Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi graced fans with his long-awaited performance Saturday at the United Center halfway through his North American tour.
The arena was packed with adoring fans, including Sandra Stevens, who won a VIP ticket to the concert.
“He never disappoints,” Stevens said. “He makes me cry no matter what.”
Under the spotlight and donning a casual outfit, Capaldi’s signature vocals and cathartic lyrics shone. Belting out emotional ballads on heartbreak and love, Capaldi’s vulnerability was mixed with lighthearted jokes that kept the audience laughing.
The performance celebrated both musical and personal comebacks for Capaldi, who temporarily left the music scene due to mental health struggles.
Fan Millie Tobar said he attended Capaldi’s last Chicago concert held in Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in 2023.
“When he came back, I was like, ‘I need to go,’” Tobar said.
The 2023 Chicago concert was cut short when Capaldi experienced “what (he) believe(s) the kids are calling a ‘mental breakdown.’” The audience carried on the last song for him when he was unable to come back. After experiencing panic attacks and severe Tourette symptoms during the Glastonbury Festival later in the year, Capaldi went on a two-year hiatus.
He then returned to the festival in June 2025 in a surprise appearance and released a new EP, titled “Survive,” in November.
The crowd roared as Capaldi took the United Center stage with the titular song on his journey with mental health and Tourette syndrome. He then performed “Stay Love,” a bonus track he added to the EP April 17.
“He has the most amazing voice, and he has these lyrics that we all relate to,” attendee Moira Culkin said. Culkin traveled from Seattle for the concert, wearing matching custom shirts with friends.
The crowd applauded Capaldi’s return as he recalled his mental breakdown and shared how he “wasn’t sure that (he) would ever be able to come back here and play again.” He explored these raw confessions through his songs such as “The Day That I Die.”
The show culminated in an encore, with Capaldi coming back to perform some of his most famous hits. He ended with “Someone You Loved,” and this time, Capaldi gently strummed his guitar and joined his fans in singing the chorus they carried for him two years ago in a touching full-circle moment.
“I’m the best form I’ve been in, in a very, very long time,” Capaldi said.
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