Tinie Tempah // O2 Institute, Birmingham

Nov 19

Tinie Tempah’s First UK Tour in 10 Years Ignities a Sold-Out Birmingham Crowd!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Tinie Tempah. Photo Credit:***DAN ROSE***

Birmingham’s O2 Institute was transported back to the early twenty-tens on 17th November as UK rapper Tinie Tempah delivered a set full of nostalgic hits to a sold-out, packed room.

Tinie came on stage much earlier than most artists, appearing just before 8:30pm and performing until just before 10:00pm. This tour marks his first UK run in 10 years—something he mentioned during the show—as he has spent much of the last decade stepping away from the limelight to focus on his personal life.

The stage was lit from side to side with LED strips, and behind a glowing panel stood Tinie’s DJ, who frequently joined him at the front to perform. One standout moment came when they reminisced about a trip to South America, where they tried tequila together in its country of origin; they then shared shots on stage to celebrate Tinie’s career. Birmingham was the second date of the tour, following Glasgow the night before, and the pair were determined to see whether Birmingham could outshine Glasgow’s energy. Tinie put the crowd to the test by performing R.I.P (Rita Ora’s track featuring Tinie). The entire room was buzzing—I even spotted members of Tinie’s team dancing and rapping along with fans in the crowd.

Even after a long hiatus from the mainstream, it’s clear that Tinie Tempah can still sell out venues with ease. He still holds the record for the highest first-week album sales by a UK rapper, with his 2010 debut Disc-Overy reaching 85,000 copies in week one—a milestone no other UK rapper has surpassed to this day.

I grew up listening to Tinie throughout my teenage years, mostly his biggest hits, so it was exciting to see him live on his first tour back. Some of my personal favourites include Pass Out, Written in the Stars, Miami 2 Ibiza, and Not Letting Go. Tinie doesn’t look like he’s aged at all, and he remains an energetic performer with a commanding stage presence.