Wolf Alice launched this year’s Eden Sessions in electrifying fashion, with a performance that moved seamlessly between intimate melodies and ferocious bursts of intense rock.
Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice have evolved into one of Britain’s defining bands, capable of headlining major festivals while continually reinventing their sound. Last year’s The Clearing only strengthened that reputation, offering a fresh take on classic rock influences while remaining unmistakably their own. With a catalogue now spanning dream-pop, indie rock, grunge and alternative experimentation, the North London quartet arrived in Cornwall looking every inch the seasoned headliners.
Wolf Alice @ Eden Sessions
For those who haven’t experienced the Eden Sessions before, the event takes place at the Eden Project, nestled within the natural amphitheatre of a former china clay quarry in the heart of Cornwall. Surrounded by dramatic cliffs and the venue’s iconic Biomes, it remains one of the UK’s most unique concert settings. As the Cornish drizzle descended over the site throughout the evening, the atmosphere only seemed to heighten.
The packed crowd erupted at the sight of bassist Theo Ellis emerging from the darkness, followed by Joel Amey on drums and Joff Oddie on lead guitar. Finally, a beam of light revealed singer Ellie Rowsell centre stage, drawing a deafening roar from the audience.
Wolf Alice @ Eden Sessions
Few bands possess the confidence to open with a song as commanding as Bloom Baby Bloom. Its larger-than-life swagger announced their arrival in style, with Ellie’s remarkable vocal range setting the precedent for the remainder of the set. Within a single song, she shifted effortlessly from softly spoken vulnerability to full-throated power, all while retaining the rich warmth that has become one of her defining strengths as a vocalist.
Ellie naturally commands attention as a magnetic frontwoman. Whether prowling the stage, unleashing her well-known scream, or delivering quieter moments with understated poise, she remains one of the most captivating performers of her generation. Yet a Wolf Alice concert is far from a one-person show.
The momentum continued with White Horses, a more melodic and uplifting affair that saw drummer Joel step forward on lead vocals, underlining the depth of talent within the band. Bassist Theo brought boundless energy throughout, constantly engaging with the crowd and clearly relishing every second on stage despite the increasingly wet conditions. Meanwhile, guitarist Joff demonstrated once again why he has become one of the most compelling guitarists of his generation, weaving together melodic riffs, shimmering textures and walls of noise with apparent ease.
Part of Wolf Alice’s enduring appeal lies in their refusal to be confined by genre. They are a band perfectly suited to modern listening habits, where playlists matter more than labels and audiences are happy to embrace a variety of influences. The tender and uplifting Just Two Girls sat comfortably alongside the sprawling eight-minute epic Visions Of A Life, whose thunderous climax could easily have felt at home on the main stage of any major rock festival. The band’s ability to shift between emotional intimacy and explosive intensity remains one of their greatest strengths.
Wolf Alice @ Eden Sessions
The evening’s atmosphere reached another level during The Sofa, a song that perfectly encapsulates the group’s gift for combining emotional songwriting with musical grandeur. As mist drifted across the quarry and the rain continued to fall, the song reverberated around the venue like a hymn echoing through a vast cathedral. It was one of several moments where the unique setting elevated the performance into something genuinely special.
The heavier side of Wolf Alice emerged during the explosive Yuk Foo from their Mercury Prize-winning 2017 album Visions Of A Life. The track’s snarling energy sparked one of the loudest crowd reactions of the night, with Rowsell delivering every line with unrelenting intensity while the band unleashed a barrage of distortion and thunderous rhythms.
As quickly as they raised the temperature, they shifted gears once again. The Last Man On Earth transformed the Biomes into a sea of phone lights, with thousands of voices joining together for one of the night’s most emotional singalongs. The song’s sweeping arrangement and heartfelt delivery highlighted the band’s ability to connect on a deeply personal level even within such a vast setting.
The North London quartet closed the main set with their best-selling hit Don’t Delete The Kisses, bringing the night to a fittingly euphoric conclusion. As the crowd sang every word back towards the stage, it served as a reminder of just how deeply these songs have embedded themselves into the lives of their fans over the past decade.
Throughout the evening, Wolf Alice demonstrated exactly why they continue to sit at the forefront of British alternative music. Their willingness to embrace vulnerability alongside power, beauty alongside chaos, and experimentation alongside accessibility has allowed them to carve out a space entirely their own.
The rain may have fallen, but Wolf Alice lit the fuse on this year’s Eden Sessions in spectacular style, transforming one of the country’s most unique venues into their own cathedral of sound and setting an exceptionally high bar for everything that follows.
Live review and photography of Wolf Alice @ Eden Session, Cornwall, London by Adam Smith / _abs_photo on 16th June 2026.
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