Olivia Dean Plays Her First Sold-Out Night at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena: ‘Such An Upgrade’

Olivia Dean has transitioned from a rising British singer to an acclaimed, globally renowned act all in the last year.

At 27, Dean is one of today’s biggest artists. Hot on the heels of her Grammy win for best new artist, she embarked on her first-ever North American arena tour, playing venues triple the size of the ones she played on previous tour runs. Last summer, Dean played two nights at the iconic Massey Hall in Toronto, which holds just under 3,000 people.

Barely a year later, she’s performing at Scotiabank Arena, playing to over 30,000 fans across two sold-out nights at the venue, which started last night (Aug. 4). She addressed the many fans decked out in polka dots — a pattern that has become synonymous with the singer — noting that the venue change was “such an upgrade."

“I can't believe how many people are here,” she expressed with excitement, before sharing the goal for the show: “The one rule tonight is that everybody, including me, has a good time. You've got nothing to lose tonight. We're gonna sing, we're gonna dance.”

Dean exuded an effortless confidence that made it easy to understand how she’s become such a beloved artist in a short time. As she flitted around the stage in a black dress and shook her bedazzled tambourine, the crowd sang her songs back to her with ease.

Despite Dean’s resonance with Gen-Z, she has charmed listeners of all ages with a deeply soulful voice that is reminiscent of U.K. singers like Adele and Amy Winehouse. Dean's affinity for the past is reflected in the show’s set, with carpeted flooring and swooping curtains that resemble the set of a 1960s talk show. During “So Easy (To Fall In Love),” she and her two backup singers — whom she calls “the best in the game” — performed in a formation similar to The Supremes.

The first few songs of her set were from her acclaimed sophomore album, The Art of Loving, which Dean commented, "is the craziest thing that ever happened [to me]." Since its September 2025 release, her second album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart and has become a top 15 mainstay.

It often happens that when an artist skyrockets into fame, many concert attendees only know the hits — but Dean’s fans were different. When she announced she would be singing songs from her debut record — 2023’s Messy — the audience erupted in excitement. “The energy in here is good, I was right,” she quipped, before launching into an acoustic section with deeper cuts like “UFO” and “Touching Toes.”

When she played “Carmen,” a track dedicated to her grandmother, who emigrated from the U.K. to Guyana in the mid-1900s, she explained that playing the track in Toronto felt “extra special” because of the city’s large Caribbean community — she stopped her speech to point out a Guyanese flag in the crowd. As she continued, she spoke about the importance of diversity and the bravery of immigrants. It was a callback to her Grammy-winning speech, where she declared she was “a product of bravery,” in reference to her Caribbean heritage.

Olivia Dean Lola Mansell

Dean also integrated a surprise song section, which has become a key fixture at concerts. While fans shouted out their requests — “No, not that one, that one’s so old,” she joked with one fan, “I’ll keep it in mind for next time,” she told another — Dean played “Something Inbetween,” a deep cut from The Art of Loving that many in the crowd knew all the words to.

After a short performance on her flower-shaped B-stage, Dean returned to the main stage to round out her set, over an hour and a half later. Switching into a peach coloured dress, performed “Baby Steps” as the set evolved into a 1970s party, with flashing lights and spinning disco balls — even her infamous banana shaker got a sparkly upgrade. She kept the crowd’s spirit high with a cover of Curtis Mayfield's “Move On Up,” an empowering anthem for Dean’s success.

Dean's Bridget Jones’ Baby hit “It Isn't Perfect But It Might Be” became the standout song in the quintessential British film series, and was slotted towards the end of her set, alongside older fan favourites like “OK Love You Bye” and “Dive.”

It was only fitting for Dean to close out her first of two sold-out nights with her No. 1 hit “Man I Need,” which spent six weeks at the top. The crowd erupted as soon as Dean’s cooing sentiment “talk to me, talk to me,” filled the arena. To commemorate the moment, a burst of confetti rained down over fans on the floor, as Dean frolicked around.

While most of the confetti was pink and red, lyrics from “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” were printed on certain pieces, reading “love’s never wasted,” and “when it’s shared.” It was the perfect sentiment to close out one of — if not the biggest — Canadian shows of Dean’s career. “Give it up for yourselves,” she told the crowd before exiting.

Dean will perform a second night at Scotiabank Arena tonight (Aug. 5), before heading to Montreal’s Centre Bell on Aug. 7.