{"id":862245,"date":"2026-09-27T08:10:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T08:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/862245\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T08:10:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T08:10:22","slug":"olivia-rodrigo-unraveled-tour-opening-night-in-hartford-best-moments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/862245\/","title":{"rendered":"Olivia Rodrigo Unraveled Tour Opening Night in Hartford: Best Moments"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWhen you\u2019ve been writing about why you should be listening to Olivia Rodrigo<\/a> for more than five-and-a-half years and by three full-length, no-skip albums later, you\u2019ve somehow just seen her live in person for the first time, it takes a moment to piece together what you want to say.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI can\u2019t believe we\u2019re here,\u201d Rodrigo voiced a few songs into opening night of her Unraveled Tour Friday (Sept. 25). <\/p>\n

\n\tThere were indisputable setlist highs and stunning visuals during the arena tour\u2019s launch in Hartford, Connecticut. There were pink and white flowers everywhere, and somewhere there was a never-ending supply of more pink and white flowers in reach of stagehands replacing any that got shuffled away. Those flowers must be line item No. 1 on Olivia\u2019s concert rider.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd from those pink and white flowers, and the chirping of birds and crickets, emerged the star of the show on date one of two at Hartford\u2019s PeoplesBank Arena \u2014 like, she got up from a field of wildflowers on the stage floor, where she set the show in motion with a whimsical \u201cDrop Dead.\u201d She bloomed in front of a sold-out arena in the middle of sleepy Connecticut on a Friday night, a room with an audience that leaned female but had enough men there to cover the goofy deep vocal part on \u201cExpectations\u201d and probably shed a tear or two to \u201cDrivers License\u201d like you will, too. <\/p>\n

\n\tThere were families of all kinds, with the kind of parent sitting behind you that teaches their children to pay attention to the opening act \u2014 a good decision to make here, where Wolf Alice<\/a> did a fine job warming up the crowd. (Some of Liv\u2019s favorites: \u201cYou\u2019re a Germ\u201d and \u201cBros. \u201d \u201cIf you haven\u2019t listened to them, you should do a deep dive,\u201d Rodrigo said during her set, after playing \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d to her mom on piano.)<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Unraveled Tour is a concert for all ages to enjoy \u2014 OK, yeah, there\u2019s a \u201cf\u2014\u201d or two \u2014 and because of Rodrigo\u2019s influences, along with a stellar touring band, it\u2019s got rock show vibes. There are beautiful, gut-wrenching piano-pop moments, like the inescapable \u201cDrivers License,\u201d but most of the you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love singer-songwriter\u2019s slower-tempo tracks lean into rock ballad territory live on the Unraveled stage. And then there are anthems like \u201cExpectations\u201d and \u201cAll-American Bitch,\u201d can\u2019t-miss bits on a setlist that honestly has no misses.<\/p>\n

\n\tWith three albums\u2019 worth of material to pull from, Rodrigo curated a 2026 setlist that hit all the marks. <\/p>\n

\n\tAs did she, on the first night of this big, sold-out tour, which by all accounts felt joyous and like it went off without a hitch. Besides her commitment to the floral motif, there was rain, snow and confetti falling from above, and a big screen to take in the details; Rodrigo really knows how to work the camera to make her performance and emotions feel up-close, even if you\u2019re quite far from the stage.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Olivia<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tOlivia Rodrigo perfroms during \u201cThe Unraveled Tour\u201d with the first of 2 sold-out shows at People\u2019s Bank Arena on September 25, 2026, in Hartford, Connecticut.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChristopher Polk\/Billboard<\/p>\n

\n\tWith all of GUTS and SOUR to choose from, and just a two-hour show time, some songs had to be left out. From Rodrigo\u2019s latest album, \u201cWhat\u2019s Wrong With Me\u201d was sadly missing from the set, but it\u2019s a fair omission since Robert Smith\u2019s not on tour with her. Scroll through the 23 songs that did make up the complete Unraveled Tour setlist here<\/a> \u2014 it\u2019s full of hits and fan favorites.<\/p>\n

\n\tRodrigo roamed around a big, curved main stage in Hartford that made for great views from all angles for most of the night, but took the small, in-the-round B-stage for what would be the top performance (\u201cThe Cure,\u201d rain-soaked and cathartic). She unexpectedly showed up on an even smaller stage for a lovely \u201cStupid Song,\u201d a performance where she was surrounded by fans like a chorus. Three stage choices allowed general-admission ticketholders a fair shot at getting close to Rodrigo.<\/p>\n

\n\tSee five of the best moments from the opening night of her Unraveled Tour in Hartford below. Honorable mention to look out for at your concert date: the stunning transformation of \u201cCigarette Smoke\u201d from slow-burning album closer to angsty mid-show rock therapy.<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\u201cDrivers License\u201d Has Still Got It<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Olivia
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Christopher Polk\/Billboard\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIf you\u2019re wondering whether \u201cDrivers License\u201d can still make a grown woman cry five years after first hearing it, the answer is yes. It can.<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019d be a lie if this pinnacle performance<\/a> didn\u2019t make a list of best moments. Rodrigo\u2019s breathtaking breakthrough hit, topping off a three-song run on piano at the curved end of the Unraveled main stage, still hits, especially surrounded by thousands of others who feel the same. A starry-looking arena \u2014 thanks to the light-up bracelets offered to every ticketholder \u2014 echoed with voices singing \u201cI still f\u2014ing love you\u201d with her after two other songs of limerance (a particularly sad \u201cHoneybee,\u201d then \u201cFavorite Crime\u201d) already had them in their feels.<\/p>\n

\tClose Encounters With the Crowd<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Olivia
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Christopher Polk\/Billboard\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIt takes a certain talent to make an arena show with big pop hits intimate. Rodrigo accomplished that with the help of multiple stages spread out around the venue\u2019s large floor space, including a curved main stage, a small round B-stage, and a mini third stage just big enough for her to stand on solo. She also took the time to create small moments with fans that likely meant everything to them.<\/p>\n

\n\tRodrigo walked by different sections of the barricade where she\u2019d stop, seemingly on a whim, to sing with someone or just hold a hand. Maybe have a quick dance party. At least once, it looked like she posed for a selfie. Security was by her side, but didn\u2019t impede on the fan interaction.<\/p>\n

\n\tAt another point in the night, she sang an entire song (\u201cLess\u201d) seated on the B-stage stairs. She was eye level and in arm\u2019s reach of those in the pit.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe feeling of closeness should only get stronger as the tour goes on and Rodrigo gets increasingly comfortable with her set, with stage being her second home over the course of several months.<\/p>\n

\tThe Birthday Party<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Olivia
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Christopher Polk\/Billboard\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSept. 25\u2019s celebration was twofold: the launch of The Unraveled Tour, in all its wildflower splendor, and a very special birthday. Rodrigo led the arena in an unrehearsed, sweet round on piano of \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d for her mom, who was somewhere in the room, after saying, \u201cShe\u2019s the best mom a girl could ever ask for. I would not be here, or anywhere, without her constant love and support.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI could f\u2014ing cry, I love her so much,\u201d Rodrigo said. \u201cI was wondering if you guys could sing \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019 to her for me. Can you do that? Her name is Jenny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tEnding on \u201cExpectations\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Olivia
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Christopher Polk\/Billboard\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cExpectations\u201d was as excellent in a live setting as you\u2019d imagine. Liv let loose for the cheeky ode to setting the bar just a bit higher in relationships, her playful side shining as made the stage her own in what looked like her favorite jeans and white tank.<\/p>\n

\n\tRodrigo played the part of choral director, too, instructing the men in the audience to sing \u201cI got big expectations\/ I got real big expectations\u201d in an exaggerated deep voice, while the women would sing the same line in a higher-pitched tone, mimicking the fun track layers on her you seem pretty sad record.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cExpectations\u201d left the fans wanting \u201cmore, more, more,\u201d but there\u2019d be no encore. It was the closer of opening night.<\/p>\n

\n\tPersonal wish list: Liv squeezing in one more crowd-pleaser as the tour settles into what it\u2019ll become. (Oh, and maybe an invite next time Robert Smith\u2019s around for \u201cWhat\u2019s Wrong With Me.\u201d)<\/p>\n

\tCatharsis in \u201cThe Cure\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Olivia
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Christopher Polk\/Billboard\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tBarring any future unannounced guests, setlist additions or show disruptors, the most-talked-about thing about Rodrigo\u2019s Unraveled Tour will be \u201cThe Cure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAs if \u201cThe Cure\u201d wasn\u2019t already a standout just the way it is on Rodrigo\u2019s 2026 album, she\u2019s gone ahead and and made it the visual showstopper of the two-hour, 23-song night. <\/p>\n

\n\tOn the B-stage that\u2019s further back on the floor, and with fans circling her, in Hartford Rodrigo bared it all in this performance. She was emotionally and visibly \u201cunraveled\u201d as rain streamed down on only her and disintegrated her dress. The material deteriorated to reveal a bold red bodysuit underneath. She wiped away any remaining pieces and found her voice in the bridge of \u201cThe Cure\u201d: \u201cWhy can\u2019t you come stitch me up? Why can\u2019t it ever be enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSeeing this cathartic moment for the first time was a real treat for the night-one crowd. It\u2019ll continue to surprise anyone who manages to keep away from concert spoilers before attending a show this tour \u2014 but if curiosity gets the best of you, it\u2019s OK. (No pressure, but you can see it here<\/a>.) \u201cThe Cure\u201d is a moment that will still delight in real life on The Unraveled Tour, one not to miss.<\/p>\n