The Roundhouse in Camden has long been celebrated for its outstanding programming and its flair for curating innovative, intimate festivals. XS Noize has previously covered its acclaimed In the Round series—an all-seated event that has welcomed the likes of The Levellers, Anaïs Mitchell, and Beverley Knight.
In 2025, the venue unveiled Three Sixty, a fresh festival concept that builds on the In the Round model. At its core, artists perform in the centre of the iconic venue’s circular space, surrounded by an audience on all sides, with a unique twist—collaborations between headline acts and the Roundhouse’s resident artists, who also perform their own material throughout the night.
This year, Roundhouse resident artists Chisara Agor, Flâneuse, Geo Aghinea, Kai Bosch, and Saachi Sen had the rare opportunity to share the stage with none other than Tom Odell.
Opening the evening was Hugo Hamlet, a delightfully eccentric blend of Victor Van Dort and Ken Dodd, complete with striking blue and turquoise hair. His performance was laced with Neil Hannon-esque wit and charm, and his set, switching between piano and acoustic guitar, was full of uplifting, poetic lyricism. A standout moment came with the line “it’s what we share, it’s what we give…,” delivered in a soaring falsetto that captivated the crowd.
When Tom Odell took to the stage, joined by a seven-piece band all dressed in black—save for a drummer in a white bomber jacket—he opened with “Grow Old with Me” from his debut album Long Way Down. The emotive power of his piano was unmistakable, but with the addition of a brass section and the dynamic full band, Odell elevated his performance to cinematic heights.
Although Tom had planned 2025 as a “fallow year” (aside from a few dates in Sydney), the chance to perform alongside the Roundhouse resident artists was too good to pass up. The collaboration added a new layer of depth and discovery to his set.
First to join him was Flâneuse, whose performance of her original song “The Sun Still Rises” was a masterclass in atmosphere and emotion. With graceful choreography and a layered country-tinged arrangement, her delivery was both melancholic and hopeful. Later, Chisara Agor delivered a spirited and powerful rendition of her folk song “Better Man,” showing how the ukulele can be used to defy clichés and support compelling storytelling. Geo Aghinea, Kai Bosch, and Saachi Sen also delivered standout performances, each showcasing why the Roundhouse’s artist development programme is so vital.
Odell’s set naturally included material from his 2024 album Black Friday, including the title track and the emotionally raw “The End.” The latter, introduced with the lyric “I was twenty days clean yesterday,” exploded into a stirring swirl of melancholy—proof of Odell’s continued evolution as a songwriter. He also premiered two new, unreleased songs: “I Wish That I Was Beautiful,” a haunting ballad drenched in falsetto, and the more upbeat “Wonderful Life”—not to be confused with the ’80s hit by Black. The latter concluded with Tom publicly praising the Roundhouse’s resident artist programme.
Although the show ran nearly an hour behind schedule, the night concluded on a powerful note. All five resident artists returned to the stage to join Tom for a communal, cathartic rendition of “Another Love.” It was a fitting close to a night that not only reaffirmed Tom Odell as a master of melancholy but also spotlighted the immense promise of the Roundhouse’s resident talent.
With Three Sixty, the Roundhouse has given birth to a bold new format that offers artists the platform they deserve. If this debut is anything to go by, the festival has a long and exciting future ahead.
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