Pre-sale tickets were on sale for fans who had signed up to her website and an additional seven dates were added to the original 15, due to the high demand.

Bush spent three days in a flotation tank for filmed scenes that were played during the performance,[6] and featured dialogue written by novelist David Mitchell.

Parts of the show told stories based on two Bush song-suites – "The Ninth Wave" from Hounds of Love and "A Sky of Honey" from Aerial.

She has an almost out-of-body experience, observing herself as though under ice, seeing her family without her, and imagining entering Earth's atmosphere until she is found; survival has given her a new appreciation of love and life.

The Evening Standard gave the opening show five stars out of five, commenting: "[an] extraordinary mix of magical ideas, stunning visuals, attention to detail and remarkable music ... she was so obviously, so unambiguously brilliant, made last night something to tell the grandchildren about.

Bush's first four albums and The Sensual World were excluded from the set list, though a recording of "Never Be Mine" (supposedly from initial rehearsals) is included on the CD and LP releases.