northern Soul

    Featured image: Sebastian Garraway Beats vibrate through a polished floor. Bodies move with a swinging grace, surrendering to the rhythm without hesitation. An instinctual sliding jig sways wide-legged jeans cut just above the ankle. Sweat drips from sharp scissor-cut hairstyles onto porous Fred Perry polos. You’ve guessed it: Northern Soul. The late 1960s phenomenon is…

  • Harry is Home: From the BRITs to a Manchester one-night-only show – everything to know about Harry Styles’ return

    Featured image: Evangeline Causton  Local lad Harry Styles will take to the stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live for the city’s first-ever Brit Awards, before returning for his one-night-only show on March 6 to celebrate the arrival of his fourth album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. When cryptic billboards bearing the words “WE BELONG TOGETHER” appeared across Manchester city…