30-08-2023 02:52 PM - edited 18-10-2023 02:51 PM
You, your bestie and 90's icon Natalie Imbruglia at a show money can't buy... sounds pretty incredible, right? There’re 10 pairs of tickets up for grabs and every SMARTY customer has the chance to enter. Try your luck below.
Tell me more
This money-can’t-buy experience will take place at Virgin Radio's Sunset Sessions with SMARTY on Friday 29th September.
Hosted by drivetime legend Ricky Wilson, Natalie Imbruglia will perform an honest, intimate and stripped back set of her biggest and best hits. This exclusive performance will be set at the top of the NewsUK tower in London as the sun sets across the city – what an experience, right?
But hurry, the competition closing date is just around the corner…
Fancy it?
To enter you’ll need to respond below, telling us “What has been your favourite live gig and why?” We can’t wait to read your answers.
UPDATE - COMPETITION CLOSED
The competition is now closed, and we will make the draw for the winners from all the eligible entries and contact them in the next 24 hours.
So, keep your fingers crossed and an eye on your email inbox. Make sure you check your spam folders too, just in case.
Thanks to everyone who contributed some brilliant entries. We had over 560 posts and have had an amazingly diverse range of response, from Christian festivals to back-room-of-a-pub gigs, from massive stadium concerts to someone’s wedding. It’s been brilliant reading them all. Thank you.
And it’s never too late to see live music; go to a big venue, visit a festival, or just see what your local arts’ centre has on. You never know what you’re going to find.
Keep up the great work everyone; the SMARTY Community belongs to us all and succeeds because of your great contributions.
We were delighted to welcome SMARTY competition winners to watch this intimate performance with Drivetime host Ricky Wilson hosting the event.
06-09-2023 10:26 AM
Castle Donington, Monsters of Rock, 1981. AC/DC headlined and Whitesnake also played. Excellent!
06-09-2023 10:31 AM
Too many gigs to choose from, but one gig that left my friends and I in awe was at the iconic Paramount Theatre in Seattle! MARINA (formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds) brought her Neon Nature Tour to life with an unforgettable performance 🌟 Her voice? Magical! The atmosphere? Electrifying! And don't even get me started on those incredible stage graphics! The energy was indescribable - this is what friendship and good music are all about. Truly a night to remember 💖
06-09-2023 10:33 AM
Years and Years. The best £10 I've ever spent, so unexpected yet **bleep** brilliant!
06-09-2023 10:37 AM
went to see UB40 in Birmingham classic
saw Robbie Williams in Glasgow superb
I’m getting there with my age but love live music !!!
Come on smarty and virgin make an old man happy
06-09-2023 10:43 AM
Watching Hybrid Minds in Wembley perform earlier this year .Even though I’m no longer a teenager it was fantastic to have a night out dancing all night at a concert.The audience and the atmosphere was electric and a night I will never forget.
06-09-2023 10:44 AM
Natasha Bedingfield at Mighty Hoopla 2023. One of the best live gigs I've seen!
06-09-2023 10:48 AM
Hazel O’Connor at a tiny theatre in Knaresborough. Intimate, amazing saxophonist, beautiful
06-09-2023 10:49 AM
My favourite live gig ever was Queen at The Rainbow Theatre, London in 1977. I was fifteen, it was my first ever London gig (my first ever gig!), Queen were amazing showmen and this was the beginning of my first and most abiding love, for Freddie Mercury. For years afterwards, it was less than cool in my circle to cite Queen as my favourite band, but I was loyal and at some point, many years later, the naysayers changed their tune! Thanks for the show Freddie, you were the best X
06-09-2023 10:56 AM
Elton John at the O2 - delayed by years from when we got tickets but worht the wait & on his last tour
06-09-2023 11:00 AM
gl all
06-09-2023 11:02 AM
GL ALL
06-09-2023 11:08 AM
Elton John at Glastonbury this year was a legendary performance not only for him but for the up and coming artists that he promoted infront of millions of fans around the world
06-09-2023 11:14 AM
Elton John’s performance at Glastonbury this year was legendary.He also used his stage to promote new up and coming artists infront of millions of fans around the world
06-09-2023 11:15 AM
I went to Ed sheeran in Manchester he was amazing the singing the atmosphere the energy was the absolute best
06-09-2023 11:16 AM
Snow patrol at Sheffield arena. 2012.
Everything about the performance set my spirit on fire. Wonderful event.
06-09-2023 11:21 AM
Where both 67 and would love to go x
06-09-2023 11:24 AM
The Prodigy in London back in the day, can't rememeber the venue, but it was small so the energy was high with so much dancing!
06-09-2023 11:28 AM
Adele in Brisbane, I had moved there a few years ago (now live back in the U.K.) and I went to watch her with some new friends I had just made out in Australia, little did I know that they would now be my best friends 6 years later, we now have a pact to go and see her again as a big group when she plays next.
06-09-2023 11:29 AM
“What has been your favourite live gig and why?”
The Norwegian singer AURORA at Rough Trade East, London in 2022. 300 fans in a record store venue, watching AURORA on a small stage singing songs from her new album. Then lining up to sit down with her 1-on-1 for a chat while she signed something for you. Even when the place was past closing time but she wouldn't be rushed, wanting to give everyone a special moment. I paid just 13.50 and was handed the new album on cd as I entered as part of the ticket price. Incredible value and an unforgettable experience.
06-09-2023 11:30 AM
Alison Krauss and Union Station O2 Manchester Superb musicians.
06-09-2023 11:29 AM
Depeche Mode in Klagenfurt, Austria. Was in a fan zone.Not possible to get any closer to them!
06-09-2023 11:32 AM
Favourite live gig was Taylor Swifts 1989 World Tour. She is an inspirational singer and songwriter and voice for women’s rights and equality, empowering all to stand up for what they believe in and express themselves. Being in the stadium with her, feeling her energy and experiencing her music live was pure magic. Taylor and I are also the same age and I have a heartfelt connection with music from my childhood in the 90s and 00s. Music has saved my life multiple times and the opportunity to see Natalie Imbruglia would be a dream come true as she was my favourite artist growing up! I’m Australian and would be honoured to be in her audience and support such a strong female musician from my home town!
06-09-2023 11:34 AM
Depeche Mode in Klagenfurt. Was in a fan zone. Not possible to get any closer to them!
06-09-2023 11:36 AM
06-09-2023 01:08 PM
The Killers at Glastonbury, what a night!!!
06-09-2023 01:11 PM
Rolling Stones at the Free Trade Hall Manchester
06-09-2023 01:13 PM
Joe Cocker. In a performance in the early 2000s. It was a very nice summer evening and the energy was incredible. Every time I hear 'My father's son', it brings back the best memories 💜 So happy I got to see him playing live.
06-09-2023 01:53 PM
Wasn't he great? I saw him at Glastonbury CND Festival, as it was called in 1985, with others like Ian Drury, Midnight Oil and The Pogues.
06-09-2023 01:15 PM
I won tickets to see scissor sisters in Trafalgar Square a few years ago which was amazing in itself - but they also brought on Kylie to the stage which was a complete surprise and made an exceptional evening even better.
06-09-2023 01:14 PM
Old school - Earth Wind & Fire at Wembley Arena. Pretty much front row seats (another competition win) and the magic show was almost as good as the band.
Fingers crossed
06-09-2023 01:20 PM
My faurite concert been was the wanted group and why love them love enjoy there songs
06-09-2023 01:31 PM
Would absolutely love to win some tickets, my daughter turns 17 on. The 8th Sept and it would be a lovely way to celebrate her birthday and amazing GCSE results shes gained. Been a member of Smarty for many years.
06-09-2023 01:34 PM
Roger Waters' The Wall, Vector Arena, Auckland, Feruary 2012. No explanantion needed and plenty of reasons! It was the first complete performance of The Wall since Berlin, 1990 and transcended age, different cultures and musical taste; I went with my 16 year old son. Roger Waters is controversial but his anti-war message is almost universal. The stadium, music, audience - all were heaving. The fireworks, banging visuals and light-infused integration between the performance and those soaking it in was electrifying and an experience impossible to describe. Most of all it provided my son and I with a time we'll never forget. We will forever remain 'comfortably numb'.
06-09-2023 01:39 PM
Iow festival in the sixties with huge headline bands like the Rolling Stones. Awesome !
06-09-2023 01:42 PM
When my daughter surprised us (mum n dad) with tickets to see Elton John when he came to Airdrie what a night ❤️
06-09-2023 01:45 PM
Bon Jovi in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The show was delayed by two hours due to a bomb threat closing the venue whilst it was searched. We didn’t get in until 9.30pm, but the band still played their full three hour set to ensure we did not miss out. Fabulous!
06-09-2023 01:54 PM
I've got a few to choose from... I'd say honestly Backstreet Boys or Leon Bridges. Both showed lots of energy, talent, and were so easy to watch. Would love to add this one to the list!!
06-09-2023 01:59 PM
I've got a few to choose from... I'd honestly say either Backstreet Boys or Leon Bridges. Both showed such talent, energy, and were so easy to watch. I'd love to add this one to the list!
06-09-2023 02:01 PM
Ah, Supertramp at The O2 - a night that was more than just a concert. It was a transcendental experience that whisked me away on a rhythmic journey, where every note felt like a warm embrace and every lyric resonated deep within my soul. Picture this: The ambiance of The O2, the electric atmosphere, lights dancing around and in the midst of it all, Supertramp, transporting us all to a different era. Their timeless music echoing through the vastness of the venue, turning strangers into friends as we all sang along, nostalgia hanging thick in the air.
It wasn’t just about the impeccable performance or the immersive sound, it was the way the melodies connected us, bridged gaps and painted vivid memories that would last a lifetime. That night, Supertramp wasn’t just a band; they were storytellers, weaving tales of yesteryears and dreams of tomorrows. They had a magical way of making everyone feel alive and connected, an experience that's hard to put into words but remains etched in my heart forever.
The possibility of reliving such a poignant moment, especially with the iconic 90s sensation, Natalie Imbruglia, is nothing short of exhilarating. I can only imagine the blend of nostalgia and new memories waiting to be made. Music has this incredible power to touch souls, to bring back forgotten moments, and to create new stories - and I'm here for every beat of it.
Here's to more nights that leave a mark, more songs that become anthems and more gigs that become favourite memories.
06-09-2023 02:25 PM
When I was dating my now husband, we went to see Jack Johnson in Atlanta. It was open air, in a storm. Dancing in the warm rain. Amazing memories!