Richard Marx will perform two nights at the London Palladium this week, his first London shows in two years. The Grammy winner, 63, said the concerts will be "special" because he has never played the venue before.
A first at the Palladium
Speaking to the Mirror, Marx said: "I've never played there before." His last London performance was at the Royal Albert Hall a couple of years ago, where he played several times. He also recalled doing four or five solo acoustic nights at the Union Chapel about five years ago, calling it "incredible."
After the Albert Hall show, Marx said he told himself, "I think this is my favourite gig of my whole life." He added: "Coming back to play the Palladium is really special because I've never played there before, and it's been two years."
Fans and setlist
Fans will hear tracks from his back catalogue plus songs from his 14th studio album, After Hours, released earlier this year. At meet-and-greets during his Royal Albert Hall shows, fans told him it was their sixth time seeing him, with some flying from London to Seattle for previous tours. "It's just so beautiful and humbling," he said.
Marx acknowledged that parts of his job are "chaotic," but he said: "What I do for a living, when I show up to work, people scream, 'I love you.' Tell me another job where that happens."
Niall Horan and the show's spirit
Marx said he is a fan of Niall Horan, though he has never seen him perform live. He compared Horan's Dinner Party Live On Tour to his own approach: "If you're the kind of performer I am, who talks to the audience a lot, once you build a rapport with that particular audience, they're in."
He added: "The show is what happens in between the songs... I'm always coming up with funny things to say – but those things just happen." Marx plays the London Palladium on 6 and 7 October 2026; tickets are on sale via LW Theatres.
