On what was one of the hottest days & nights of 2026, thousands of people came to Newmarket Nights to dress up and enjoy the horse racing, and ultimately see Crag David perform one of his TS5 nights.
Half expecting to see Craig David with a band singing his classics mixed in with a sprinkle of new songs and maybe some covers, I was completely misguided. This Newmarket Nights gig was Craig David’s TS5 set which totally shook every corner of the racecourse. It was amazing!
When Craig took to the stage, he wasn’t just singing – his TS5 format is a high-energy mix of a live concert and a DJ set with him doing everything himself. There was a DJ Desk up front and he was dropping beats, MCing, mixing and singing with live vocals – it was impressive if I’m honest. The party vibe was a mix of old-school R&B, UK garage, swing, house, afro beats, a real mix of musical styles with the one purpose of delivering a big party!
Craig came on stage to huge cheers and gave us 30 minutes of high energy non-stop tracks, mash ups, teasers with him singing and rapping, his speed of delivery was pretty remarkable. The crowd were singing along to almost every word, which he was encouraging. There was a mix of Selecta, Fill Me In, Flowers, Bills Bills Bills, Love Yourself. After this fun, energetic section he chatted with the crowd, showing his appreciation of 26 years since his first album release and gratitude for still being able to bring the best of house and UK garage to everyone.
He then slowed it down and interjecting the tracks with stories of how he started in his bedroom putting down lyrics and gave us a small glimpse into his process. Then increasing the tempo to include Jump Around and What’s Your Flava?.
The TS5 format is a lot of fun. The choice of tracks, the mixing and the mash ups are exactly what you needed them to be to have a party and of course plenty of Craig David’s songs that we all know and love.
Craig David is an excellent entertainer and a great singer, his voice has not aged, nor has his energy. He was able to hold the crowd from start to finish, everyone was thoroughly up for a party and I have no doubt most of them went home with a hoarse voice from all the singing. It was a brilliant night.
