How to Train Your Dragon 2 in Concert at The Glasshouse – Review

Review by Michael Dunwell

There are certain films that feel as though they were made to be experienced with a live orchestra. I already loved the soundtrack for How To Train Your Dragon 2, but watching it unfold on a cinema-sized screen while the Northern Sinfonia performed John Powell’s score live was something else entirely. It’s one thing to enjoy a film at home, but hearing that music performed right in front of you takes the whole experience to another level.

We headed down to The Glasshouse last Wednesday for another of their brilliant film/orchestra performances. It’s quickly becoming one of my favourite things to attend at the venue. There’s always a lovely atmosphere before these screenings, with a mixture of people who have grown up with the films, lifelong fans and younger audiences experiencing them in a completely different way. It’s really nice seeing all those different generations brought together by a shared love of a film and the Glasshouse does an excellent job of keeping everyone safe and excited.

For anyone who hasn’t seen it, the How to Train Your Dragon 2 story picks up five years after Hiccup and Toothless changed the relationship between Vikings and dragons on the island of Berk. Now living peacefully alongside their dragons, Hiccup and his friends have begun exploring the wider world. But when they discover a mysterious dragon sanctuary and encounter antagonist Drago Bludvist, their understanding of dragons, family and their own place in the world is challenged. It’s a brilliant sequel, I would argue one of the best sequels ever made, not just among the animated, and John Powell’s soundtrack is a huge part of why it works so well.

The biggest compliment I can give the Royal Northern Sinfonia is that I kept having to remind myself that I wasn’t simply listening to the original film soundtrack. Every musical cue landed exactly where it needed to. The quieter, more intimate moments had just as much impact as the enormous orchestral sequences, and the musicians captured every emotional beat of the film beautifully.

Without spoiling too much, the final musical moments, particularly the return of that iconic Test Flight theme, were absolutely breathtaking. Hearing those familiar melodies performed live, with the orchestra building towards the final crescendo, it had me and my partner overwhelmed and close to weeping. I cannot successfully write the feeling down in words, you just have to see it for yourself. I can safely say I’ll never watch How to Train Your Dragon 2 any other way again.

If you’ve been considering attending one of these screenings but aren’t sure whether it’s worth it, take the plunge. Even if you’ve watched the film dozens of times (like me), experiencing it with a live orchestra completely changes the way you appreciate it. And it looks like there’s another brilliant opportunity coming up, with Home Alone set to receive the film/orchestra treatment at The Glasshouse this Christmas. If you’re thinking about going, get yourself a ticket. You won’t regret it!

Read our original concert preview.

More films with live orchestras at The Glasshouse

If Michael’s review has tempted you to try a film with a live orchestra, The Glasshouse has more screenings coming up this Christmas:

• Home Alone in Concert – 5–6 December 2026. Royal Northern Sinfonia performs John Williams’ score alongside the Christmas classic.
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Live in Concert – 20 December 2026, 2pm and 7.30pm.
• Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert – 22 December 2026, 2pm and 7.30pm.
• The Snowman in Concert – 23–24 December 2026, with Royal Northern Sinfonia and a young North East soloist performing Walking in the Air.

Read more in our guide to The Glasshouse’s Christmas programme, or check the official venue calendar for tickets and the latest information.