What Went Down: Rosalía’s LUX TOUR in London with Marriott Bonvoy

If you’re not familiar with Rosalía, she’s an artist that needs very little in way of an introduction. Born in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain, she’s always been your favourite musician, through-and-through; you just didn’t know it yet. Being enveloped in Spanish folk music at age 14, there was no looking back after. Going on to study musicology at the Catalonia College of Music, Rosalía involved herself in the underground of Spanish music, following her well-trained ear to eventually end up working alongside Spanish musician and producer Raül Refree on her debut effort, Los Ángeles (2017). Fast forward to the release of her next album, El Mal Querer (2018), the dye was cast, a star was born, and Rosalía was well on her way. Then, the mainstream success of Motomami (2022). This firmly placed Rosalía in a whole different spotlight, and she’s yet to leave it. Three years on from this critically-acclaimed effort, along came LUX (2025): an understated, ballad-full body of work that leans on the magic of the London Symphony Orchestra. And with this, we reach the final night of Rosalía’s sold-out European tour in London; a full-blooded celebration of every Rosalía era.

PAUSE headed to the O2 arena alongside Marriott Bonvoy at its premium suite, continuing the hotel platform’s exciting year of musical experiences.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

When Rosalía hits the stage, everybody knows about it. As the clock ticks down to show time, there’s a steady vibration around London’s O2 arena, as the sold-out show continues to fill up with row upon row of adoring “Motomamis” (and “Papis”). If you stood outside the venue well before showtime, you would’ve been visually inundated with expression in its purest form. Everyone in sight embraced and championed Rosalía and her all-inclusive mantra, one that looks to draw a through line through people, taking them for who they are and nothing less. It’s exactly that sense of inclusivity and warmth that permeates Rosalía’s stage show. It’s all-encompassing. It’s engaging. It’s in constant movement. And it’s no surprise.

In saying this, it wasn’t plain sailing for the two-time Grammy winning Spaniard. Despite Rosalía’s ever-present desire to give everything over to her fans, the final show of the LUX European leg in London landed on the night of our attendance, and Rosalía quickly shared with the crowd that she wasn’t feeling her best. It felt as though she had been waiting to let this out; a big old exhale. Physically, she said her body had given a definitive answer to her desire to push through: “no.” Flailing after over 20 shows almost back-to-back across some of Europe’s biggest cities, it was clear that the heavy weight of touring was having an impact. But, in this show of vulnerability with her audience, that aforementioned warmth was projected right back in her direction. A rapturous response to this emotional exhale struck the arena like a lightning bolt. Who says lightning doesn’t strike twice? It was happening all night at the O2. Continuing throughout the evening, the love that felt tangible before the start of the show continued to solidify, adding fuel to an already well-oiled Rosalía fire-come-stage-show.

Fanning those flames, Rosalía epitomised an “all-rounder” on the night. A jack of all trades and the master of them all, Rosalía intertwined her eras together with ease, matching the tone of each album with various stages of the show, ebbing and flowing between soulful ballads that breathed life into the arena, such as ‘Porcelana’ and ‘Divinize’, and crowd favourite hits like ‘SAOKO,’ ‘Berghain,’ and ‘BIZCOCHITO.’ The set-list felt curated, balanced, and intentional, relaying the spiritual ambience of LUX whilst giving the people everything they wanted from her other projects. A truly international act, the multi-lingual aspect of LUX set it – and Rosalía – apart on the night, bringing the outside “in” in ways many other artists would find it impossible to do. A warm hug from Rosalía to us, the world.

As has been a common occurrence on this multi-nation tour, Rosalía didn’t only entertain through song and dance, but through subtle show sidesteps as well. Intermissions in the music made their way into the evening with lightening humour, arriving in the form of “crowd cams” and Rosalía’s “Confesionario” (Confessional) segment, where model and actress Cara Delevingne joined her on stage to have a free-flowing discussion about relationships and sexuality in the confines of a traditional confessions box, which is of course most commonly associated to Roman Catholic churches. Continuing to familiarise herself with her audience, this segment struck a cord in person, rubber-stamping how Rosalía really does physicalise a safe space of expression for herself, her guests, as well as those watching in the stadium and at home, all the while continuing to feed into LUX’s themes of spirituality, religion, sexuality, and personal relationships. Despite its seeming ease, this level of artistic expression, one that fine-tunes a production involving high-level music, dance, cinematography, and personable breaks in the show so seamlessly, is very difficult to get right. Rosalía didn’t just make it work, she elevated the art form.

Closing the night out on her larger-than-life LUX hit, ‘Magnolias’, felt fitting. The ‘throw me magnolias” chorus, which echoed around the O2, definitely rings true to Rosalía needing her due flowers, whatever the original intention of the lyric. Rosalía is an act that simply cannot be ignored, missed, or passed-by. An infinitely talented one-of-one person and musician that will be in conversations for years to come. Five. Stars.

–

Kicking off a year of thrilling musical experiences, Rosalía’s LUX Tour is set to be the first of a plethora of shows facilitated by Marriott Bonvoy, who is offering exclusive access to exclusive events across the globe, including All Points East in London and Rock en Seine in Paris, whilst additional opportunities for members in the UK to access live concert events from its suite at the O2 Arena will be available through the Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform. Not only that, but Marriott Bonvoy has also recently been announced as the Official Hotel Partner for CELINE DION PARIS 2026, a stage show that is set to take the French capital – Paris – by storm. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime moments and packages to members, Marriott Bonvoy is providing access to one of the most iconic voices in music, who is set to return to the stage in Paris this September and October, with the first exclusive 1 Point Drops going live on Thursday, 21st May at 12pm BST, offering four packages of two Salon Premium tickets, including hospitality access and level 1 reserved seating.