Wolf Alice | Nilüfer Yanya
Teenage Cancer Trust, Royal Albert Hall
29th March 2026
It’s the final night of this year’s edition of Teenage Cancer Trust, and Robert Smith has outdone himself in installing Wolf Alice as the leader of his alternative rock pack.
Wolf Alice are on fire. Singer Ellie Rowsell is not just a singer, she’s an experience, with solid backing of her band of “mates” Joff Oddie, Joel Amey and Theo Ellis, along with Ryan Malcolm. It’s doubtful anyone in the Royal Albert Hall tonight will feel anything but completely overwhelmed to be here to witness this outstanding performance.
Before the headliners’ set, the daunting task of support act is handed to singer songwriter Nilüfer Yanya, who people might recognise from Bombay Bicycle Club’s Meditate. Whilst she might be found in a record store’s alternative indie and rock music section, the sound edges more into jazz/soul, more Sade than Siouxsie. Both her presence and her voice feel a bit lost and small in the grandeur of the Hall tonight – not knowing any of her songs beforehand probably doesn’t help – and there may also be sound issues. But with a history of supporting Adele and Roxy Music, and now having the approval of Robert Smith, the future looks promising for this artist.
Tonight’s featured teenager with cancer is, again, Verity – as with all these stories, it’s important and moving to hear this beautiful, brave and resilient girl – it’s “lame” to die of liver cancer. She talks about learning to find gratitude in spite of her diagnosis, of skydiving with the Red Devils, and the care she’s received from TCT over the past eight years. Tonight, she joins the group of teenagers on stage, and speaks with poise and courage. She has recently turned 26, and she asks the audience to sing Happy Birthday to her, “to leave my family with golden memories”.
And so to Wolf Alice, who effectively embrace Verity and the rest of us with more golden memories in the form of a stunning 19-song set, the first time the full band have played together in seven years (since we saw them in Brixton). Making an early appearance, White Horses is up second – the only possible “flaw” of the night, not to have a slow build up to this moment. Personally, it’s the standout song from latest album The Clearing and one of their best songs all round.
But any fears that they’ve peaked too early quickly fade, as Ellie’s voice goes from strength to strength, breezing through the high notes of How Can I Make It OK? and moving into the stalls to sing The Sofa effectively reclining on her back. She doesn’t miss one note throughout the entire evening. You get the feeling she could sing the whole lot upside down.
Halfway through the set, fiddle and tin whistle-wielding folk musicians, including Ellie’s childhood music teacher, join the band for a segment of Irish jigs and ballads, starting with a debut of previously unheard Hit The Sky leading into a bunch of thigh-slapping traditional songs, Ellie playing a tin whistle herself too. A second unreleased song, Gospel Oak, with its gentle vocal and trio of whistles, sees her become overcome with emotion, and she has to stop and recover, barely getting through the outro – someone shouting “You’ve got this Ellie”, before she’s hugged by her bandmates.
Delicious Things is received like a call to arms, a giant singalong with everyone standing, followed by another chance for Ellie to show off her incredible vocal range with Lipstick On The Glass and the rockier new Bloom Baby Bloom, which the band visibly throw themselves into. For The Last Man On Earth, they outdo themselves by taking command of the Royal Albert Hall’s massive organ, dominating the Hall and commanding an almost religious experience.
Don’t Delete The Kisses has the entire Hall back on its feet, the dreamy synth-pop washing over us, nostalgia for the feeling of falling in love over again. A perfect ending to a perfect finale for this special week. They’ve done Robert proud.
This year Teenage Cancer Trust has launched Good Energy, an art exhibition and print series at the Royal Albert Hall, running from March 18th to April 9th. The collection captures the visceral, shared experience of live music between artist and fan, positioning the “mosh pit” not as a place of chaos, but as a sanctuary of safety and community. The exhibition features 21 limited-edition silk screen prints, chosen by iconic acts including The 1975, Geese, Fontaines DC, Wolf Alice, Yungblud, Nick Cave, Nia Archives, Keane, Sex Pistols feat Frank Carter, The Big Moon, The Snuts, Courteeners, Bring Me The Horizon, Enter Shikari, Elbow and more. Buy online HERE.
You can donate to the amazing Teenage Cancer Trust charity here or Text RAH10 or RAH20 to 70085 to donate (that’s either £10 or £20 depending on your choice).
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Words by Naomi Dryden-Smith: Louder Than War | Facebook |Twitter | Instagram | portfolio
Photos with thanks to Andy Paradise
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