LIVE REVIEW — Conan Gray at Kia Center in Orlando (March 7)

by Liana Progar • May 11, 2026

Land ho! Conan Gray docked his “Wishbone World Tour 2026” with special guest Esha Tewari at the Kia Center in Orlando, FL on March 7. From a distance, it was easy to tell who was a pedestrian on a Saturday night and who was going to the Conan Gray concert. Decked out to the nines, Coneheads didn’t play around with the theme. On the cover of his 2025 album, ‘Wishbone‘, Gray is dressed in a sailor’s uniform, which he wears as his opening outfit for the tour. His fans showed up in droves in sailor outfits. I find it’s always a treat to see people embrace a theme wholeheartedly and engage with music beyond the listening experience. I believe committing to a concept wholly further immerses one into the concert atmosphere.

Already two weeks into his journey, the night’s show went off without a hitch. Quickly rising indie singer-songwriter Esha Tewari hyped up the sold-out crowd with a mixture of heartbreaking acoustic numbers, such as “beautiful boy,” and excitable, call-and-response songs like “About Me.” Having successfully energized the crowd, Tewari and her band left the stage with cute waves and many thanks.

During the set changeover, iconic songs like Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” elevated the crowd’s energy. Coneheads were singing along at the top of their lungs, foreshadowing the amount of enthusiasm they would show later in the night. Gray also introduced a live trivia game that the audience could participate in. With a quick scan of a QR code, fans could race against each other to determine who knew more about Gray. Featuring detailed questions like “What was the grocery store from Never Ending Song called?” the quiz pushed fans’ knowledge to the brink. Another interactive element was the ability to add moments from the concert to Gray’s tour gallery with FanMoments, an increasingly popular tool for artists and their teams to collect authentic fan moments from each stop on their tour.

The final song to play before the beginning of Gray’s set was Olivia Rodrigo’s “bad idea right?” where Gray cleverly cut the song and lights right after Olivia sings “I know I should stop…” launching the crowd into frenzied screams. Beginning act one, “a wishbone never breaks even,” Gray bikes onto the stage in his sailor outfit, snaring the audience from the moment he pedaled onto the stage. Set in a field with a windmill, Gray sings songs that express nostalgia and yearning for things lost to time and heartbreak. Transferring to a bedroom scene, we begin act two, “i got the short end of the stick.” Sporting a sparkling sailor pajama fit, Gray relives the trauma his younger-self endured. During “People Watching,” Gray hopped into the pit and sang to fans at eye level, causing fans’ screams to be heard through the mic. In the closing verse, Gray proudly held a fan-signed gay pride flag while the arena sang the final verse line for line.

Introducing a sidebar section, “Conan’s Campfire,” Gray picked deep-cut “Generation Why.” A humanizing moment spontaneously occurred when mid-verse, he couldn’t figure out what he was supposed to be playing. “Sorry guys… what are these chords I’m playing right now?” said Gray. Giggles could be heard throughout the venue and even through the mic as Gray, too, couldn’t believe what was happening.

Now in a boat on a lake, Gray owned the stage with “Romeo.” Having moved through longing and heartbreak, Gray has now reached acceptance in act three, “i took the long way to realization.” The unreleased song, “The Best,” has the fans swaying and truly absorbing the song’s meaning. In this act, the audience interaction event of the night happened. A Conehead dressed in Gray’s VMA Romeo look won the opportunity of a lifetime, to break a wishbone with Gray to choose a special song of the night. Whoever got the bigger side of the wishbone got to pick the song. Unfortunately, the fan got the short end of the stick, and in a humorous moment, Gray switches his half for hers, crying out, “Oh dang it! I lost! Gosh dang it!” With the fan picking “Astronomy,” the concert resumed. The whole room shook with how loud the audience sang “Heather” and “Family Lines.”

In act four, “i wshed for love, and i found it,” Gray tackled his more upbeat songs like viral breakout hit, “Maniac.” In this act, Gray had fun with Coneheads. Flitting from here to there, across the stage, and down the wishbone-shaped extended stage. His unwavering energy was palpable. Shockingly, Gray and his seven-piece all-female band performed the entire show with minimal breaks. There were relatively few talking moments, with Gray and his band flowing from one song to the next. I was thoroughly impressed with their stamina and commitment to performing nearly an entire two-hour set straight through. Dressed in a dazzling military uniform with an embroidered wishbone on the back of the jacket, Gray gave one final push in his encore. Closing the show in a flourish of confetti, the final notes of “Caramel” resonated throughout the venue.

Walking into this show, knowing very little about Conan Gray and his music, I was astounded. His showmanship was admirable. He showcased big, dramatic movements, hitting psoes with precision, ensuring everyone’s eyes would be drawn to him. Something I have never seen before is a show where the artist is so committed to the music that they leave little time for breaks or speaking. The theming of the sets and costumes was drawn from the original art in the “Wishbone” album. Starry night skies, cloud-filled bedrooms, fields, and ocean sets all added to the journey Gray took the audience on. Elevating the overall look and experience, Gray’s stage was draped with curtains over the lighting rigs like fancy theaters, featured a wishbone-shaped extended stage, stunning LED graphics, and beautiful lighting; the show’s storyline was so clear. Costuming kept the maritime theme running with four different outfits for Gray and even sailor uniforms for the band. The set, the costumes, and the story were all so cohesive and well thought-out. Gray’s concert was like a musical in its own right. Seeing him live is a must, even for those who don’t know his music at all. Fair winds and following seas to Conan Gray on the rest of his tour!