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Sigrid Live at O2 Academy Birmingham

by Damien Walmsley Posted on
Sigrid Birmingham 02Academy 2026

Sigrid played at the O2 Academy in Birmingham in March 2025.  I went to her concert courtesy of tickets of my son-in-law.  Small concert venues to me are the best places for live music.  In contrast, I have never enjoyed music festivals preferring the intimate dark surroundings of a venue such as the O2 academy.  

Sigrid Birmingham 02Academy 2026
Sigrid on the piano playing “There’s Always More That I Could Say”

Prior to the concert we had drinks at the Craven Arms which is close by.  Highly recommended but it did mean we missed the support act.  When we arrived at the venue there was ample opportunity to find a good space to watch the show.  As it happens, a few people taller than me were blocking the view. Despite this I was able to get a good view of Sigrid during the concert.  

Sigrid Birmingham 02Academy 2026
Sigrid on stage.

Taking pictures of concerts has changed for me over the years and I have used various compacts.  See my write up on Steve Gunn back in 2019 at the Hare and Hounds where I was using a Sony RX100v5.  This blog discusses the use of my iPhone17pro.  A simple technique with the iPhone is to control the exposure using the inbuilt camera app.  Reducing the exposure in this way helps to reduce the glare from the bright lights.

Sigrid Birmingham 02Academy 2026
Sigrid
Sigrid Birmingham 02Academy 2026
The crowd

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I did take close pictures of Sigrid but most of the time I was in the main crowd enjoying her music.  There are pictures of the crowd which show the audience participation led by the singer.  Another tip with the iPhone is not to overuse the digital zoom as you will find your pictures are excessively noisy. Where possible I did not go over x2 zoom.

Sigrid Birmingham 02Academy 2026
Sigrid and band say goodbye until the next time.

As to the concert, Sigrid is such an accomplished performer and has an exuberant personality.  There is no fancy stage show as Sigrid prefers to showcase her excellent singing enhanced by her infectious personality.  She played mostly from her new album “There’s always more that I can say” and favourite songs including “Strangers” were played much to the audience’s delight.  The band were excellent including some excellent guitar solos.  Sigrid’s set list shows the songs that were featured. Definitely an entertaining concert by an artist who is at the top of their game.  

Sigrid Birmingham
A pre concert drink at the Craven Arms

I have written up my concert review of Steve Gunn back in 2019 and maybe I should do a few more features in the future rather than just the odd picture on my socials timeline.

Steve Gunn
Categories blog

Reflections After Dark: Photographing Birmingham’s Campus in the Rain

by Damien Walmsley Posted on
Reflections at night with the University at night

Photographs and reflections taken during a rainy evening walk around the University of Birmingham following a talk on therapeutic photography Find out more about Neil Gibson on his social media.

Reflections in the dark, the University at night
A student makes their way into the Teaching and Learning block.

A Wet Evening on Campus

The University of Birmingham campus is very beautiful at night. I enjoy wandering around with my camera, photographing the buildings when the lights are on. The bright lights from the buildings and the rain-swept pavements create wonderful reflections. I realise that this may not be the best environmental practice, but the campus does look splendid illuminated after dark.

Reflections at night University at night
People studiing in the teaching and learning block

Earlier in the evening I had attended a talk on therapeutic photography by Neil Gibson, which inspired me to take more pictures of the campus at night.

Old Joe Lights Up the Night

The rain was lashing down and, at first, the idea of an evening stroll was not particularly appealing. However, when I saw Old Joe lit up in vibrant colours to celebrate 125 years, I was captivated and could not resist taking photographs. There were puddles of water that offered several opportunities for reflections of the lights from the building.

Reflections in the dark. the University at night
Looking up at the colours of Old Joe
Reflections in the dark. University at night
Underneath Old Joe, a car sits looking at the Aston Webb building.

Cameras for a Rainy Night

My Fujifilm X100VI is ideal for wet nights, as I have weather-proofed the camera. The iPhone 17 Pro is always with me and is also an excellent camera for capturing wet-weather reflections.

Reflections in the Dark. University at night
The steps at the entrance to the Muirhead Tower create interesting patterns in the dark

Starting at the North Gate

As the talk began at the Gisbert Kapp Building, the North Gate was an ideal starting point. There are some wonderfully cinematic night views here featuring Old Joe. It is difficult not to become distracted by the envelope of vibrant colours surrounding the clock tower.

Reflections in the dark. University at night
The North Gate of the University at night with Old Joe in the distance.

Student Life After Dark

The newer buildings on the right were a hive of student activity. Both the Library and the Teaching and Learning Building were brightly lit, and I stayed nearby for a while to capture students moving in and out.

Reflections in the Dark. University at night
The teaching and learning block provides geometric patterns.

The trees in front of the Muirhead Tower looked particularly striking and slightly eerie in the rain.

Reflections in the Dark, University at night
Trees illuminated by ground lighting look very stark in the light.

The Classic Views of Old Joe

Everyone takes the classic views of the clock tower with strong leading lines, and I thought, why not? I headed to the usual Instagram-friendly spots around the Aston Webb Building to capture those iconic perspectives.

Reflections in the dark, University at night
A classic view of the Chamberlain clock tower in lights for the 125 years anniversary.

A Quiet, Rainy Walk Back

After taking a few close-up shots of Old Joe, I wandered back towards the Muirhead Tower and along the walkways to the North Gate. It was a very wet night, so unfortunately there were not many people around. Once again there were several reflections creating photographic opportunities.

Reflections in the dark, the University at night
Railings on the steps leading to the walkways around the Green Heart.

I like to catch the occasional silhouette in the glare of the lights, but most people were sensibly staying inside the buildings. After one last look around the campus, I made a welcome retreat to the shelter of my car.

Reflections in the dark, the University at night
The lights at the Pritchatts Road highlight the rain.

This is the second in an occasional series on the University of Birmingham at night. Please read my first account of night photography around Birmingham campus which is focussed mainly around the railway station.

Night photography on the University of Birmingham campus
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