CAA’s Emma Banks has told Music Week that Lily Allen’s first tour in seven years will be an “incredible experience” focused on her comeback album.
Following the global impact of the West End Girl LP (BMG), her first release since 2018, Allen resumes her live career with theatre shows in March, followed by North American dates and her biggest ever UK arena tour in the summer.
Lily Allen's critically acclaimed album has garnered global attention for the British star’s raw songwriting, inspired by the break-up of her marriage to Stranger Things star David Harbour.
Emma Banks, Allen’s agent, co-head of CAA’s London office and co-head of global touring, described the record as “magnificent”. She first heard West End Girl months before the release when it was played to her in full by Allen’s manager, Seb Chew, at her CAA office.
“We played it in chronological order, start to finish,” she said. “I mean, it made me cry. When it ended, I was like, ‘That’s incredible, heartbreaking, brilliant and wonderful.’ I said it’s going to be huge. As a piece of work, as a piece of theatre, it’s an amazing thing that she has done.”
The theatre shows, including three nights at the London Palladium (March 20-22), sold out in minutes when they were announced days after the album dropped.
Although she has appeared on the stage in plays and made guest appearances, including Glastonbury 2022 with Olivia Rodrigo, the spring tour will be Allen’s first headline performances since 2019. Banks noted that the tickets for the theatre dates “flew out – as fast as tickets could sell, they sold”.
“She’s Lily Allen, so we absolutely knew that the theatres [would sell],” said Banks of the bookings. “This is before anyone outside of the inner circle of lawyers, label, pluggers and everything had heard the album. I was very confident, as was she and Seb, that the theatre tour was a no-brainer thing to do.”
Amid the incredible response on DSPs – West End Girl out-streamed Taylor Swift and Olivia Dean when it peaked at No.2 – the arena tour was announced for summer 2026.
“When the album dropped on the streaming services and we saw the reaction, we then did sign-ups for an active database and mailing list,” said Banks. “Once we saw how many people were signing up, we were pretty quickly on to having a discussion about the fact we needed to get bigger rooms. What’s important is to try and fulfil demand, because people want to see it.”
While an arena run could have been lined up for later in the year, Allen’s team opted to move sooner for dates in June.
“I think people like a bit more instant gratification when they can,” said Banks. “So it’s been reacting to the demand and just the excitement that the overall album has garnered.”
The shows are promoted by SJM and Metropolis, along with DF Concerts in Scotland and MCD in Ireland. Promoter Jack Dowling is overseeing the tour at SJM, which has a long relationship with Allen through Chris York, who died in 2024.
“He was always really fond of Lily, and I know Lily had a really close relationship with Chris,” said Banks. “So it’s a lovely thing that Lily can have all this success.”
Allen is playing three shows at the O2 Arena (June 27-28 and July 7) and two at Manchester AO Arena (June 19-20) as part of the 13-date UK and Ireland tour.
“It absolutely is at a new level – and for it to be [selling] as fast as it is too,” said Banks. “Let’s keep in mind, this is all before there’s even a physical copy of the album out.”
West End Girl will be released physically on vinyl and CD on January 30 and has a good chance of reaching No.1. Following the release of the digital edition on October 24, Allen’s fifth studio album has seen strong streaming and even improved its chart position in the second week of release, peaking at No.2.
According to Official Charts Company data, West End Girl has consumption to date of 91,487 units. The LP has been nominated for Album Of The Year at the BRITs, while Allen is also up for Artist Of The Year and Pop Act.
Allen secured her first Top 10 single in more than 11 years with Pussy Palace (No.8, 110,812 units) and made the Top 20 with Madeline (No.16, 90,638 units) and the album title track (No.15, 83,872 units).
Banks said that it has been an “absolute joy” working with Allen and Chew on the tour based on the performance of West End Girl in its entirety rather than a greatest hits set.
“It’s really exciting,” she told Music Week. “Lily has an incredible body of work behind her, but when you listen to West End Girl it’s slightly incongruous for her to play those songs – when nobody has actually heard them live and seen them staged – and to then mix it up with Smile or Fuck You or whatever. And I don’t think that a longer show makes a better show.”
The way Lily’s going to present this album is going to be an incredible experience
Emma Banks
Banks pointed to CAA client Charli XCX’s Brat show as proof that an established artist can focus on a new LP on tour.
“The way Lily’s going to present this album is going to be an incredible experience,” she said. “Ultimately, it’s not for me to say what Lily is going to do or not do. But I would point you to the fact that all of our promotion, everything that we’ve said, is this is Lily Allen performing West End Girl, chronologically, start to finish – and I couldn’t be more excited about that.”
That album performance concept will extend to festival appearances including a headline set at Mighty Hoopla in London on May 30.
“There’s plenty of time in the future for her to do all the hits, pick the tracks that have resonated most from this album, and mix them in with the others,” added Banks. “But right now, West End Girl is what this is all about.”
Allen has also confirmed the biggest North American headline tour of her career with 14 dates in April, including multiple nights in Chicago, Toronto, Boston and Los Angeles.
Allen secured a coveted slot as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live last month with performances of Sleepwalking and Madeline.
In addition, Allen appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and confirmed she’s in talks to adapt the album into a stage play.
“It’s huge, this could be the strongest she’s ever been in the US,” said Banks. “The rate of sale, the amount of people that were online trying to buy tickets, has shown that there’s a huge demand.”
The European market is also strong for Allen, who has already lined up festival appearances – including Lollapalooza in Berlin and Bilbao BBK Live – with the possibility of headline shows depending on the schedule.
Banks identified Australia & New Zealand as potential destinations for the tour, following previous success in the territories, along with South America.
“Everybody is embracing this record,” she said. “Basically, I don’t think there’s a market where we aren’t seeing serious incremental growth for Lily.”
Amid the global coverage, the CAA leader praised Allen’s artistry and the enduring ability to make an audience relate to her lyrics.
“Lily just plays it so right,” said Banks. “She has understood what everybody wants – she’s a marketing genius. [This album] is so true to her and the way her voice comes through the song is so honest – and that’s what people relate to as they did in the days of MySpace. She was speaking to people in a way that nobody else was and she’s still doing that.”
Allen has also built an audience through her Miss Me? BBC podcast with Miquita Oliver. Banks suggested that the tour will show she has cross-generational appeal.
“I think it’s going to be an incredibly wide audience,” she said. “Look at how impactful Lily has been on the younger generation, particularly female artists as well. Olivia Rodrigo asked Lily to perform at Glastonbury with her. There are so many phenomenal, next-generation female artists who love Lily’s work.”
As well as the resonance of this album, Banks stressed that Allen’s catalogue continues to stream well with the fanbase.
“We’re going to see a really wide audience, from 16 to 60, possibly beyond,” she added of the tour. “And I think that’s fantastic, because this [album] speaks to so many people.”
PHOTOS: Will Heath/NBC
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