Daya, the Grammy Award winning artist, is currently on her 2026 tour and stopped into DC’s Union Stage to play a fantastic show. While it seems like a very long time since we have seen her on tour, it was apparent from the very onset that she had come to leave it all on the table as she played an inspiring concert of nearly 20 songs, which featured superior vocals, music, and choreography.
Claire Brooks opened the show with great stage movement and powerhouse voice almost meant for the jazz stage until you saw her rapping. At Union Stage on April 30, Brooks played about a 45-minute set before calling it a night and setting the stage for Daya’s performance. She was a great singer and had great control of the stage.
Daya began her set with a great version of “Demise” and then “Matador” — and by the fifth song was easily building increasing momentum that carried her through the entire set with a great version one of her best songs “Hide Away,” a song that had went high on the Billboard charts. This song was released in 2015 in what seems like an eternity ago, but a song that still sounds fresh a decade later.
Daya conversed easily with an enthusiastic audience during the show, describing her first headlining tour in nine years while discussing her positive approach to her music and how proud she was of her latest album, Til Every Petal Drops, which was released this past October. She admitted that her time away was needed as a way to get in touch with herself and to hone her music. After witnessing her set, I can say fully that she is honed and at the top of her game, and ready for the next step in her career path.
Halfway through the show, Daya decided to slow it down a bit, and played a beautiful song titled “Losing a Friend.” The song from the new album was one of the best parts of the evening and highlights her vocal abilities.
Watch the official visualizer for “Losing a Friend” by Daya on YouTube:
Throughout the concert at DC’s underground Union Stage, Daya danced on the stage to nearly choreographic perfection, singing, playing piano, and switching to a pink electric guitar with ease backed by a very dynamic female drummer extraordinaire. I did not catch her name but intend to find out her name.
After a quick break, Daya came back for an encore to thank the DC crowd and to play powerful versions of “Drift Away” and then closed out the show with a performance of her collaboration with The Chainsmokers, “Don’t Let Me Down.”
Daya playing the Chainsmokers song took the crowd and myself back to a time about a decade ago when bands like The Chainsmokers, and Clean Bandit were topping the charts using guest vocalists for some timeless music. I recall singers such as Halsey, Daya, Anne-Marie, Zara Larsson, and Demi Lovato working with these groups creating some phenomenal music. Then, when it didn’t seem like it would never end, that great electronic era seemed to vanish or take on a new direction in music.
Seeing Daya live in 2026 brings back that prior period in music and confirms she is ready to take her music to the next level with her current outstanding performance. Daya is currently touring the USA, and fans will be very pleased if they decide to venture out to a show. I’m excited for Daya and to see what direction she takes things over the next few years. It was a splendid night of music.
Daya Setlist:
1. Demise
2. Matador
3. Insomnia
4. I Wanna Know
5. Hide Away
6. Agnostic
7. Hush (TroyBoi cover)
8. Losing a Friend
9. Sit Still, Look Pretty
10. Tokyo Drifting
11. Don’t Call
12. Feel Good (Gryffin cover)
13. Drift Away
14. Don’t Let Me Down
Here are some photos of Daya performing live at Union Stage on April 30, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
Here are some photos of Claire Brooks performing live at Union Stage on April 30, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
