Superstar Olivia Rodrigo recently brought The Unravelled Tour for two nights to Capital One Arena. She initially made waves in 2021 with the release of “drivers license,” which blew up on TikTok and subsequently around the world. Her debut album, Sour (2021), went six-times platinum, propelled by other smash hits such as “deja vu” and “good 4 u.” She followed up with Guts (2023), proving she was a pop star here to stay. After touring globally for nearly two years, Rodrigo released her highly anticipated third album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, in June. Leading up to the tour, Rodrigo hosted SNL, performed a surprise set at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound, and curated an all-female festival called Daisy Chain Fields.
I first discovered Olivia Rodrigo through the Disney+ show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She was the show’s breakout star, and her song “All I Want” went viral in 2019 and 2020. I remember when “drivers license” was released and thinking, “Am I too old for this?” Here was this girl singing about getting her driver’s license, and I had already been driving for four years. I thought I was too old for the High School Musical show, so her singles became a bit of a guilty pleasure.
I remember listening to Sour and being absolutely blown away. I was in a happy relationship at the time, but the album hit even harder when, a few months later, I was dumped out of the blue. Sour remains one of my favorite albums of the 2020s. Her subsequent albums are just as good, but I hold Sour near and dear to my heart for getting me through one of the most tumultuous periods of my young adult life.
At Capital One Arena on Oct. 4, the show kicked off with an opening set from UK rockers Wolf Alice. It was an interesting pairing for a pop arena show, but I think it’s wonderful to introduce younger fans to rock music. It’s also important for them to see a badass frontwoman like Ellie Rowsell killing it onstage.
Wolf Alice opened with “Bloom Baby Bloom” from their 2025 album, The Clearing. Its jaunty piano riff immediately set a different tone from the rest of their shoegaze-influenced discography. The song featured Rowsell belting the chorus and excellent drumming from Joel Amey. Rowsell dedicated “Just Two Girls” to all the best friends in the room. The band concluded its set with the dreamy synthpop modern classic “Don’t Delete the Kisses” from the 2017 album Visions of a Life.
Watch “Don’t Delete the Kisses” by Wolf Alice on YouTube:
A half-moon screen behind the stage showed Rodrigo sleeping in a field of flowers as stagehands scurried around, making sure the flowers were in place. The band came out, and the giant image of Rodrigo began to wake up. The camera then panned to the real Rodrigo, who was lying in one of the flower fields onstage. She began singing the lead single, “drop dead,” and slowly rose to her feet. For the euphoric chorus, she jumped around the U-shaped stage as screaming fans lost their minds.
During “u + me = <3,” she cheekily revealed the song’s title embroidered on her underwear, with “dc” replacing the “u.” The first surprise of the evening was hearing “love is embarrassing” from Guts. Previous shows had featured a different track in this slot, so I wondered whether it would become a rotating surprise song throughout the tour. Her iconic hit “good 4 u” came next as I was shuffling out of the photo pit. I missed most of it, but I could hear the crowd chanting along from the concourse.
In the “Summer” act of the set, Rodrigo brought back her signature pause during “bad idea right?” On her previous tour, she would sing, “I know I should stop,” pause, and then continue with “but I can’t.” She brought it back, and the crowd knew exactly what to do. The song went from a pop-rock jam to complete silence in an instant.
Afterward, Rodrigo introduced her all-female band: Jordi on drums, Vicky on bass, Daisy and Arianna on guitars, Elise on keyboards, and Mia, Lilly, and Tyra on backing vocals. The band really shined on “ballad of a homeschooled girl,” a power-pop jam from Guts.
The next section of the set was “Summer Twilight,” during which Rodrigo performed “vampire” and “purple.” “vampire” highlighted Rodrigo’s impressive vocal talent as she effortlessly hit high notes while belting and running around the stage. Fans received wristbands that lit up in sync with the show, flickering throughout the arena during the song’s dramatic moments.
During “purple,” Rodrigo waved a lit sparkler in front of a camera onstage. The slow shutter speed created a dreamy effect that was projected onto the screen behind her.
For the start of the “Autumn” section, Rodrigo emerged in a gorgeous purple dress on a tiny side stage near the back of the arena floor. Fans flocked toward her as she belted “stupid song.” She finished the first chorus and began making her way through the crowd.
Watch the official music video for “stupid song” by Olivia Rodrigo on YouTube:
This was Rodrigo’s major crowd interaction song. She handed a rose to a fan as she walked by and got up close and personal with fans along the barricade, jumping and singing with them. Back on the main stage, Rodrigo performed “maggots for brains” while playing electric guitar. She delivered a mini guitar solo before instructing the crowd to sing along during the song’s outro.
Rodrigo then performed “traitor” from Sour, a personal favorite. Its raw emotion and powerful vocals made it even more memorable live.
Afterward, Rodrigo sat down in her field of flowers and described writing a song from You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.
“I wrote it at like 4am in a hotel room in a foreign country. I couldn’t sleep, I was so jet-lagged. And I woke up, and this idea just like came right out,” she recalled.
She described recording the song quietly so she wouldn’t wake her friend. The song turned out to be “begged,” which Rodrigo debuted on SNL before its official release. It’s another sad ballad from Rodrigo, and it fit perfectly after “traitor.”
The Unravelled Tour also featured a special rock version of “cigarette smoke.” While the recorded version is whimsical and melancholic, the live rendition featured electric guitars and a distinct sense of anger rather than sadness.
Rodrigo sat at the piano to perform “honeybee,” “favorite crime,” and “drivers license” at the beginning of the “Winter” portion of the show. She was positioned at the end of the stage, facing the section where I was standing. It felt incredibly intimate, even in an arena filled with thousands of people.
During “honeybee,” snow began falling above her, a beautiful theatrical touch.
Rodrigo also shared a funny story with the crowd.
“I put a hat on and went into Brandy Melville today and saw a girl with an Unravelled Tour shirt on,” she said. “So, if you were wearing a pink Unravelled Tour shirt in Brandy Melville today, sorry I didn’t say hi. I was too nervous.”
She recalled writing “favorite crime” about five years earlier and said she still remembered exactly where she was when she wrote it. Rodrigo then played her global hit “drivers license,” the song that skyrocketed her music career. I unabashedly belted every word to the best of my ability.
For “less,” she moved off the main stage and over to the B-stage. Rodrigo sat on a set of stairs and serenaded fans along the barricade. That was the spot where I had taken photos earlier, so to the fans I chatted with on the barricade, I hope you had an epic experience!
“the cure” is my favorite song from the new album. It’s so confessional and cinematic, and the live experience matched its grandiosity. Rodrigo’s dress quite literally unraveled onstage.
Right before the final chorus, rain began falling above the stage, and her white dress slowly fell away, revealing a shiny red bodysuit underneath. I had heard about this moment on social media, but I needed to see it to believe it. Wow! It was a concert moment unlike anything I had ever witnessed.
The “Spring 2” finale began with Rodrigo beneath the stage, drying her hair and lacing up her sneakers. She blew on the camera lens and drew a heart before emerging onstage for “deja vu.” Sporting a pink tank top and jeans, Rodrigo had a relatable presence that made the performance feel like hanging out with a friend.
DC was treated to the tour debut of “get him back!” The song didn’t replace anything in the setlist but was an addition to the already stacked encore. It’s one of her biggest Guts hits, so I was shocked it hadn’t been a staple of the tour.
Watch the official music video for “get him back!” by Olivia Rodrigo on YouTube:
“all-american bitch” is a banger that recalls early 2000s pop-rock, particularly Miley Cyrus. The song had a viral moment in 2023 thanks to its abrupt shift from screaming to choral falsetto.
Rodrigo encouraged the audience to release some pent-up anger.
“Alright, DC, right now I need everyone in here to think about something or someone that makes you really fucking angry,” she said. “OK, at the top of your lungs. Ready?”
After Rodrigo sang, “I scream inside to deal with it,” the audience unleashed its collective screams. Confetti then fell from the ceiling in a cathartic release.
Rodrigo told the crowd that she had one more song, but she needed everyone to jump around and go crazy for it. During the bridge, she summoned all the boys in the arena to sing in their lowest, manliest voices. She then called on all the girls to sing the higher part of the same passage.
The song featured an extended outro complete with guitar solos as Rodrigo waved and blew kisses to the audience.
What an absolutely mind-blowing experience! I am eternally grateful to have been part of it. Olivia Rodrigo is one of the most talented artists performing today, and her live shows reflect that. Tickets are in high demand, but I highly recommend seeing this show if you can.
The tour continues in the USA through November before resuming in February 2027 with a residency in Brooklyn, New York. After that, Rodrigo heads to Europe and, perhaps, some cool festival dates. Fingers crossed!
Here are some photos of Olivia Rodrigo (followed by photos of opener Wolf Alice) performing live at Capital One Arena on Oct. 4, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Carolin Harvey.
