Featured image and gallery: Ben Redshaw

Sabrina Carpenter performs to a crowd of dedicated fans at the O2 Apollo, marking her first appearance in Manchester since she supported for The Vamps’ ‘Middle of The Night’ tour in 2017. Show-goers were spotted queuing outside the O2 Apollo from 3am in morning just to secure their spot at the front.

Carpenter began her career in acting in 2011, and since then she has appeared in multiple Disney Channel productions, the long running television show ‘Law and Order’, Netflix’s ‘Tall Girl’, and the Broadway musical version of ‘Mean Girls’.

In 2014, she entered the world of music releasing her first single “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying.” Over the past decade, Carpenter has achieved considerable success as both actor and singer

With a decorated stage, Sabrina set the scene of a love story with a giant love-heart mirror and a balcony belonging to a fairy-tale.

Annika Bennett was the support of the evening. Introducing herself to the crowd, Bennett took a moment, and said; “This is the biggest room I’ve ever played before, so this is a special moment for me”. The crowd welcomed her with open arms as she began her set with ‘Sober Up’. Further into her performance, Annika has a room full of stars lighting up the venue with her melodic song ‘Universe’.

Bennett performed her well-known song ‘Boy Who Has Everything’. During the interval, the crowd were treated to a karaoke session as some of the best sing-along songs came on as they awaited the arrival of Sabrina Carpenter. This was the moment where thousands of fans came together and sang classics such as ‘9 to 5’, ‘Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie’, and ‘Umbrella’.

Annika’s finished off her set with a cover Taylor Swift’s ‘All too Well’. Incidentally, Sabrina Carpenter is set to support Taylor Swift on the South Africa leg of the ‘Eras’ Tour, later this year.

As the iconic song came to an end, her fans were screaming in excitement before she had even appeared. Sabrina took the stage, beginning her set on the balcony with her newest track, ‘Emails I Can’t Send’.

Broadening her connection with her fanbase, Sabrina dedicated time during her performance to allow the audience to share their stories with everyone. With signs scattered around the venue, Carpenter picked up on a few with messages such as “I’m here with my ex” and “I flew all the way from Italy to see you tonight”.

Each fan had the opportunity to talk to their favourite pop star, and the audience cheered them on after their emotional stories. Sabrina then said to them “I think this next song will help you with your situations”, she then leads into ‘Fast Times.’

Further into the evening, Carpenter brought up the mood with a very recognisable song as she covered one of Carly Simon’s tunes. The intro to ‘You’re So Vain’ began and everyone was dancing and singing along. With the song becoming a recent TikTok trend, fans of all ages knew the lyrics to this one. This was a special moment in the evening as everyone joined in, even the parents had a good time.

As the show came to a close, Sabrina Carpenter left the stage, but the fans were begging for more as they began to chant her name. Screams emerged from the darkness as Sabrina came back to perform her most iconic songs in her encore, ‘Nonsense’, A fan favourite where Carpenter makes up a unique outro for each city she performs in.

Fans were delighted when Sabrina referenced the football by singing: “Should I root for City or United? You know footballs get me so excited. Manchester, I love to be inside it.”

This got roars of appreciation from the crowd and was a great nod to Manchester fans. Finally, she played ‘Because I Liked a Boy’ and ended the evening, leaving fans with memories that will last a lifetime.

Check out Sabrina Carpenter’s newest single, ‘Emails I Can’t Send’, which is out on all platforms.

Annika Bennett Supporting Sabrina Carpenter at Manchester O2 Apollo

Sabrina Carpenter performance at Manchester O2 Apollo