On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Japanese pop sensation LiSA made history with her first-ever headline concert in the United Kingdom and Europe, performing at London's iconic Troxy venue as the final stop of her "LiVE is Smile Always~15~" Europe & UK Tour 2026. The show celebrated 15 years since her solo debut and marked a significant milestone in her international career, drawing fans from across the UK, Europe, and beyond.
This review is a synthesis of publicly available concertgoer posts, videos, and reactions shared online after the event — not a first-hand account.
Who is LiSA?
LiSA (born Risa Oribe) is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Gifu Prefecture who rose to global prominence through her powerful anime theme songs. Known as J-Pop's "rock heroine," she has performed hit openings for globally popular anime series including "oath sign" (Fate/Zero), "Gurenge" (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba), "crossing field" (Sword Art Online), and "Homura" (Demon Slayer: Mugen Train).
With a career spanning over 15 years, LiSA is renowned for her energetic live performances, powerful vocals, and strong connection to anime music culture — making her particularly popular among UK anime and J-pop audiences.
LiSA's London concert: key details
- Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
- Venue: Troxy, 490 Commercial Road, London E1 0HX
- Tour: LiVE is Smile Always~15~ Europe & UK Tour 2026
- Doors: 7:00 PM · Show: approx. 8:35 PM – 10:30 PM
- Significance: First-ever Europe/UK headline tour, celebrating 15 years since solo debut
- Age restriction: Over 14s only
- Promoter: Born Again Concerts
- Previous tour stops: Milan (Sept 15), Düsseldorf (Sept 17), Paris (Sept 20)
What fans were saying before the concert
Pre-concert social media analysis revealed significant excitement building across platforms:
Fans shared travel plans from across Europe, with many expressing this was their first opportunity to see LiSA live outside Japan. Posts showed fans preparing anime-themed outfits, sharing countdown stickers, and discussing travel logistics from cities like Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.
UK-based anime fan groups organized meetups, with discussions focusing on which anime songs fans hoped to hear. Event pages showed hundreds of attendees planning to meet before the show for group photos and pre-concert gatherings at nearby pubs.
Threads
Conversations centered on travel logistics, outfit planning, and excitement about LiSA's promise to interact with UK fans. Users shared tips for first-time attendees and questions about merchandise availability.
Common themes: anticipation for hearing "Gurenge" and "crossing field" live, curiosity about whether LiSA would speak English during the show, and pride in supporting her first European tour.
What happened at LiSA's London concert
Verified highlights from multiple attendee reports and social media posts:
- Historic moment: LiSA's first-ever headline performance in the UK and Europe, concluding her four-city European tour.
- Visual production: elaborate stage design featuring anime-inspired visuals and LED screens showing clips from associated anime series — Demon Slayer during "Gurenge" and "Homura," Sword Art Online during "crossing field" — with dynamic lighting matched to each song's mood.
- Fan on stage: during "DOCTOR," LiSA invited a fan onto the stage to sit with her — a moment widely shared across social media.
- Walking the crowd: during the encore, LiSA walked among the audience while performing "PATCH WALK" and "crossing field."
- English MC: LiSA addressed the audience in English, including "Thank you London!" and "I love you all!"
- Career tribute: visual montages of her 15-year career played between song transitions.
LiSA London concert review: what fans thought of the show
Vocals
LiSA's vocal performance emerged as one of the most consistently praised aspects of the show. Fans repeatedly highlighted her ability to deliver powerful, emotionally charged performances on demanding anime songs like "Gurenge" and "Homura," noting her vocal stability throughout the nearly two-hour set.
"Her voice was even stronger live than on the recordings — you could feel the emotion in every note, especially during Homura." — Instagram concertgoer
Stage presence
Audience videos and reactions repeatedly highlighted LiSA's exceptional stage presence: energetic movement across the stage, genuine attempts to connect despite language barriers, and a charismatic performance style.
"LiSA didn't just perform — she engaged. She smiled, she made eye contact, she actually seemed happy to be there with us." — Threads user
Crowd and atmosphere
The atmosphere was described as uniquely passionate, blending the energy of a rock concert with the communal feeling of an anime convention. During "Gurenge," "crossing field," and "oath sign," large portions of the audience sang the Japanese lyrics loudly.
"The crowd during Gurenge felt like one unified voice — thousands of us singing together in Japanese." — Facebook post
Setlist
Based on setlist reports shared by concertgoers online (unverified against an official source):
- DECOTORA15
- Datte Atashi no Hero.
- Catch the Moment
- oath sign
- SWEET MAGIC
- Moonlight Densetsu (DALI cover)
- DOCTOR (with a fan on stage)
- Akeboshi
- Zankokuna Yoru ni Kagayake
- Homura
- HELLO WORLD
- Black Box
- REALiZE
- QUEEN
- ADAMAS
- ReawakeR
- Gurenge
Encore:
- Azuki Arai
- PATCH WALK
- crossing field
- Gurenge (anime opening version)
The setlist balanced fan-favorite anime themes with LiSA's original rock repertoire — including a surprise "Moonlight Densetsu" (Sailor Moon theme) cover that delighted long-time anime fans.
Production and visuals
Fans praised the LED screens displaying anime footage synchronized with performances, and lighting design that shifted from intense reds and blacks for rock numbers to bright blues and yellows for upbeat anime themes. The band was consistently described as tight and professional.
Venue experience
The Troxy's sound quality drew praise, with clear audio and good bass response. Merchandise availability got positive mentions. Queuing and entry were described as efficient, and venue staff as helpful.
Standout moments
- Fan on stage during "DOCTOR" — an intimate moment shared widely across platforms.
- Walking among the audience during the encore — cited repeatedly as creating unique fan-artist connections.
- Emotional "Homura" performance — many fans mentioned being moved to tears.
- "Gurenge" encore — closing the main set with "Gurenge," then an anime-version encore of the same song.
- English communication — her efforts to speak English between songs were specifically appreciated.
Any recurring criticisms
While the overwhelming sentiment was positive, a few minor points appeared across independent sources:
- Venue temperature: the Troxy became quite warm, particularly in central standing areas.
- Limited seating: primarily a standing venue, with few seated options.
- Merchandise lines: long immediately after the show.
These were consistently framed as minor observations rather than significant disappointments.
The songs and performances fans loved most
"Gurenge" (Demon Slayer theme): universally mentioned as one of the night's highest points, with fans describing powerful emotional responses and loud sing-alongs.
"Hearing Gurenge live in London was surreal — the crowd sang every word and you could feel the emotion in the air." — Instagram
"crossing field" (Sword Art Online theme): frequently cited for massive crowd energy, especially the moment LiSA walked among the audience.
"When LiSA came into the crowd during crossing field, it was unreal — she was literally an arm's reach away singing to us." — Threads
"Homura" (Demon Slayer Mugen Train theme): noted for eliciting strong emotional responses, with numerous fans mentioning being moved to tears.
"Homura hit different live — the way she held those notes had half the venue in tears." — Facebook
What Instagram reactions reveal
- Reels were dominated by clips of LiSA walking through the audience, crowd sing-alongs during "Gurenge," and the fan-on-stage moment during "DOCTOR."
- Captions frequently expressed disbelief at seeing LiSA live in London for the first time, with hashtags like #LiSALondon and #LiVEisSmileAlways.
- Comments showed international fans connecting, asking about future UK tour plans, and translating LiSA's Japanese MC comments for non-Japanese speakers.
What Facebook fans were saying
- Public posts featured detailed 500+ word recaps and photo albums of 20–50 photos per album.
- Event discussions showed pre-show meetup coordination and post-show gatherings at nearby venues.
- Fan groups revealed organized travel groups from Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.
What people said about LiSA's London show on Threads
- Immediate reactions posted during and shortly after the show: real-time updates, quick photos, and thoughts on sound quality.
- Short reviews with concise thoughts on favorite moments and whether the show met expectations — "Exceeded expectations — worth every penny."
- Favourite-song debates: "Gurenge vs Homura — tough call but Gurenge for the crowd energy."
- Crowd observations: fans from teens to 40s, international flags, anime songs prompting sing-alongs while rock songs prompted jumping.
The overall social-media verdict
- Most commonly praised aspect: LiSA's genuine connection with international fans despite language barriers.
- Most talked-about song: "Gurenge" — the emotional high point of the show.
- Most memorable moment: LiSA walking among the audience during the encore.
- Most frequently mentioned criticism: venue temperature and limited seating at the Troxy — framed as minor.
- Overall tone: overwhelmingly positive and historically significant, with fans expressing pride in being part of LiSA's first European headline tour.
This verdict synthesizes publicly accessible social-media discussion and does not necessarily represent every person who attended.
Why this London concert matters for LiSA's international audience
- Milestone achievement: her first-ever headline tour of Europe and the UK, celebrating 15 years since her solo debut.
- UK fanbase validation: strong demand demonstrated nationwide appeal, from London to Scotland, Wales, and Northern England.
- Cultural bridge: performing anime theme songs to knowledgeable international audiences strengthened the connection between Japanese anime culture and Western fan communities.
- Tour template success: the four-city European tour (Milan, Düsseldorf, Paris, London) established a viable framework for future international expansion.
- Anime music legitimization: a successful anime-themed concert in a mainstream UK venue like the Troxy helped legitimize anime music as a serious performance genre in European markets.
LiSA London concert FAQ
Q: When did LiSA perform in London?
A: Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as part of her first-ever Europe & UK tour.
Q: Where was LiSA's London concert?
A: At Troxy, 490 Commercial Road, London E1 0HX.
Q: What songs did LiSA perform in London?
A: A 21-song set plus encore, including "Gurenge," "crossing field," "oath sign," and "Homura," along with her original rock repertoire and special covers. See the setlist section above for the reported running order.
Q: What did fans think of LiSA's London concert?
A: Based on social media reactions across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, fans described the concert as amazing, incredible, unforgettable, and historic — particularly praising her vocals, stage presence, and personal connection with international fans.
Q: What was the best-received song at LiSA's London concert?
A: "Gurenge" from Demon Slayer emerged as the most frequently praised song across social media.
Q: Is LiSA touring the UK again?
A: As of the time of writing, no future UK tour dates have been announced — though many fans expressed hope for a return.
Q: Who is LiSA?
A: LiSA (Risa Oribe) is a Japanese singer-songwriter known for anime theme songs including "Gurenge," "crossing field," and "oath sign," celebrating her 15th solo debut anniversary with this Europe & UK tour.
Conclusion
LiSA's London debut at the Troxy on September 22, 2026 represents a landmark moment in both her career and the globalization of anime music. The performance validated years of growing international demand, created personal connections with UK fans that transcended typical artist-audience boundaries, and demonstrated the powerful appeal of anime-themed music in European markets.
The concert succeeded not just through impressive vocals and production — though both were excellent — but through LiSA's authentic approach to international fan engagement: treating her UK audience not as a foreign market to conquer, but as a community of supporters worthy of personal connection and respect.
For UK anime and J-pop fans, it was a long-awaited opportunity to see their favorite singer perform live in their own country — memories many described as "bucket list" experiences.
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