Palladium, Cologne, Germany26nd February 2026
Amy MacDonald - “Is this what you’ve been waiting for” Tour 2026 - Support: Better Joy
It has been almost two decades since a young woman from Bishopbriggs, Scotland, took the music world by storm with her acoustic guitar and unmistakable deep vocals. Since her debut album ‘This Is the Life’, AMY MACDONALD has achieved a level of consistency that is rare in the fast-paced world of pop music. She enjoys an excellent reputation, particularly in Germany, and has a large fan base.
Her current album, ‘Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For?’, marks the latest chapter in this success story and proves that even after years in the spotlight, AMY MCDONALD has lost none of her compositional brilliance. The fact that her releases regularly storm the top 5 of the charts in this country only underlines how much her authentic storytelling still captures the spirit of the times. On 26 February, the sold-out Palladium in Cologne marked the grand finale of her current tour - an evening that was themed around her latest title and proved once again that Amy Macdonald is a force of nature when it comes to honesty and enthusiasm when performing live.
Better Joy
But before the main act took to the stage, concertgoers were treated to a little surprise: the support act BETTER JOY started unexpectedly early at 7:15 p.m. Those who arrived on time were rewarded. The band showed their full strength, especially during the fifth song of their set, ‘Listen Now’. Frontwoman and singer Bria Keely’s declared favourite song turned out to be a beautiful, melancholic semi-ballad carried by powerful guitar - an atmospherically perfect start to the evening.
Amy MacDonald
After a relatively short break for set changes, it was time for AMY MACDONALD to take the stage at 8 p.m. She opened her set with a powerful trio of songs: ‘Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For?’, ‘Dream On’ and ‘The Hudson’. Before ‘Spark’, the Scottish singer addressed her audience for the first time and immediately showed why she has such a loyal fan base: she is incredibly likeable and approachable. She fulfilled a fan’s request for a plectrum in the front row without further ado via a security guard, read out amusing poster texts and immediately provided an explanation for the early start to the evening. The tour ended here in Cologne, and her flight home was scheduled to take off that same evening.
This tight schedule did not dampen the mood. During ‘Spark,’ the Palladium danced all the way to the very back row. When the first bars of ‘Mr. Rock & Roll’ rang out, cheers erupted. A sea of mobile phones captured the moment, framed by a consistently harmonious and pleasant light show. During ‘Fire’, the stage was bathed in warm orange and red tones. AMY MACDONALD put down her guitar, while her guitarist successfully encouraged the audience to clap along in the background.
A very special highlight followed shortly afterwards: AMY MACDONALD invited a young woman named Mandy from the front row to join her on stage. Together they performed the first half of ‘Pride’ as an acoustic duet - and it sounded really powerful! After the first chorus, Mandy returned to her seat to applause, and AMY MACDONALD started the song again, this time with the whole band. The tempo remained high: the melancholic, swaying ‘Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over’ proved once again to be an absolute fan favourite, followed by ‘I’m Done (Games That You Play)’, which picked up speed after an acoustic start.
Between songs, the Scottish singer repeatedly showed her sense of humour. She smiled as she talked about the printed tour cups with her portrait on them - a whopping 8,000 of them had not been returned during the tour. But she couldn’t blame anyone for keeping the cup as a souvenir. It would look good in their kitchen at home. Then it was time to use their voices: after a short choir training session with the audience, ‘Slow It Down’ started. The chorus was carried loudly and euphorically by the hall. The following ‘Poison Prince’ struck a completely different note with strong drums and a rock attitude, initially accompanied by almost aggressive lighting, which calmed down again to match the vocals.
The artist’s professionalism was evident in ‘Can You Hear Me?’ After about 30 seconds, AMY MACDONALD abruptly stopped the song because someone in the audience needed medical attention. Only when the paramedics had clarified the situation did the song start again from the beginning. The set inevitably built to a climax with the driving ‘Statues’ and the acoustic up-tempo number ‘Barrowland Ballroom’. Without warning, the first notes of ‘This Is the Life’ rang out. Mobile phones immediately shot up again, but AMY MACDONALD charmingly countered with a “Put your phones away!” and let the audience sing along, knowing the lyrics by heart. That was the end of the set. It wasn’t even 9:15 p.m. An early end.
Just two minutes later, AMY MACDONALD was back on stage for an encore. Somewhat curiously, some of the audience members in the back rows had already started to leave, and the venue was visibly emptying. Amy was visibly moved as she thanked the German fans for their continued loyalty, with her latest album once again breaking into the top 5. With ‘We Survive,’ she delivered an intimate solo ballad on acoustic guitar before the whole band came up close to the edge of the stage for the popular Scottish cover version ‘The Glen.’ Even drummer Adam Falkner, who now had his drum kit on the upper level at the back of the stage, found a small mini kit on the stage floor.
For the grand finale, ‘Let’s Start a Band’, everyone returned to their regular places. With epic vibes reminiscent of their big hit ‘This Is The Life’ and the promise to return to Germany in the summer, the concert ended at exactly 9:30 p.m. A tight but thoroughly successful end to the tour!
Setlist
01. Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For?
02. Dream On
03. The Hudson
04. Spark
05. Mr. Rock & Roll
06. Fire
07. Pride
08. Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over
09. I’m Done (Games That You Play)
10. Slow It Down
11. Poison Prince
12. Can You Hear Me?
13. Statues
14. Barrowland Ballroom
15. This Is the Life
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16. We Survive
17. The Glen (Beluga Lagoon cover)
18. Let’s Start A Band
All pictures by André Wilms
