Ed Sheeran, Olivia Dean, and more at TD Garden

Concert Reviews

Pop hitmakers blended chart-topping songs and festive flair in a magical night at TD Garden

iHeartRadio KISS 108 Jingle Ball at TD Garden with Olivia Dean, Ed Sheeran, and more performers, Sunday, Dec. 14

As huge snowflakes swirled down from the sky to mark Boston’s first substantial snowfall of the season, thousands bundled up and filed into TD Garden Sunday night for iHeart Radio’s Kiss 108 Jingle Ball. 

The annual concert, presented by Capital One, pairs pop performances with philanthropy, donating $1 of each ticket sold to charity. This year’s proceeds went to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which builds broadcast media centers in hospitals to inspire pediatric patients. 

The three-and-a-half hour show featured a mix of chart-topping headliners Ed Sheeran and Olivia Dean, up-and-coming pop stars, and a scene-stealing intermission: a KPop Demon Hunters singalong. Though plenty of ad breaks and QR-code prompts slowed momentum at times, the performers’ energy ultimately carried the night.

Ravyn Lenae

Despite critical acclaim and a growing catalog, Ravyn Lenae faced a tough challenge as the opening act. The audience seemed to recognize one song – her breakout hit, “Love Me Not. ” Lesser-known tracks like “Genius” and “One Wish” were met with muted crowd response, compounded with what sounded like a muffled mic.

Energy picked up for “Love Me Not,” giving Lenae the moment she deserved. 

Freya Skye

Pop newcomer Freya Skye kept it brief, performing her hit “Silent Treatment” and gushing about Boston and her upcoming tour stop at Citizens House of Blues Feb. 27. 

At just 16 years old, Skye has already shown her star potential. Her viral TikTok momentum and passionate lyrics suggests she won’t be an opener for long.

Moliy

Despite being a relatively new name, the instantly recognizable chorus of Moliy’s “Shake It” had fans dancing from the first beat. “Y’all got money?” she asked the crowd before playing “Sad Girlz Luv Money,” dubbing it “the money manifestation anthem.”

Her set took a sharp turn when she abruptly stopped the music mid-song, repeatedly asking the sound crew to “cut it,” before shouting out fellow African artist Tyla and performing their collaboration “Body Go.” Moliy closed with an unreleased track, twerking her way through the set that felt notably more mature than the evening’s holiday-themed show. 

Myles Smith 

Blending a unique mix of Noah Kahan and Alex Warren, Myles Smith had the crowd engaged throughout his standout set. Beyond his upbeat, dance-worthy songs, Smith commanded the room with confidence and emotionally clarity. Fan screamed with their hands raised in the air. 

A unique aspect of Smith’s performance was the stage backdrop, which flickered with staticky visuals and flashed the chorus in real time, helped newcomers quickly join the singalong. 

Smith performed “Wait For You,” “Stay (If You Wanna Dance),” and closed with “Stargazing,” a belt-worthy song about realizing someone you love has been with you all along.

Few could have predicted Smith would steal the show, but he left a lasting impression. 

Olivia Dean

Skipping onto the stage with a smile, Olivia Dean made it clear she is the “perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life,” as her song “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” describes. 

The British singer kicked off with her hit song “Nice To Each Other,” captivating the crowd with her rich, soothing vocals and charismatic stage presence as she glided across the stage, tambourine in hand. Introducing “So Easy (To Fall in Love),” Dean transported the crowd to “Christmas time on the beach in Brazil,” she said, as the audience rose to their feet, singing along to the song’s heartfelt lyrics. 

Much of Dean’s appeal lies in the timeless feeling of her music, especially in her second and most recent album, “The Art of Loving.” Listening to it feels like a warm hug — intimate and comforting. She makes her listeners feel heard and evokes every emotion within them, and did just that when she performed “Let Alone the One You Love,” a heart wrenching song that also showed off her astounding vocals. 

Before leaving the stage, Dean asked, “Are you ready to dance?” She received excited screams as she launched into “Man I Need,” the song that skyrocketed her fame and to the top of music charts this year. Though her set was brief, playing only four songs, and it was clear that the audience wanted more. She’ll return to TD Garden on Aug. 10, 2026 for her tour. 

K-Pop Demon Hunters Singalong 

No physical performers appeared on stage, yet K-Pop Demon Hunters arguably stole the show.

The Huntr/x singers, EJAE (Rumi), Rei Ami (Zoey), and Audrey Nuna (Mira), briefly appeared on screen to introduce the segment before lyric videos took over and hosts danced along on stage. 

“Soda Pop” already sparked massive participation, “Golden” had the arena belting every word as if on a mission for the Huntr/x themselves to hear. For the very young audience, it was the perfect intermission from songs they may not even be allowed to listen to at home.

Laufey

After recently finishing her tour at TD Garden, Laufey was one of the better artists at engaging the crowd. She pointed out the reindeer hats in the audience and mentioned her love of Boston as a 2021 graduate from Berklee College of Music.

After successfully getting the crowd to sing the lyrics of songs like “Falling Behind” and “Lover Girl,” she finished her slot with a cover of “Santa Baby,” which she said, “was only appropriate given the weather and proximity to the holidays.” Pink confetti poured out for her as she twirled around the stage with a ribbon in her hair. 

While most artists walked onstage, Zara Larsson was carried in by her dancers in a cheerleader-style lift. As the first beat drop, they caught her in a cradle position and immediately jumped into dancing. 

Larsson was one of the only performers to fully commit to a choreographed set, flipping between her original hits and pop-infused Christmas remixes. “If you’re ready to get festive, say yes!” she exclaimed. “If you’re ready to get jolly, let’s go! I want you guys to let loose tonight.”

Eventually deciding her set had “enough about Christmas,” Larsson shifted to a “Swedish summer night” by performing “Midnight Sun.” The highlight of her set — and the entire Jingle Ball concert — came when she plucked a 10-year-old girl from the crowd onstage to perform the viral TikTok dance “Lush Life,” her 2015 hit experiencing a second life on the platform. 

Though her set felt extremely long compared to the others, it served as a much-needed, high energy dance break for the 3.5-hour show. 

Sean Paul

Sean Paul brought undeniable star power, but the Jingle Ball crowd skewed younger than his usual audience. Early songs were difficult to understand, and many — who were likely up past their bedtime at this point in the evening — responded with half the interest they had earlier for K-Pop Demon Hunters.

Fans, however, perked up for hits like “Cheap Thrills” and “Baby Boy,” but by the time his eighth song rolled around, the crowd seemed ready to move on. 

Ed Sheeran

“Boston is one of my favorite cities in the world,” Ed Sheeran said, before starting his set. 

After Sean Paul’s set, the British star reenergized the crowd bringing his reliable hits to the audience. Opening with “Shivers,” he explained his loop station setup, building songs from scratch — layering beats, harmonies, and even include the audience while doing it. 

Sheeran followed with “Azizam,” a term of affection for loved ones, before sending the crowd into an excited frenzy with classics “Perfect” and “Shape of You.” He closed the night with “Bad Habits,” sealing the show.

As the evening came to a close, it was clear: a timeless artist like Sheeran was the perfect ending to a snowy Jingle Ball in Boston.

Setlist for Jingle Ball at TD Garden, Dec. 15, 2025:

Ravyn Lenae 

• “Genius”
• “pink + pink”
• “One Wish (feat. Childish Gambino)”
• “Love Me Not”

Freya Skye

Moliy

• “Jingle Bell Rock”
• “Shake It”
• “Sad Girls Luv Money” feat. Moliy 
• “Body Go”
• “Unreleased Song”

Myles Smith

• “Wait for You”
• “Nice to Meet You”
• “Stay (If You Wanna Dance)”
• “My Home”
• “Stargazing”

Olivia Dean

• “Nice to Each Other”
• “So Easy (To Fall in Love)”
• “Let Alone The One You Love”
• “Man I Need”

K-Pop Demon Hunters Singalong

• “Soda Pop”
• “Golden” 

Laufey

• “Lover Girl”
• “Silver Lining” 
• “Falling Behind”
• “From The Start”
• “Santa Baby”

• “Pretty Ugly”
• “Ain’t My Fault”
• “Midnight Sun”
• “Crush”
• “Lush Life”
• “Symphony”

Sean Paul

• “Get Busy”
• “Cheap Thrills”
• “Baby boy”
• “No Lie”
• “Smoke Puffs”
• “Ginger”
• “We Be Burnin”
• “Temperature”

Ed Sheeran

“Bad Habits”

“Shivers”

“Azizam”

“Perfect”

“Shape of You”