Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour: The evolution of Billie Eilish’s European gigs
Billie Eilish is currently at the peak of her career with the “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour, which she started in 2024. The European leg of the tour is set to commence in April, with the first gig scheduled in the Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on the 23rd and 24th of April.
A review of the current tour schedule reveals notable differences that collectively highlight Billie Eilish’s evolution in the music industry. The 23-year-old singer became active in the music industry in 2015, has dropped three career albums, and headlined six career tours aside from her current.
She took ten years to build a legacy in the music industry that has helped her amass an amazing fan base that’s behind her. The European leg of the “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour sparked a lot of buzz online, with thousands of those fans anticipating her first gig.
This has not only placed European businessmen and women, residing around some of these concert venues, on their toes – speaking about the economic boost that comes with the crowd – but has also driven her tickets to these concerts out of the market.
Securing one now might be a stressful process, but it might be possible to find some on secondary ticket marketplaces. After all, based on the testimonies of most fans, such places are better alternatives when it comes to securing Billie Eilish tickets on time.
Back to discussing the evolution of Billie Eilish’s craft, especially in Europe, where there are plenty of venues to pick from, the wide availability of venues in Europe has also contributed to the evidence of Billie Eilish’s growth in the industry.
The Evolution Of Billie Eilish’s European gigs
Considering her career track record, Billie Eilish has been headlining live shows in Europe since 2017, during her debut live musical tour. Some of the places she visited are centres, such as Melkweg Upstairs, which has a very small capacity. Below are some of the evolutions that are now notable in her career.
From small clubs to stadiums: The growth of Billie Eilish’s live music
Unarguably, one of the best ways to show growth in the music industry is capacity. This starts with the number of people that listen to or stream the songs, the number of people that buy the records, and lastly, the number of people that make it to the live shows.
At first, the numbers don’t tally. It’s possible to have a large fan base online but have few turnups for the shows. This will then determine the kinds of venues someone picks for the shows whenever planning on hosting one. This can be seen in Billie Eilish’s schedules over the past couple of years since she became active in the industry.
As mentioned earlier, some of her gigs were held in centres like the Melkweg Upstairs when she started headlining gigs. However, her growth and evolution in the industry is now clear, as most of her gigs amidst the “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour are fixed in larger venues.
Take the Avicii Arena, for instance, which has a concert capacity of 17k people, and the Unity Arena with a 25k concert capacity. She’ll now be performing to a larger audience compared to when she started, and that’s a sign of growth.
How technology changed Billie Eilish’s concert experiences
The endgame of technology has certainly not been seen yet, even though there is already amusement at what it has accomplished, especially in the live musical scene. Consider Coldplay, for example, and their ability to perform live on stage with holograms of BTS during their performance of “My Universe.”
Technology has blessed us with a lot of advantages, and it rubs off on whoever is willing to engage with it. Concerning Billie Eilish and her evolution in the music world, it’s cool to hear her soft and powerful vocals all being amplified by high-fidelity audio systems, reaching her audience regardless of venue size and crowd.
Gone are the days when artists were observed from a distance, with only the echoes of their performances reaching the ears of the audience. Indeed, those days held their charm, but it must be conceded, the experience was somewhat lacking in fairness. Thankfully, those times are now behind. Today, large LED screens ensure that, no matter where one is seated, the action on stage is visible to all.
The rise of visual spectacles: Bigger stages, bolder effects in Billie Eilish concerts
Technology has also made an impact on how stages are designed these days, and it’s in its full glory at Billie Eilish’s concerts as well. Take her Quebec show, for example, and how the magnificent stage kept glowing in different colours and styles, synching with her performance of the moment.
A look at that stage setting in the Videotron Centre, located in Quebec City, would confirm the rise of visual spectacles, with bigger stages and bolder effects making for better concert experiences. The stage was split into two, with the other half flying right above where Billie Eilish was standing. It had four screens in its corners, which displayed whatever Billie Eilish did below to her audience.
This made it easy for everyone to see Billie Eilish at the concert, and it is certain the same would be the case, especially in the Unity Arena, which has a concert capacity of 25,000 people. A stage design as such makes it easy for attendees to be in full concert mode.
In essence, it is possible to dance and sing anywhere without concern for the presence of Billie Eilish, even amidst thousands of individuals participating in the same activity.”
What’s next for Billie Eilish? The future of her live performances in Europe
Delving into the journey of Billie Eilish within the music industry, she brings to mind an iconic pop star who seems to have conquered it all. That star is none other than Taylor Swift, the 35-year-old billionaire, who has reached this pinnacle largely through her “Eras Tour.” Swift’s beginnings in the industry mirror those of Billie Eilish, and today, she is heralded as one of the finest talents in the music scene.
With the speed at which Billie Eilish is going, there’s no doubt that she too will soon be classified as one of the finest in the music industry. While most of her current gigs are scheduled to be held in venues that are bigger than what she started in, the future of her live performances in Europe definitely sees her performing in even bigger venues than now.
Venues as large as Wembley Stadium in London, UK – home to 90,000 seats – are a likely benchmark for the future of Billie Eilish’s live performances. Her album Hit Me Hard and Soft currently holds the No. 1 spot on the UK Albums Chart (OCC) following its 2024 release, underscoring her growing popularity in the region.
Although she is scheduled to perform in London during this tour, her appearances will take place at The O2 Arena, with a capacity of 20,000, and at Manchester’s Co-op Live, which holds up to 23,500. Combined, these venues still fall significantly short of Wembley’s scale – suggesting that future tours could see Eilish headlining even larger stages as her trajectory continues upward.
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