Some shows feel less like simple concerts and more like full-blown events: at the highest level of popularity and fame, artists have the chance to elevate their performances into something truly transformative. In the case of the Grand National tour, which sees two of the most successful artists of the current era sharing the stage, the boundaries of set design and visual spectacle can be pushed to their absolute limits. Seeing Kendrick Lamar and SZA at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday night, we were glad to have our lofty expectations exceeded again and again.

Though the co-headlined show was sure to be lengthy, that wouldn’t stop DJ Mustard from warming up the (extremely large) crowd— the producer has, of course, shot into the public eye off the back of his recent work with Lamar, making his appearance at the Grand National tour a natural inclusion. He certainly knew how to spark energy in the crowd, with an 808-heavy remix of Travis Scott’s ‘FE!N’ earning some mosh-pits across the standing area. Mustard’s charisma was able to shine through across his fun, if overly brief, appearance: playing to a crowd split between hip-hop and R&B fans was surely no easy task, yet the set flowed together about as naturally as one could hope for. Granted, it’s difficult to judge the quality of  a DJ set like this: if nothing else though, the opening act set the tone for the varied, star-studded performance to come.

From its opening moments, the show was earning its place in a stadium as vast as the Cardiff Principality: this was not some random concert being attended, but a genuine piece of theatre. The night was broken up by all-manner of cinematic interludes, stretched across the venue’s ginormous screens: from unsettling close-up shots of preying mantises that often accompanied SZA’s performances to some hilarious chicken-related skits delivered by Lamar, these videos helped to maintain the show’s momentum between tracks. The Grand National tour is a delicate balancing act, with the task of pacing a co-headline show at this level of popularity being an impossibly difficult one (especially given that its two central artists work in different genres entirely). With the help of these visual aids though, the show was able to glide its way across its vast length— surpassing two-and-a-half hours— smoothly.

These interludes were clearly necessary on a logistical level, as the Grand National tour carries with it some of the loftiest and most impressive props and set pieces you’re ever likely to see. It seems that, behind the scenes, the show’s organisers must have been taking bets on just how far the envelope could be pushed: putting the GNX car on stage was just the beginning, as the audience were treated to sights including; a gigantic rideable preying mantis (named ‘Anthony’ by SZA); a gargantuan staircase that emerged from behind those screens; all manner of trap doors and lifting platforms; a host of dancers, performing tightly organised choreography; and SZA suspending herself in the air, dressed as a butterfly. Slipping enough pyro, lighting and fireworks to make Guy Fawkes proud into the mix, the resulting show was a constant visual overload that was never far from its next surprise.

Of course, this was still a concert when all is said and done: good thing that more than fifty (count them, fifty) songs were performed across the night, with the show alternating between sets of Kendrick Lamar and SZA. The former had the responsibility of kicking off the night, performing the opening verse of ‘wacced out murals’ inside of the GNX: the vast majority of Lamar’s latest record made the setlist, bouncing between fan-favourites ‘squabble up’ and ‘tv off’ and the more introspective notes of ‘man at the garden’ and ‘reincarnated.’ There was no shortage of older hits to satisfy fans though— cuts from lauded albums like ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city,’ ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ and ‘DAMN.’ were in healthy supply, even if many were reduced to teases or shortened versions. Admittedly, Lamar’s introverted persona didn’t lend itself all-too-well to a stadium performance such as this, leaving a number of bolder tracks lacking in some character. Even still, his sets were packed with show-stopping moments, whether they be a wonderful soul remix of ‘m.A.A.d city’ or the overwhelming crowd engagement that carried ‘Not Like Us.’

The much more obvious star of the night was SZA, who brought a flamboyant energy to the stadium— it’s just a shame that the hip-hop fans in the audience were often too busy leaving to appreciate it, as was always the danger with a co-headliner tour. That was surely no fault of the singer’s though, who nailed every single track she attacked throughout the show. SZA’s vocals sounded pristine on Saturday night, gliding through song after song like it was no-one’s business: the artist’s relaxed R&B cuts took on a whole new energy in the live setting, with the entire crowd singing along to runaway hits like ‘Kill Bill.’ Whether she was performing just as expertly as her backing dancers, dangling in the air or signing memorabilia for fans in the front row, the singer was an absolute joy to watch— even when Lamar would join her on stage for collaborative cuts like ‘All The Stars’ and ’30 For 30,’ all eyes were on SZA.

The Grand National tour, by all accounts, should not work in its current format: the show is incredibly lengthy and ambitious, attempting to balance the stage time of two vastly different artists at the absolute peak of fame and success. Somehow, the show hits it out of the park on every level. There was a momentousness to Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s performance that turned it something cinematic— right up until the final notes of encore closer ‘Gloria,’ we were utterly transfixed.