When it comes to a band as established as James, there are few venues in the UK they haven’t already played – especially arenas – making it all the more surprising that Tuesday marked their first-ever performance at Nottingham Arena.

For the Welsh leg of the tour, the band returned to Cardiff’s Utilita Arena – the smallest venue on this run, with a capacity of 7,500. Their previous show in the city, a stunning night at Cardiff Castle, set a high bar, meaning that expectations were understandably high.

In the North West, you usually get a choice: Manchester or Liverpool – rarely both. But James, true stars of the region, decided to do both, making it even more special for their local fans. In Liverpool, they returned to the M&S Bank Arena, a stage they hadn’t graced since 2016.

Although they’ve performed elsewhere in the North East, it’s been a couple of years since the band last played Newcastle – and judging by the crowd’s reaction on Friday night, they’ve been sorely missed.

James have had several career-defining moments in Glasgow. In 2022, they paid tribute to one of them by heading to the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh to perform a setlist inspired by their iconic 1998 show at the Barrowlands. On this tour, they performed at the larger venue of the OVO Hydro.

Scotland has always been a stronghold for the band, and this tour includes two shows there, including one at P&J Live in Aberdeen.

For the Yorkshire date of the tour, the band played in Leeds. Closest to a homecoming for Tim, the show took place at the First Direct Arena – an arena the band always relish performing in – which they have now graced six times.

The Love is the Answer tour is officially underway! Opening night at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena gave fans their first look at how the setlist has evolved from the warm-up shows, alongside the breathtaking, large-scale visuals that fans can expect throughout the tour.