LIVE REVIEWS
“It’s gonna be a long night, motherfuckers!” – we’ve heard this tale before from Dave Grohl. Gargantuan, three-hour shows have been Foo Fighters’ bread and butter for a number of years, justifying what would normally be an obscenely early stage time of 7.30pm in Manchester tonight – there’s a lot to pack in.
Sixteen years after the UK granted them their first shot at a stadium, their return marks the country’s second biggest tour all summer, topped only by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. The common theme, it appears, is the marathon approach – packing ten albums’ worth of material into one giant spectacle.
‘Monkey Wrench’ unexpectedly opens the set, helping invigorate a modest crowd who, to be fair, have been drenched in the Manchester rain all afternoon. Windswept and scruffy, Grohl screams through his trademark long hair, joking how a haircut might be imminent: “I’m gonna look like fucking Gandalf in three years.”
New drummer Josh Freese appears comfortably settled, keeping a relatively low profile to let Grohl’s masterful showmanship take centre stage. Putting his own spin on things rather than trying to emulate the late, great Taylor Hawkins, the fast and furious bridge in ‘All My Life’ is wickedly fresh, considering the track is on its umpteenth time around the block. The set is refreshingly slick, with less story time from Grohl than usual – though the temptation to drag ‘The Pretender’ out is too hard to resist.
Front-loading the set with greatest hits, the deep cut selection is exquisite. ‘Generator’ and ‘Arlandria’ prove a raspier Grohl hasn’t lost a smidge of his emotional edge, while ‘Under You’ receives an acoustic rendition on the runway. We’re treated to an unreleased number titled ‘Unconditional’, an old demo dragged out from the vaults which slots courteously into the show, albeit difficult to unpick amidst the majestic wall of sound.
Quite possibly their defining stadium-rock number, ‘Best Of You’ continues to be world-class, lifting Old Trafford into another stratosphere. Its chant outlasts the encore and continues into the tram station and beyond – its power to unite thousands more prevalent than ever. During closer ‘Everlong’, Grohl’s broken guitar gives him a chance to momentarily morph into Bono and frolic around the stage – mic in hand – just another charming trait to add to the CV of the nicest man in rock.
Approaching thirty years as a band, Foo Fighters have adapted in the face of any adversity, ensuring their stadium show remains cohesive, exemplary and simply untouchable. While others from their time might begin to creep towards legacy act territory, Foo Fighters remain as relevant and imperious as ever – they’re only going to need even more stadiums to fill.
Foo Fighters played:
‘Monkey Wrench’
‘Learn To Fly’
‘No Son Of Mine’
‘Rescued’
‘The Pretender’
‘Times Like These’
‘Generator’
‘Stacked Actors’
‘Medicine At Midnight’
‘Walk’
‘Statues’
‘Under You’
‘My Hero’
‘This Is A Call’
‘The Sky Is A Neighbourhood’
‘Arlandria’
‘These Days’
‘All My Life’
‘Unconditional’
‘Aurora’
‘Best Of You’
‘The Teacher’
‘Everlong’
LIVE REVIEWS
The closing hours of Reading 2026 have finally arrived. Florence + The Machine brought the rain during ‘Dog Days Are Over’ at The Grid, opening the heavens and leaving the festival site completely soaked. The weary fans who have stayed behind are wet, exhausted and clearly feeling the effects of the weekend. What they need now is one final enormous celebration to make the wait worthwhile.
The Gallery tent comes alive as the speakers blast ‘Favourite’ by Friday’s headliners and fellow countrymen Fontaines D.C., receiving the kind of reaction usually reserved for ‘Mr Brightside’ at a drunken wedding reception. Moments later, Kneecap display their familiar statement accusing Israel of carrying out genocide against the people of Palestine and Lebanon, with support from the UK government. It captures the Belfast rap trio perfectly, combining serious political messages with an unapologetic party atmosphere.
“We use our platform to talk about what we believe is right,” Mo Chara explains during the performance, before recognising those who “aren’t so fucking lucky” and whose voices have been suppressed. He soon encourages the audience to roar “fuck Netanyahu” and “free free Palestine”. Later, he starts a powerful chant of “Aaaaaa-ndy Buuurn-ham’s a waaaaaaan-ker” to the melody of ‘Seven Nation Army’, targeting our new Prime Minister over his claim that “a united Ireland is off the table”. Laughing, he asks: “The BBC won’t broadcast that, or will they?” As it turned out, they did not.
Away from the headlines and the controversy, there is no denying the connection Kneecap have built with their audience. Politics may shape the conversation, but the crowd also came to enjoy themselves, ready for a rave after the rally. The performance begins carefully with the heavy rumble of ‘Smugglers & Scholars’, before exploding during the Grian Chatten collaboration ‘Better Way To Live’ and the threatening energy of ‘Sick In The Head’. “Are ya ready for a mad one?” Mo Chara shouts. The response is already obvious.
The atmosphere becomes increasingly chaotic as the hip hop rhythm of ‘Cold At The Top’ and the hypnotic trance sounds of ‘An Ra’ send the entire tent into motion. The trio jokingly thank the UK for everything it has given Ireland, listing UKIP, fish and chips, a mental health crisis, Jimmy Saville, HP Sauce and Bloody Sunday. However, the show reaches another level once the second half begins. The explosive ‘Sayonara’ brings the ‘beef’ to ‘IBEEFA’, while ‘Get Your Brits Out’ and ‘Guilty Conscience’ give the crowd every reason to obey Móglaí Bap’s demand to “oooopen up the piiiiiit”.
Anyone watching closely may have questioned why the cameras continued to focus on Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara. The pair eventually reveal that they have spent recent weeks performing alongside a “provisional” DJ Próvai. Wearing the familiar tricolour balaclava, the temporary replacement handles his role as the crowd agitator with confidence while their bandmate enjoys some paternity leave. “Some things are more important than music, and that’s family,” they explain. How sweet. Móglaí Bap quickly destroys the tender moment by adding: “As you might know, the Brits took all our potatoes from Ireland; they took all our cocaine,” before declaring, “but we still have all our caaandy.” The group then charge directly into one of the biggest tracks ever written about extremely powerful ketamine.
‘Liar’s Tale’ sparks another huge reaction with its response to Keir Starmer, “genocide armer”, while the group warn that “you’re not getting away with doing nothing”. It is a politically charged message hidden inside an irresistible anthem from musicians who have experienced the “belly of the beast” through the legal system. Their latest album, ‘Fenian’, has helped Kneecap fully embrace the celebration that has always been part of their identity. Their live production now feels capable of filling arenas, blending the intimacy of a late night lock in with the rhythmic force and visual scale of The Chemical Brothers, the reckless electronic punk spirit of The Prodigy, and the fearless political honesty of Public Enemy. The spectacular visuals complete the experience.
Kneecap fans at Reading 2026. Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Kneecap fans at Reading 2026. Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Closing with the powerful combination of ‘Fenian’, ‘H.O.O.D.’ and the enormous ‘The Recap’, Kneecap bring our final celebration at Reading to a thrilling conclusion while also finishing their last festival appearance of the summer. “It’s been a pleasure to spend it with you mad c**ts,” Mo Chara says before leaving the stage. The feeling is mutual.
Return to NME here for the newest reports, reviews, photographs, conversations and further coverage from Reading & Leeds 2026.
