Sam Fender and Adlib Partnership Moves Stateside for North American Tour

	"We understand the pace of the performances, the depth of the musical shifts, the dynamics of the venues and of course, how Sam wants to engage with his audience," says Willis. Photo: David LaMason

Technology integration specialist Adlib provided touring audio and lighting for British singer/songwriter's Sam Fender's recent North American tour.

The tour represented an important milestone in the partnership between Sam Fender's team and Adlib, as Fender embarked on his first major North American headline run, supported by Adlib's growing presence in the region.

Built on a relationship that began in 2018, Adlib has worked with Sam's team from 600-capacity venues to the record-breaking capacity show at London's Olympic Stadium, ahead of the 52,000-capacity homecoming shows at St James' Park Stadium. This followed a UK tour that ran from June to August 2025, kicking off with major stadium dates and concluding with a series of headline outdoor shows across key cities.

Rob Simpson, production manager for Fender, comments, "As the American leg of the tour closed and we celebrated the Mercury Prize win, we looked back at what was a brilliant season of events, from sell-out stadium shows to headline European festivals. The consistent delivery of Adlib is something I continue to rely on year after year. Whether it's a full 360 stadium production or a festival lighting floor package, the same high standards of delivery are realized show after show. The support I receive from Adlib is invaluable. They're far more than simply a supplier of audio, lighting, and video equipment, Adlib people form part of our core crew and have become irreplaceable members of the team. I couldn't do what I do without their support, and in particular, Jordan Willis, who acts as our project manager and lives in the trenches with me from start to finish. For the USA leg, we had the continued support of Adlib. The touring lighting and audio packages supplied stateside by Adlib meant I had the continuity of service I have become accustomed to in the UK and around the world."

Willis adds, "The trusted partnership we've built with Sam Fender's team has seen us work with them from relatively intimate gigs in the early days, to stadiums, and most recently on their North American tour. We understand the pace of the performances, the depth of the musical shifts, the dynamics of the venues and of course, how Sam wants to engage with his audience. Technical planning, delivery and support all play an important role in delivering the show everyone expects. We've had fantastic partners across this tour, including L-Acoustics, ROE, Robe, MA International, Disguise, ACME Lighting, Sennheiser, GLP and Allen & Heath."

Willis continues, "It's been a real privilege to work alongside the crew and wider partners to help bring the People Watching Tour to audiences across the UK, Europe, and North America. It was particularly rewarding for me, seeing the phenomenal growth of Sam's fan base, supporting that incredible show at St James' Park Stadium, and taking the tour stateside as we continue to grow Adlib's presence in North America."