ADÉLA reunited with former The Debut: Dream Academy castmates Megan Skiendiel and Lara Raj during her sold-out Red Bottoms Tour performance at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on October 8. The Slovak pop singer performed for a packed audience as her former castmates, alongside Emily Kelavos of Saint Satine, watched from the crowd during a major moment in her growing solo career.
The concert marked the first of two scheduled Los Angeles shows on ADÉLA’s tour. Photographs from the night captured the 22-year-old performer wearing her signature bright pink hair and a silver two-piece outfit while delivering an energetic set filled with elaborate choreography. The singer’s background in ballet was evident throughout the performance, with precise movements and carefully staged routines forming a central part of the show.
Backstage, ADÉLA posed for photographs with Megan Skiendiel, Lara Raj and Emily Kelavos. All three had previously appeared alongside her on The Debut: Dream Academy, the competition series that followed contestants seeking to become members of a global girl group. The programme ultimately led to the formation of KATSEYE, while ADÉLA continued pursuing a solo career after leaving the competition.
The reunion carried added significance as ADÉLA addressed her former castmates directly during the concert. While introducing her song “Ain’t in LA,” she recalled moving from Slovakia to Los Angeles to pursue her ambitions through Dream Academy. She acknowledged that the competition did not lead to the outcome she originally wanted, but pointed toward the balcony where her former castmates were watching and recognised their success with KATSEYE.
“I’m an immigrant,” she told the audience while discussing the experiences behind the song. She also explained that the track’s title and message were not intended as a personal attack on Los Angeles, but reflected her complicated relationship with the city and the entertainment industry after arriving there in pursuit of a pop career.
The performance took place amid a breakout year for ADÉLA, whose debut album, PRIMA, was released in September 2026 and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The album has produced two singles that entered the Billboard Hot 100: “Ain’t in LA,” which reached No. 27, and “Nicole Kidman,” which climbed to No. 11. The songs have helped bring her music to a wider audience beyond the viewers who first encountered her on Dream Academy.
“Ain’t in LA” has become one of the defining tracks of the album’s early campaign, pairing an electronic pop production with lyrics about ambition, image and the pressures of pursuing fame in Hollywood. The song also gave ADÉLA an opportunity to explain how her experience as a young immigrant influenced her music, turning a potentially provocative title into a personal account of her journey.
The Fonda Theatre audience included pop star Chappell Roan, whose appearance added to the attention surrounding the concert. The night brought together performers from different stages of the pop industry, while the presence of ADÉLA’s former castmates highlighted the different paths taken by artists who began their careers in the same competition.
ADÉLA’s Red Bottoms Tour launched in August and supports the release of PRIMA. Following the two Los Angeles performances on October 8 and 9, her official schedule lists two shows in Mexico City on October 15 and 16, before further dates later in the year and a European tour in January 2027. The Los Angeles reunion arrived as the singer continues building her identity as a solo performer following her early exposure through Dream Academy.
