Rick Astley – Live Review – Scarborough Open Air Theatre
By Steve Crabtree, June 2026
I must have been about nine years old when Rick Astley burst on to the scene with that song. I’ve liked him ever since. In fact, I vividly remember heading down to Woolworths in Halifax to buy his debut album, Whenever You Need Somebody. If my memory serves me right, I picked it up at the exact same time as Push by Bros.
Even at that age, I knew I loved pop music, and those songs have stuck with me ever since. But, fast forward nearly forty years, and the main man is still at it. He’s still performing those classic 80s hits, alongside a wealth of fantastic material he has written and released since.
Maybe more importantly, he is still an absolute master of what he does. He has an incredible voice, a brilliant line in self-deprecating humor, and a knack for giving every single person in the crowd a night to remember. It fell to him to kick off the summer season at Scarborough Open Air Theatre this year, and frankly, they couldn’t have picked a better act to open the gates.
“Shaking a few moves”
At 9pm on the dot, he walked on like a hero, starting things off with the brilliant ‘Lights Out’. Then, he wasted absolutely no time in taking us back to 1987 with an early airing of ‘Together Forever’. That was the exact moment the entire place took off and we were in the open air for the rest of the night. If anyone in the crowd didn’t know what kind of night they were in for, they certainly knew now.
We were treated to an absolute masterclass in pop, with hit after hit designed to get people moving.
That debut title track ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ sounded massive in the open air. ‘She Wants To Dance With Me’ went down even better. Rick spotted a woman dancing up in the aisles of the seats and dedicated the track straight to her. Mind you, she wasn’t the only one shaking a few moves off. People everywhere were up on their feet, swaying from side to side, smiling, and singing along to every single word.
He also has this genuine connection with the crowd too. He’s a proper northerner, which means his stage patter is natural and funny. He can laugh at his band, and he’s more than happy to have a giggle at himself. And he even hopped behind the drum kit a couple of times. He twirled his sticks like a seasoned pro and bellowed out an incredible cover of AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’. Later on, he chuckled through a story about turning down a film soundtrack invitation in the late 80s because it sounded too ridiculous. That didn’t stop him from delivering a stellar version of Roy Orbison’s ‘Pretty Woman’, mind you.
“A touch of class”
It was a proper, full-on, feel-good show from start to finish. The slower numbers like ‘Cry For Help’ filled the place with pure power. Meanwhile, ‘Angel By My Side’ proved exactly why it stands out as one of his finest ever tracks.
Before the night drew to a close, Rick showed a real touch of class. He stopped to properly thank the Scarborough venue crew for their hard work. Then he took the time to praise his own touring crew, emphasising the tireless job they do to make sure every instrument is in tune, every mic is perfectly placed, and the sound levels are spot on.
It was a lovely moment of appreciation. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve seen an artist give such a focused thank you to the roadies since Cliff Richard name dropped every member of his crew when he thanked them on the very same stage before Covid.
“The place erupted”
Of course, there was only one way to finish the night though. As darkness fell over the North Yorkshire coast, the opening bars of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ rang out. The place erupted. The stage lighting was spectacular, turning the entire arena into a massive outdoor party. Every single person was on their feet, dancing and singing at the top of their lungs.
A special mention has to go to the main support act, The Lottery Winners. If anyone walked into the arena not knowing who they were, they certainly left as fans. They were an unbelievable undercard. Not only is their music fantastic, but frontman Thom Rylance had the entire place laughing out loud between songs. They are a brilliant live act, and I’ll be making sure I pay them a lot more attention from now on.
Ultimately, this was Rick Astley’s night, and it was a triumphant opening fixture for Scarborough Open Air Theatre. Launching the summer season with a show of this caliber sets an incredibly high bar for the rest of the year. If the other artists heading to the coast over the next few months can get anywhere near this level, Yorkshire gig-goers are in for a blinding summer.
Images: Cuffe & Taylor
Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.
