A West End Girl affair brings Lily Allen back to Chicago

English singer Lily Rose Beatrice Allen has returned to the Windy City for two sold-out concerts at The Auditorium this spring. Her last time to visit Chicago was at the Riviera Theatre in 2014 for the Sheezus tour. At that time, she was accompanied by a four-piece band, backup dancers and a classic catalog of music to cover.

Lily did have a planned stop in Illinois for the No Shame tour, but that was canceled in 2018.

On April 3-4, 2026, the West London-born singer packed up her act, Lily Allen Performs West End Girl, to present to her legion of dedicated followers live and in person. This concert was in support of her first album in seven years, which was released by BMG in 2025.

West End Girl is her fifth studio album, created in less than 20 days in Los Angeles. The concept record allowed the songwriter to purge trauma that she experienced as her second marriage dissolved and cleverly convey a clear message to her ex while embarking on a new life.

The idea for the tour was to perform each of the 14 West End Girl tracks in the same order as on the album, from start to finish, without an intermission. While musicians will sometimes play an entire record live to celebrate an anniversary, rarely does someone attempt this with new music. It pays off for Allen and keeps the focus on her latest work instead of her legacy.

The night kicked off with female string players, Dallas Minor Trio, who used a screen to project a sing-along opportunity for early birds to croon the lyrics of Lily Allen's hits like “Smile” and “LDN.”

Around 9 p.m., the one-woman show began with Allen entering from behind a curtain and immediately launching into the title track while wearing a pink suit and high heels. She gave her arches a rest by sitting down to have a one-sided telephone conversation. She removed the Jackie Kennedy jacket to relax for the repetitive “Ruminating” tune.

She strolled around the artificial apartment for “Sleepwalking” and eventually settled on the bed for “Tennis.” The crowd tried to keep up with the speedy rap of “Madeline” and Allen's easy delivery full of subtle attitude.

The singer paced throughout the faux living room and kitchen to chant about the traps of “Relapse” and the possibility of losing everything in the process. Lily confessed her ignorance of her husband hosting a “Pussy Palace” in his home until condoms were found.

The catchy “4chan Stan” had Lily wrapped in sheer material stretched across the stage representing toxic stalkers trapping her or holding her captive. She followed this number with “Nonmonogamummy” and hand choreography in front of a video projection of collaborator Specialist Moss.

Instead of being vague, many of the lyrics are decidedly pointed and powerful while maintaining a cheeky sense of humor to deal with the trauma. The lines were blurred from reality to artistic license as Allen shared her personal observations through pleasant spoken word while wearing a boa and leather shorts.

Lily was calm and calculated like a cat instead of coming off angry or scorned. Revenge is a dish best served cold with confidence and class. This talented performer has suffered trials and tribulations in her life, but she is currently rising above her challenges while creating art. The listener can interpret each piece in a myriad of ways and her work seems to resonate with a brand new generation that wasn't even old enough to attend her previous concerts.

She ended the experience with “Fruityloop” and white roses were presented to her at the curtain call in Chicago to thunderous applause.

A gaggle of girls and gays waited patiently outside at the stage door for Allen following the concert on April 3 and she met each one with kindness and appreciation.

Hopes are high for West End Girl to be transformed into a musical play one day in the future, but before then, Lily Allen returns to Chicago at the United Center on Sept. 13, 2026. Tickets are on sale at lilyallenmusic.com.