Odeya Turns Ramat Gan Stadium Into a Pop Coronation

Odeya staged a major concert at Ramat Gan Stadium on Thursday night, drawing about 30,000 people and marking another step in her rapid rise from small Reading club shows to Caesarea, Menora Mivtachim Arena, and now a venue comparable to Hayarkon Park. The review said the night felt less like a concert than a coronation, with fans already on their feet before the lights went down.

She opened with a one-minute countdown, then entered through a burning boxing ring to perform “Van Dam,” signaling that she was fighting for her place at the top of Israeli pop. Throughout the night, she reinforced the bond with her audience by asking who had been there at her earliest shows, first at Reading and later at Menora, before proudly greeting the crowd with, “Good evening, Ramat Gan Stadium.”

The article said Odeya stands out because she unites audiences that do not usually overlap, including secular and religious listeners, Ashdod and Tel Aviv fans, and both adults and teenagers. She also stays directly connected to fans online and at shows, requesting a white dress code, teaching a short dance for “Shosho,” and jokingly scolding people who forgot the moves. When she asked whether the crowd wanted “Ma Itach Aba” or “Yalda Shel Emunah,” the stadium roared back.

Musically, the review said her catalog is now strong enough that the cover songs felt unnecessary, even though she included “Bati Lehatzil Otach” and a short part of “Let Her Go.” Guest appearances by Noam Beiton, Gal Adam, and Bar Tzabari were pleasant but underused, with “Johnny” noted as a missed chance. Odeya also spoke about a conversation with God, saying, “A few weeks ago I had a conversation with God that He doesn’t love me enough. Then you understand what a genius He is, how He makes everything precise,” and said that experience inspired “Hashem Ya’azor,” the title track of her new album. The piece added that since October 7, her faith-based pop has resonated more broadly, and that her Ramat Gan show turned the field into her home ground and created a rare sense of belonging.