Glitter, Heat, and Pure Joy at Sandringham - The Scissor Sisters and Pet Shop Boys at Heritage Live, part of the 2025 tour

Some evenings stay with you forever, not because of any single song but because of the way the whole thing fits together: the glow of the sky, the hum of the crowd, the thrum of bass that makes your chest vibrate. Heritage Live’s finale at Sandringham was one of those nights. Scissor Sisters and Pet Shop Boys turned the royal lawns into a dancefloor, and for a couple of hours, it felt like we were all living inside a glitterball.

The Scissor Sisters, opened the festival evening like a glitter cannon. Ana Matronic—in those enormous silver boots—seemed to defy gravity itself, high-kicking and pirouetting as if physics were merely a polite suggestion. The boots alone deserved applause. Alongside her, a sassy woman from Texas brought personality and bite, the perfect foil to Ana’s razor-sharp wit. And of course there was Jake Shears: bouncing across the stage with the joyful elasticity of a man who seems made of music. He’s been living in London these past three years, and I was gutted to miss his turn in Cabaret—a different kind of theatre altogether—but here, his exuberant, magnetic presence reminded us exactly why he’s such a beloved performer. Their set was cheeky, risqué, flamboyant, a bit bonkers and utterly irresistible.

We’ve followed Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe across decades—most recently crammed into Camden’s Electric Ballroom for a post-COVID gig that felt almost illicit. Before that, the Roundhouse in Camden for BEF’s “Music of Quality and Distinction” showcase, with Sandie Shaw joining a who’s-who of electronic royalty—Heaven 17 of course, PSB, Andy Bell, Green Gartside, Boy George, Midge Ure, Kim Wilde.

At Sandringham, the “Dusty Springfield” moment in What Have I Done to Deserve This?  was beautifully handled by the Pet Shop Boys’ own female keyboardist, who brought poise and charm to a role we’ve seen others try to fill; though it has be said she couldn't quite live up to Dusty.

Pet Shop Boys performed their Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live tour for 2025 —a show that felt both slick and deeply emotional. What makes them remarkable is not only longevity but also their songwriting integrity: almost everything penned by Tennant and Lowe themselves. A handful of exceptions stand out—Always on My Mind (originally written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James), and their cover of U2’s Where the Streets Have No Name. There’s also their collaboration with Trevor Horn on Left to My Own Devices—a perfect example of how, when they do open the doors, it’s only to the very best.

Jake Shears returned later in the set to duet joyfully with Neil Tennant, a playful moment that lit up the stage. And then came the encore: West End Girls unfurling like a triumphant banner, followed by Being Boring, tender and shimmering, a song I want played at my own funeral. It’s not morbid—just truthful. Few tracks capture life’s mixture of joy, loss, and memory so perfectly. Chris was positively beaming at the end as the cheers and applause went on and on.

The crowd? Ecstatic. Arms in the air, voices united, people who might never meet again suddenly joined in the same shimmering chord.

It was also the perfect excuse to spend a couple of days in sunny Norfolk, exploring pretty coastal towns such as Cromer (yes, we did buy a dressed crab for a picnic) and Wells-by-sea, and of course the famous Norfolk Broads, as well as a little of the Norwich beer scene.

We'll be keeping an eye out for who's on next year at Heritage Live.