Miley Cyrus Returns to the Stage at Hollywood Bowl With a Rare Solo Show, an Emotional Dolly Parton Tribute and a Newfound Sense of Peace
Fans of all ages packed into the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night for something that has become increasingly uncommon in today’s music landscape: a full-fledged Miley Cyrus solo concert. The 33-year-old pop star, who now goes simply by Miley, has spent much of the past decade being open about the toll that live performance takes on her mental health and overall well-being. For that reason, the singer has largely stepped away from the traditional touring cycle that defines most pop careers. She has not embarked on a large-scale world tour in nearly ten years, and Friday’s performance marked her first major concert in four years. Even as she stood in front of thousands of adoring fans at the iconic Los Angeles venue, Cyrus was candid about the fact that she was not entirely sure she would ever take on a show of this magnitude again. She credited much of her drive to return to the stage to her late godmother, country music legend Dolly Parton, who died earlier this year.
“For me, performance can’t be everything because the curtain closes and the lights go down, and I have to go back home and be happy with who I am,” Cyrus told the crowd during one of several heartfelt speeches. “I really appreciate you all honoring that and respecting and celebrating and supporting and encouraging me, finding this balance in my life where I can really have everything that I’ve ever wanted.”
The concert, dubbed Bass Persuades Live at the Hollywood Bowl, was the first of two shows planned for the weekend. Both performances were organized in support of her latest album, Bass Persuades, and the demand for tickets was nothing short of staggering. According to figures shared around the event, roughly 1.5 million people joined the queue for just 36,000 tickets available across the two nights. That level of enthusiasm served as a striking reminder of how deeply Cyrus’ fans have remained invested in her music and her evolution, even as she has stepped back from the constant churn of live appearances and promotional tours.
The night opened with material from Bass Persuades, which made sense given the show’s name. But before Cyrus physically took the stage, the audience was greeted by the first of several pre-recorded, black-and-white video interludes. In these segments, the singer appeared to speak directly to the crowd, delivering poetic, almost meditative messages. One early video featured Cyrus reflecting on a voice that sounded like a mirror, telling her to “make a record.” The voice, she said, was very specific for an angel. In the video, she continued: “You will stand on that same stage held by the people, the sound and the desire that’s carried you all the way to your destiny. And sitting behind you is the rest of your life, but nothing waits forever.”
Throughout the evening, Cyrus returned again and again to a theme of gratitude. She thanked her fans for being patient and understanding about where she is in her career, acknowledging that she had not been sure whether live performance would remain part of her future. “I didn’t know that if live performance was going to be a part of my future, if this was something that I wanted to dedicate and devote myself to, because that’s what it really is,” she admitted. “Tonight, it isn’t just the night for us, but it’s all the preparation of everyone that is behind the scenes that you’ll never get to see that make this show possible.”
The setlist included 18 songs and featured two surprise guests: Wayne Coyne, the frontman of The Flaming Lips and a longtime collaborator of Cyrus, and her fiancé Maxx Morando, who is also a musician and creative partner. Both appearances added a layer of personal intimacy to an evening that already felt deeply connected to Cyrus’ own journey. The performance mixed new and old material, though the experience of those two categories was noticeably different. Cyrus was clearly most passionate when singing songs from Bass Persuades, belting the newer lyrics with full-throated conviction. On some of her older hits, however, she seemed content to let the crowd and the backing tracks carry much of the weight. “Party in the USA” and “We Can’t Stop” drew enormous reactions, with thousands of voices singing along to every word. Her Hannah Montana film anthem “The Climb” received one of the largest responses of the night, with the entire venue joining in for a collective, cathartic singalong. Meanwhile, “Wrecking Ball,” her massive 2013 single, was reimagined with a new arrangement that notably skipped the song’s iconic, explosive shift into its thunderous chorus.
Some listeners might have noticed that Cyrus leaned less heavily on her live vocals during those older, more familiar tracks. But that barely mattered to the crowd. The experience was still endlessly enjoyable, emotionally resonant, and deeply moving for both the singer and the audience. In fact, Cyrus could have stood onstage with a laptop playing music videos, a nod to the infamous Justin Bieber Coachella headline set, and the sold-out crowd likely would have still considered the night a triumph. What mattered most was simply that she was there, present and willing to share herself with her fans in a way she had not done in years.
The most emotional moment of the evening came during a tribute to Parton, whom Cyrus has often lovingly referred to as Aunt Dolly. As the intro to Parton’s timeless classic “Jolene” began to play, Cyrus broke down in tears while speaking about the country music pioneer. She shared a story about seeing Parton at the Hollywood Bowl, recalling the deep impression that experience had left on her. Then, with visible emotion, she launched into a cover of “Jolene.” The tribute was not finished, though. Later in the show, during “Wrecking Ball,” which Cyrus noted had been one of Aunt Dolly’s favorite songs, the singer clutched a small framed photograph of Parton in a heart-shaped frame to her chest. It was a small gesture, but one that spoke volumes about the profound influence Parton had on her life, both personally and artistically.
Friday’s performance felt cathartic for the audience, but it seemed equally transformative for Cyrus, who has clearly spent years searching for a way to honor her artistry without sacrificing her mental health. She told the crowd that she had been excited all day to perform at the Hollywood Bowl, but that she had been just as excited to have acquired a new fish earlier that day. The image was charmingly grounded, a reminder that Cyrus is no longer trying to be a larger-than-life pop sensation at all times. These Hollywood Bowl performances, she suggested, were as much for her as they were for the fans in attendance.
“Being able to create a life that I get to wake up every day and have those joys that give me meaning and purpose — I’m proud to be a person that those kinds of things bring me just as much joy as performing for almost 18,000 people here tonight,” she told the crowd midway through the show. “Being able to live a life in true harmony and have everything that I’ve ever wanted… Every dream that I’ve been able to conjure and make a reality, I’m experiencing here today. October 16th. This is like a new holiday in my life.”
Cyrus also made sure to acknowledge the people who have stuck with her for the long haul. “It’s been 20 years of us on this journey, this evolution and this metamorphosis. You all, you have not skipped a beat. I am so, so appreciative of your support,” she said. “It’s been steadfast, and it’s been deeply felt. The appreciation I have for you is never forgotten on show days.”
As she prepared to launch into “We Can’t Stop,” Cyrus delivered one final speech filled with gratitude. “Because of you, I get to have the life that is everything I could have ever imagined. I have love, I have animals, I have all of you, I have music, I have creativity. I have someone else, and I just love my life. It’s the most beautiful. Thank you all for making it that way.”
It was a statement that seemed to capture the entire evening in a single breath. Miley Cyrus may not know exactly what her future relationship with live performance will look like, but on Friday night, she was fully present, surrounded by 18,000 people who had waited years to see her shine again. The moment was not just a concert; it was a homecoming, a tribute, and a declaration of a new chapter.
Cyrus will return to the Hollywood Bowl for the second and final night of Bass Persuades Live on Sunday, Oct. 18. If Friday’s show was any indication, that performance will be just as emotional, just as celebratory, and just as deeply felt as the first.
