I took a trip to Manchester to see Lindsey Stirling perform at one of my favourite venues, the O2 Apollo.

Since the days of Vanessa-Mae, I haven’t seen anyone make the violin quite as cool as Lindsey does. Her clever blend of choreography and modern production crosses genres effortlessly, weaving together classical, electronic dance, and even drum and bass. She performs in near-constant motion, gliding across the stage, interacting with the band while maintaining precise musical control. Photographing the show meant tracking both the dance and the instrument—anticipating jumps, spins, and mid-air moments without losing technical clarity.

The staging and lighting design were beautiful and added a lot to the visual spectacle. Because the Apollo was set up as a seated venue, photographers weren’t allowed in the pit, which is always a little disappointing—I prefer getting up close and personal. On the plus side, we were allowed to shoot the entire show, which made the experience great fun and gave plenty of opportunities to capture the performance from different moments and angles.