ShareDiana Ross performing her Symphonic Celebration Tour at The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Monday 23rd June 2025.
Review by Kevin Cooper
The living legend that is Diana Ross swept into the Motorpoint Arena on Monday night to showcase her Symphonic Celebration and what a night it was.
A video introduction took the crowd through her growing up in Detroit as one of Ernestine and Fred Ross’ six children to her early success as the lead singer of The Supremes, her impressive solo career, her film career as well as a nod to her five children and eight grandchildren. And with that big extended introduction she was up and running.
In a set list that spanned the Motown star’s career and songs from her lockdown recorded album, Thank You, she began with the Chic penned smash, I’m Coming Out which was an instant rouser and got the crowd on their feet and dancing.
Following up with More Today Than Yesterday, before a medley of some of the greatest pop singles ever made, Baby Love, You Can’t Hurry Love, Come See About Me and Stop! In The Name Of Love showcased all of her diva moves and had the crowd enthusiastically singing along.
There was the beautiful Touch Me In The Morning and I’m Still Waiting, which brought the tempo down before it was ramped up again for 1985 Bee Gees penned number one, Chain Reaction and 1976’s Love Hangover which took the crowd on a trip to disco heaven.
Ross used her voice, her charisma and strutted to perfection whilst letting her extremely capable backing singers do some of the more difficult vocal heavy lifting through songs like Ease On Down The Road, from The Wiz and the Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To). Good Morning Heartache, a 1946 Billie Holiday song was perfectly within her vocal range and one of the most beautiful songs of the night.
Ross has been an inspiration to so many from Beyonce to Janet Jackson. Her songs have been played from weddings to gay clubs. In fact she is a gay icon and proud to be recognised as such.
Later in the set she was joined on stage by her daughter, Rhonda Ross, a singer songwriter with a beautiful voice. The pair played a pretty duet, Count On Me from Ross’ new album which her daughter had written especially for her mum.
Amazing Grace, always an emotive song, was exceptional and truly moving, showcasing not only her pitch perfect voice but also the very talented orchestra on stage. She and the crowd danced their way through Ain’t No Mountain High Enough which was another fan favourite.
She delivered a twenty eight song set that was cleverly segmented into sections divided by her band and The Halle Orchestra which allowed her to catch her breath as well as change her outfit, she finished her main set with an overlong but entirely appropriate I Will Survive before an encore of Thank You brought the night to a close.
At 81 years young there is no way that Diana Ross needs to carry on performing, but thankfully for her fans she chooses to do so. She is still a phenomenal talent with one of the best catalogues there is, and one of the most iconic voices of all time to boot.
The music world has suffered some major losses over the last few years, such as saying goodbye to Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul and the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner but we still have Diana Ross, the Queen of Motown and long may it be the case.
