A sizzling summer night on the decks was guaranteed when Pete Tong arrived onstage at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on June 26th, 2026.

Upon entering Scarborough Open Air Theatre, summer vibes were already hitting the crowds from support DJ Danny Rampling. Staff were extremely welcoming and supportive throughout – there was a good feeling in the air.

One couldn’t help but notice the blanket of overly patterned 90s shirts that lined the bar queue, taking one’s mind off the few minutes waiting time.  The crowd certainly appeared to be a mix of new followers paired with old time worshippers of dance and anthem vibes. But tonight there was no separating them, everyone just wanted to have a good time.

When the orchestra made an appearance, everyone in the crowd began to cheer, followed shortly after by Pete Tong quietly sneaking into position at the back of the stage.  As soon as you begin to hear the strings into the beat of Right Here, Right Now, everyone felt unified. The stage production was simple but effective, just seeing how much was taken up by the orchestra was impressive enough. Granted the centre of the standing area became impossible for us to fully articulate our dance moves by this point, so we politely made our move to the sides, where new tribes formed, like-minded groups that just wanted to dance and let go.

Right Here, Right Now and Lola’s Theme are all-time classics, setting the mood with their warmth, as the crowd gorw friendlier and the orchestra get into full swing, especially when Children enters the mix.  Hits such as Rhythm of the Night and Zombie Nation begin to lift the crowd into the next stage of euphoria, followed shortly by the hit of Insomnia. Everyone has had a warm-up and reached a point where there is no return – they might as well just go for it! You see everyone’s tension on edge, waiting for that drop of the beat where Pete Tong takes over, and the orchestra proudly follow. As the crowd go wild, suddenly you realise he has got you in the palm of his hand, conducting every aspect of the performance.

The night continued into a wave of classics such as Sandstorm and Cafe Del Mar. The energy is high and we can’t quite believe these are Pete Tong’s last tunes of the night. We know the encore is looming and in anticipation for what’s coming we gather closely; it begins with Don’t You Worry Child, a floor lifter that just sums up the night perfectly, everyone jumping along with laughter and cheer that fills the air.

Personally, the all time classic You Got The Love is what I patiently wait for and when it comes, it creates a warm feeling of togetherness and simply being in the moment. I begin to people-watch and see an array of arms overlapping one another; it’s songs like this that can hold such power of humanity: forgetting everything that is out of our control and simply coming together, even if it is just for precisely 4 minutes, 27 seconds.

The opening line is what grabs the crowd, it settles everyone’s energy into a subdued trance state of mind, grounds us and reminds us of the effect music can have on us. We sway with enjoyment, we don’t want the night to end, is this really the last song? My feet tell me it is and it was the right amount of time to be transported into a hazy feeling of contentment.

By the end, the crowd give a huge cheer and applause, the orchestra has left an imprint of high energy to everyone who leaves. Generations walk happily together to exit the Open Air Theatre and the air is filled with gratitude.

Pete Tong’s anthems do more than just deliver, they provide a state of mind that escapes reality and – particularly as a full time working mum – it was certainly what I needed to end the week on.

Head to the TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre website for the rest of the season.