LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS — Morrissey at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood (January 22)

by Trevor Bosmans • February 27, 2026

It is always a gamble when buying tickets to see Morrissey perform live. Especially due to his long history of canceling shows. But when he does actually show up, he gives a heavenly performance. I was planning on seeing him in St. Pete, but he canceled that show due to illness. I had pretty much given up all hope of seeing him on this tour until I woke up to an email saying I was approved to review the final date of the tour at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. I quickly packed my bags and made the nearly four-hour drive to see one of my favorite artists of all-time in one of the best venues in the country!

As I entered the venue, I was greeted by a PETA representative who gave me a pamphlet with a “special message from Morrissey” and took my picture with a “Meat is Murder” sign. I found my seat right around the scheduled start time only to sit through nearly forty minutes of classic music and film clips. With each new clip, I grew anxious he was going to cancel at the last minute. Eventually, the lights went down as his band took the stage. Then the legend graced us with his presence.

Morrissey seemed to be in high spirits as he walked on, with his signature flowers hanging out of his pants. Over the next ninety minutes, Morrissey delivered a career-spanning set of solo hits, fan favorites, and even a few songs from his days with The Smiths. Solo hits like “Suedehead” and “Everyday Is Like Sunday” lifted everyone in the venue out of their seats. The Smiths’ classic, “How Soon Is Now?” drew the biggest crowd response of the night. Morrissey prefaced the song by saying, “The words to this song were true back then, just as they are true today.” He couldn’t be more right about one of the most timeless songs of all-time.

The show continued as Morrissey joked, “On this next song I will fall off the stage. You may think it’s intentional, but it’s not”. He then performed one of my favorite songs by The Smiths, “I Know It’s Over”. Morrissey sounded particularly great on this song as he paced across the stage tossing flowers into the crowd, before briefly walking off the stage at the end.

Morrissey returned to play his new single, “Make-Up Is a Lie” off his upcoming album of the same name. This song is quite a departure from his previous work, so I’m very curious to see what the rest of the album is going to sound like. But I felt privileged to be one of the first people to hear it live. Morrissey finished his main set with The Smiths’ “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” before leaving the stage once more, signaling his band to follow him. After a few short minutes, the entire band along with Morrissey emerged for one last song “I Will See You in Far-off Places” which i felt was an odd choice to end on, but it worked. I savored each second knowing this could possibly be the last time I get to see him perform live.

This show reminded me why I keep coming back despite all the cancelations. Morrissey is a true legend of the stage and any chance to hear these songs live is worth the heartbreak he causes when he cancels. I just wish he played a little longer, considering how far I drove to get there. But I loved every minute of it and would jump at the chance to see him again. Thank you to Morrissey and everyone at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida for making this night unforgettable.

Morrissey Live Review by Trevor Bosmans.
Morrissey Live Concert Photos by Lorenzo Vasquez.