Harry Styles kicked off his record-breaking 30-night residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Wednesday, August 26, with the most electric show of his career.
For the latest leg of his Together, Together tour, Styles, 32, introduced an entirely revamped show full of surprises for his sold-out crowd, including a completely different setlist than the one he performed in Amsterdam, London, São Paulo and Mexico City earlier this year.
After English DJ Jamie xx warmed up the audience, Styles and his band sauntered onto his in-the-round stage immediately, marking a seamless but unconventional transition that gave fans zero time to refresh their drinks or use the bathroom in between the artists’ sets.
Not that anyone seemed to mind. From the moment Styles made his arrival in a white tuxedo jacket and black pants until he took his final (and much sweatier) bow nearly two hours later, deafening screams and applause filled the world’s most famous arena.
Styles opened his concert with a party-starting rendition of “Dance No More,” the current single from his fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., before singing “Carolina” from his self-titled 2017 debut for the first time in years. His electric energy carried through “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” and “Cinema,” both from 2022’s Harry’s House, followed by “Adore You” and “Watermelon Sugar,” two of his singles from 2019’s Fine Line.
“I had the great privilege of playing this building for the first time when I was 18 years old,” the former One Direction member told the crowd early on. “There’s a gentleman who was working here then who shared with me [today] that when I got out of the car that day, I kissed the floor and said, ‘I made it to Madison Square Garden.’ … Since then, we’ve learned a lot about germs, so I wouldn’t be caught dead kissing the floor these days with my pathetic immune system. However, it is not lost on me what it means to play here, and I am truly honored to be back here.”
As the night continued, Styles played fan favorites such as “Satellite” and “American Girls,” in addition to hit singles including “As It Was” and “Sign of the Times.” The biggest reaction, though, came during “Kiwi,” which had been a staple on all of his solo tours until it was shockingly omitted from Together, Together. For its grand return, Styles introduced a funky remix of the rock track that swelled even more than the original. Fans embraced the updated arrangement, all but ensuring that it will have a permanent place in the set once again.
Toward the end of the evening, Styles took a moment to thank his musical idols, including Dolly Parton, who died a day earlier at age 80. He then played a live recording of the country legend’s “I Will Always Love You” over the speakers and watched as the crowd lit up the Garden with their cellphone flashlights and sang along. Moments later, Styles closed out his show with Kiss All the Time lead single “Aperture,” complete with a laser show so bright that Parton surely could see it in heaven.
Styles may have once kissed the Garden floor because he couldn’t believe he’d made it, but on Wednesday night, he looked like a showman who knew he belonged there.
