The special drew favourable reviews from critics, who praised Adele's voice and performing skills and the choice of the Griffith Observatory as the venue, but some criticised the interview segment.

[7][8] The special was divided into two parts: a live concert filmed at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and Adele's interview with Winfrey at the latter's home in Montecito, California.

Vanessa Friedman of The New York Times, who thought a white pantsuit was "the single garment most associated with women's liberation and empowerment on the public stage", interpreted this outfit as a political message.

Its Live+same day count added a viewership of 1.3 million, surpassing the 93rd Academy Awards in April 2021, and making it the most-viewed entertainment special since CBS's Oprah with Meghan and Harry (2021).

[24] Caroline Framke of Variety believed that though the views of the observatory were stunning, their impact was greatly enhanced by Adele's vocal performance: "She reminded the world why she's become such an icon, in a purer sense of the word than corporate Twitter accounts now use it.

[26] Writing for Vulture, Jen Chaney thought it occupied a "rarefied air" due to its massive production value, but Adele's voice and performing ability powered through it and reminded listeners why they missed her.

[9] Los Angeles Times's Lorraine Ali described the interview as "uneventful and distinctly nonrevealing", but she was positive about the proposal during the show and thought Adele's interaction with her son onstage displayed the most vulnerability.

[28] Ed Power of The Telegraph shared a similar opinion, and wrote that she was "an enigma who refused to be unlocked" and held back during the interview, but he praised the performances and the observatory as the location of choice.

Club, Lily Moayeri believed the constant switching between the interview and performance demanded "too much of a mood swing from viewers", but she appreciated Adele's charisma and the musical segment.