Following the first concert in Sheffield, Sarah Crabtree from the
Sheffield Star said: "Amidst a fairytale forest stage-set inspired by her favourite film
The Labyrinth, she showcased the awesome talent that propelled her to stardom four years ago, and even pulled off some nifty dancing. Her incredible voice – when given free rein centre stage, pared back and powerful, emotive, sometimes haunting – was breathtaking. Sheffield was the first night of 18 dates on her first ever arena tour and it would be understandable if the debutante was nervous as she appeared, looking every inch the British Beyonce, in a tight black dress, over-the-knee boots and hooded cloak, beneath a gothic ruin swirling in mist. [...] One of Leona's great vocal strengths has always been her ability to convey powerful emotion, and she was at her brilliant best when the songs allowed her to do just that – to really sing, to deliver the lyrics clearly without too much backing, and to do so without distraction. She covered Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" beautifully, sitting quietly, almost a capella. And a funked-up, clubby segment including stonking dance track "Outta My Head", a cover of "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics, and a nod to Michael Jackson finally got the crowd on its feet and proved Leona's more than just a ballad singer. [...] And before belting out "Bleeding Love" she told her fans: "This is my first tour and my first night and I'm so glad I got to share it with you. This is a dream for me." Pete Paphides from
The Times gave the tour three out of five stars, saying: "With a live show apparently inspired by the
Jim Henson fantasy flick
Labyrinth, to the slow beats of "Brave", Lewis wandered through a bevy of semi-naked men in horned helmets — her black veil and slightly troubled gaze calling to mind an outrageously lavish Scottish Widows commercial. [...] A sense of the truly unexpected probably wasn't what Lewis's fans had turned up for, less still the sexually charged theatricality that comes as standard at, say, a
Rihanna or
Lady Gaga show. [...] A fairytale woodland scene festooned with lights served as the backdrop for a moderately pretty acoustic version of Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River". By this stage, one might have been forgiven for setting aside any idle hopes that Lewis might throw efficiency to the wind and truly lose herself in what she was singing. [...] She sang her biggest hit "Bleeding Love" in an outfit that seemed to have been inspired by Big Purple One from the
Quality Street tin." Bernadette McNulty from
The Daily Telegraph gave the tour three out of five stars, saying "For her long-awaited debut tour, Leona Lewis was inspired by her favourite childhood film, Labyrinth. The 1986 fantasy adventure, starring David Bowie, provides rich pickings for the set designers, but it's the plotline that offers a glimpse into the mindset of the 2006 X-Factor winner – the teenage heroine escapes from a puppet-infested maze by declaring to her captor: "My will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great ... you have no power over me!" [...] Her vocals were near inaudible on anything below her top range, yet the audience's affections meant that they applauded her efforts but stayed glued to their seats. The inertia really set in when the middle section of ballads gassed the arena like a dry-ice cloud of emotion. Dressed as a fairy-tale princess, her childlike innocence was affecting, and she can certainly convey a trembling, pining heart. [...] Just when it felt like we were permanently trapped in a maze of polished but stilted performances, a trapdoor opened, strobes flashed and Lewis emerged in strikingly symbolic high-waisted leggings. The effect was startling: she seized control of the music and the audience, ordering them to their feet as she imperiously motored through her final hits. This tantalising glimpse of Lewis's hidden power suggests that if she wants her to career to really have legs she should wear the trousers more often. ==DVD/CD release==