Photo Credit: Press
Words: Sophie Thompson

Saturday night marked the opening show of Irish singer songwriter Cian Ducrot’s ‘Dreamship‘ tour at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse. Ducrot delivered an evening  overflowing with raw emotion and unforgettable moments.  

The night began with a mesmerising performance from an up-and-coming Portuguese singer songwriter Pedro Santos, with only two songs released Santos received a warm  reception from the crowd and commanded the stage with remarkable confidence. As a  previous member of boyband Here at Last, who performed their final show in August  2024, it is evident that Santos clearly knew how to work a crowd. His guitar driven  sounds immediately captured the Manchester audience’s attention, cheering and  clapping as he urged the crowd to “make some noise”. Closing his set with his debut  single ‘Someone I Don’t Know‘ released only in June. Santos impressed the crowd with a performance packed with heartfelt lyrics and engaging energy. 

As the lights dimmed, anticipation heightened. Chants of “Cian! Cian!” surged across  Victoria Warehouse before Ducrot finally emerged onto the stage. He opened with his  massive 2025 hit song ‘Who’s Making You Feel It‘, he immediately commanded the stage, his presence was amplified by his stellar backing band The Little Dreamers. 

He seamlessly switched between playing piano, guitar, and even flute, a reminder of his  classical roots and Irish charm. A standout moment in the set came with his most  recent single ‘Book of Love‘ taken from his sophomore album ‘Little Dreaming‘, which saw him ask the audience if they have been heartbroken creating a communal moment  of vulnerability which united the fans with the artist. 

The night took a sombre and emotional turn when he performed ‘Part of Me‘, a song  which he dedicated to all the ones we have lost. The song is written in memory of  Ducrot’s friend who unfortunately passed away, the track silenced the crowd into a  moment of reflection. 

During his set he also requested for the audience to put their phones away for the song ‘All for You‘ the track which saw the Irish born singer shoot to stardom in 2022 after it  gained popularity on TikTok. In exchange for phones being put away he promised to  send a live recording of the track to all in attendance to allow audience goers to live in the moment rather than behind a screen.  

What stood out most to me was his relentless gratitude with him repeatedly thanking  the Manchester crowd for their energy and passion, with the crowd often singing the  lyrics back to him louder than he had ever heard before.  

The encore was dedicated to the fans with “thank god you stayed” following seamlessly  by an extended version of ‘I’ll be Waiting‘ in this moment he had transformed the crowd  into more of a choir than an audience. On the strength of this opening night, Cian Ducrot’s ‘Dreamship’ Tour is destined to be a  triumph It is a journey through heartbreak, healing, and hope, shared with thousands of  voices singing as one.