Enrique Iglesias and Demi Lovato at 3Arena, Dublin – Review and Photos

I gasp while emerging out onto the balcony, met by the sight of the vast crowds. The 3Arena is packed and the vibes are joyous. With an uplifting atmosphere that can hit you that hard the minute you walk in, it is obvious that this will be a night to enjoy. As well as Iglesias himself, the supporting Demi Lovato, what with her loyal fandom, is certainly accountable for these large numbers in attendance. Later, after the night has drawn to a close, a huddle of girls discuss how they had come only to see Lovato perform and had formerly considered leaving as soon as she was finished her set.

The 22 year old pop singer comes bouncing out onstage, showcasing her studded leather outfit and her bubbly personality. Her backing singers and guitarists are strategically placed at each side of the stage, ensuring greater involvement for the audience members at opposite ends.
Lovato is amiable and genuine, cracking smiles throughout and repeatedly dedicating songs to young fans – acknowledging their hardships and their inspirational qualities. There’s no pretense in Lovato. She has an air of genuineness and establishes herself to be a performer that parents would be satisfied for their children to idolize. As she belts out a crowd-pleasing cover of Frozen’s ‘Let It Go’, her appeal to those more juvenile becomes apparent. Her desirability is relatively lost to the more senior here – however with her quality pitch and captivating slow songs like ‘Nightingale’ she still manages to keep the crowd as a whole well entertained.

The man of the night pops of out the ground to deafening applause. The appearance of this global legend is utterly riveting with all who had up until now caged their suspense roaring out amidst the frenzy.
Off to a steady beginning he brings up the energy during ‘I Like How It Feels’, dis-attaching himself from the mic stand and getting up close with the fans pressed against the barriers. Thrilled and giddy they reach out. At one point a bra is flung onto the stage.
‘I Can Feel Your Heart Beat’ is pleasing to the ear as he duets with a female backing singer whose smooth, breathy voice complements Iglesias’s heavenly tones. Despite this, the overall performance feels refined for a while. A great justice for the show would be done if Iglesias would come forward and maybe take off the cap that often shields his eyes. It’s more like he is having us come into his little world at the back of the stage rather than creating one for every corner of the arena. This lessens the impact of some fabulous songs. In addition, when he returns down to the barriers for a lengthy period his lack of singing becomes notable as he seems to spend more time jumping about – which is indeed exhilarating for those at the front, but disconnecting for those further away.
Finally, he does comes forward and fully gets into the spectacle – electrifying the audience as a result. There’s a major jolt of excitement in the atmosphere and we are able to sense the turning point that will lead us to a phenomenal experience.

Iglesias and his ensemble saunter off only to re-appear on a small circular stage in the middle of the venue – proving to be a refreshing and stimulating alteration. I have never before seen anything like this. Disbelief and shock is felt by all as Iglesias hauls himself up onto the balcony. As if this moment wasn’t superb enough, he brilliantly covers the timeless and mesmerizing tune that is ‘Stand By Me’. Before launching into the classic, Iglesias opens up and talks about how this tune meant a lot to him as a child following his parents’ divorce. Arm in arm with audience members in the balcony he sings in his exotic, soothing tone. This moment is simply unbelievable.
By the time Iglesias performs ‘Be With You’ the energy is palpable. I urge everyone to at one point in their lives go see Enrique Iglesias. This universal phenomenon provides a soul-cleansing experience with hit after hit – legendary anthems that are perfect to dance to. All around me those in the seated area are standing. The buzz that so suddenly flared earlier remains and continues to soar. The crowd swings around, intoxicated on life as confetti falls down.

‘Bailando’ and ‘I Like It’ give way to an astonishing finish. Hips shake 360 degrees as a total fiesta breaks out. This night feels like a holiday. With no instrumental, the audience acts as a choir “oh oh oh”-ing to ‘Bailando’, with feet stomping and souls doing cartwheels. “I love you Dublin”, Enrique exclaims. The crowd roars back – “we love you too”.

Review by Shannon Welby
Photos by Anamaria Meiu