MIKA at OVO Arena Wembley – A Technicolor Fever Dream
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
If you were one of the thousands who failed to secure tickets to Harry Styles’ last tour, don’t worry, you didn’t miss the party, you just went to the wrong venue. At Wembley Arena this week, MIKA proved that while Harry might have the crown, MIKA still owns the entire kingdom of pop-theatrics.
It’s been 20 years since MIKA first burst onto the scene with his four-octave range and kaleidoscopic vision. While the mainstream charts might have quieted down for him since the mid-2000s, his grip on a live audience has only tightened. To say he has "fallen off" would be a lie; he hasn’t fallen, he’s simply ascended to a level of cult-stardom where he can sell out arenas to a crowd so euphoric, the floorboards of Wembley felt more like a trampoline.
The stage was a steampunk fantasy of spinning gears and clockwork machinery. The most jaw-dropping moment involved a giant, rat-wheel-style gear suspended from the ceiling. MIKA didn’t just enter; he descended from the rafters, running and spinning inside the contraption.
The verticality of the show was stunning, with his seven-piece band and backup singers, sporting iconic, whipping long black ponytails, stacked on multi-level platforms. The props were equally oversized: a giant megaphone for the anthem "Grace Kelly" and a literal inflatable rainbow that burst out of his piano like a pop-up book come to life.
He began the night in a sharp, tailored black suit for openers like "Modern Times" and "Eleven," looking every bit the sophisticated maestro. But the sobriety didn't last long. Returning for "Lollipop," he swapped the noir for a neon-bright pink suit, cheekily telling the crowd:
"I wasn’t gonna wear black all evening, was I?"
He explained the philosophy behind the wardrobe change: "Pink vs. the darkness... Pink in a world of grey.” That is how Lollipop Girl was born. It’s this storytelling that sets MIKA apart. Every other song was preceded by stories. Stories about a dog for "Hyperlove" or the origins of his characters, giving the audience a roadmap into his wonderful, weird brain.
One of the most poignant moments of the night came when MIKA discussed the various languages he grew up with. He admitted he wasn't sure whether to perform the French hit "Elle me dit," but expressed a deep desire to embrace his roots. The result was a deafening cheer from the London crowd, proving that his appeal transcends borders just as easily as it transcends genres.
The peak of the night came during "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)." MIKA abandoned the stage entirely, diving into the crowd and eventually climbing up onto the balconies. He took a moment to reminisce about the Butterfly Lounge, the legendary club mentioned in the song, noting that while the physical place no longer exists, "Let’s recreate that energy right here." The result was pure, unadulterated chaos in the best way possible.
By the time he returned for the encore in a shimmering green sequined suit for "Love Today" and the high-octane "Yo Yo (R3HAB remix)," the arena was a sea of sweaty, smiling faces.
MIKA isn't just a singer; he’s a ringmaster. If you weren’t at Wembley to witness this 20-year celebration, you didn't just miss a concert, you missed a spiritual awakening in glitter. Whether it was the legacy fans who have been there since 2006 or the youngsters experiencing the magic for the first time, MIKA made sure no one stayed in their seats. Twenty years on, he remains the gold standard for what a pop show should be: inclusive, theatrical, and utterly insane.
Article and Photography by Inês Barny