Photo: Chris Polk for iHeartRadio/Getty Images/Brian Friedman for iHeartRadio
It’s hard not to embrace festivity once December rolls around, and iHeartRadio is all about welcoming the holiday season with open arms. Just take a look at our annual Jingle Ball Tour, which brings together some of the biggest names in music like Bruno Mars, Britney Spears and Justin Bieber.
On Friday (December 2), the trio as well as acts like Fifth Harmony, Diplo and Meghan Trainor took to the Los Angeles stop of the trek for an evening of hit tunes and must-see moments. Take a look at some of the biggest highlights from our Staples Center show.
Photo: Chris Polk for iHeartRadio
Ryan Seacrest Surprises Birthday Girl Britney Spears On Stage
Britney Spears celebrated her 35th birthday by treating the audience to a performance of her greatest hits, as well as a surprise collaboration with Tinashe on their duet “Slumber Party.” After her set featuring live renditions of "Womanizer," "I'm A Slave 4 U," "Toxic,” "Make Me," and more, Ryan Seacrest and the rest of the KIIS crew surprised the pop star with a black-and-pink birthday cake topped with a sparkler.
Justin Bieber Covers Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” And Drops “Cold Water” Acoustic
On the heels of a very exhausting world tour, Justin Bieber still managed give it his all to close out Jingle Ball. The pop star graced the stage with a bevy of backup dancers to entertain the crowd with “Where Are Ü Now,” “Sorry,” “What Do U Mean?” and many more. He also blindsided the audience when he picked up an acoustic guitar and briefly performed his tender rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” as well as his six-string version of “Cold Water.”
Photo: Getty Images
Bruno Mars Previewed His “24K Magic” World Tour
R&B-pop crooner Bruno Mars opened KIIS FM’s sold-out Jingle Ball with a performance of his greatest hits, beginning with his latest single “24K Magic” off his third studio record of the same name. For his spectacular, Mars and his backup band, The Hooligans, gave the audience a taste of what his forthcoming “24K Magic World Tour” will be like by delivering an explosive, dance-heavy set featuring his throwback bangers.
Photo: Brian Friedman for iHeartRadio
Diplo Gives Crowd a Free Workout
In between making the arena shake with his bass-heavy mixes of Major Lazer's "Boom," Rae Sremmurd's "Black Beatles," Kanye West's "Power,"Rihanna's "Work," his Jack Ü hit "Where Are Ü Now," and more, DJ Diplo instructed the crowd to do jumping jacks in their seats.
When Diplo was away from his pyrotechnic-fueled stage, he was photographed hanging out with Fifth Harmony’s Camila Cabello backstage. Their run-in continues to perpetuate rumors of a forthcoming collaboration, which first started when the two documented their time in the studio together on Snapchat.
Photo: Getty Images
Niall Horan Performs His Debut Single “This Town” And Promises New Music Soon
Since the unveiling of the Jingle Ball lineup, there were a lot of speculation as to what One Direction’s Niall Horan may offer at his Jingle Ball set -- considering his only track as a standalone act is his acoustic ballad “This Town.” Although the Irish singer’s performance was only three minutes long, his vulnerable performance was enough to put the crowd in an everlasting trance. After his brief performance, Horan humbly acknowledged his one-song performance and promised more music in the near future.
"Los Angeles, thank you so much,” he said. “That's all I've got for you for now, but next time I come back, I promise I'll have a few more tunes to play for you."
Photo: Getty Images
Alessia Cara Offers Up A New “Here” Verse
Alessia debut single is pretty recognizable upon first listen, but the 20-year-old starlet offered the live audience something special when she treated them to a new verse from the cut. Towards the bridge of the song, the singer offered up a fast-spitting rap, which can only lead us to believe that she’s been to another one of those awful parties in recent months. Truth be told, she’s performed this addition on tour before, but it’s still surreal to hear a budding star admit that the industry might not be for her.
Photo: Andrew Swartz for iHeartRadio