📍 3TEN — Feb. 18, 2026
Written by Clinton Camper
There’s something special about watching an artist step into their first-ever headlining tour, and Ella Red made it clear from the moment she hit the stage at 3TEN that this era means everything to her.
The night opened with Peggy, who immediately felt like a character pulled from a storybook. Dressed in a white Renaissance-style gown, with pixie-red hair, wide expressive eyes, and undeniable theater-kid energy, she gave fairy-core meets drama-club-in-the-best-way. Very Tinker Bell-coded. Very earnest. A charming way to set the tone.
Then the room went dark.
The intro was all drums, lights, and tension — heavy, dramatic, and ominous — before Ella emerged looking like a pink ballerina dropped into a gothic dream sequence. Soft visuals, sharp contrast, instant attention. It worked.
Ella spent much of the set nervously chatting with the crowd, and it was genuinely endearing. Not awkward — just honest. You could feel how big this moment was for her. She casually mentioned that she made all the dresses for the tour herself, which somehow made the whole night feel even more personal, like we were being invited into her creative world instead of just watching from afar.
One of the most affecting moments of the night came during “Cupid.” Before playing, Ella shared that she originally thought she was writing the song about herself, only to realize it was actually about her younger sister, who was going through what felt like the biggest heartbreak of her life at the time. While telling the story, Ella started crying — and when she began to sing, she was visibly choked up, emotional, and vulnerable throughout the entire performance. It was raw, tender, and completely disarming.
Family energy filled the room. Ella pointed out several relatives in the crowd, including her nana, who was seeing her perform live for the very first time. Moments like that gave the night a warmth that balanced out the darker themes threaded through the set.
Musically, the show moved confidently between eerie, confrontational tracks like “Predator,” “He Asked For It,” and “Funeral,” and more intimate, reflective moments during the acoustic performances of “Cupid” and “Always the Artist.”The setlist felt intentional and theatrical, with a clear emotional arc rather than just a run of songs.
Setlist highlights included:
Parasite
Ball and Chain
We’re All Gonna Die
Funeral
Predator
Party Animal
Aphrodite
Cupid (Acoustic)
Religion
Alice
Spider String
The encore brought it home with “It’s Not Real” and “I Like You Best,” leaving the crowd buzzing but grounded — the kind of ending that feels gentle without being forgettable.
Ella Red’s first headlining tour stop in Austin felt intimate, emotional, and carefully crafted. She’s clearly still stepping into the spotlight, but that vulnerability is part of what makes her compelling. At 3TEN, she didn’t just perform — she let us in.