LIVE REVIEWS
Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Grand National tour is a strange beast. It should feel like a victory lap for the Compton king after his flawless sixth album ‘GNX’ – and a menacing win in his beef with Drake – cemented his status as the most popular rapper around. His musical sister, too, is riding high – she’s made her acting debut in the buddy comedy One Of Them Days and delivered her jam-packed ‘Lana’, a deluxe extension of her acclaimed ‘SOS’ album.
The format of the show, though, means things take on a different feel. It’s simultaneously brutal and delicate, constantly switching between the two artists and splitting the setlist into a jagged collage. One minute, you’re getting scorched by Lamar’s firestorm – hot venom flying through the air as he performs with his chest out. The next, you’re floating in SZA’s dreamy garden. The shifts are so abrupt, it’s full-on sonic whiplash – and this relentless toggling robs both artists of truly showcasing their brilliance and, instead, jolts us repeatedly between two very different universes.
Lamar immediately builds the energy to electric levels, bringing raw power to his first act. ‘Wacced Out Murals’ hits like acid spit, ‘Squabble Up’ snarls, and ‘King Kunta’ swaggers in defiant funk. Even a half-played ‘TV Off’ has the crowd delirious. SZA enters, rising through the floor in her own leafy Buick, giving a first glimpse of her and K.Dot’s sibling chemistry on ‘30 For 30’, but some of their connection is lost due to the nature of the 62,000-capacity stadium. Vocals echo and bass wobbles, dissipating through the open roof, sometimes muffling the moments that deserved to land hardest.
When SZA takes over for Act II, she does so with a lush, kaleidoscopic set full of ‘CTRL’ nostalgia. ‘Love Galore’, ‘Broken Clocks’, and ‘The Weekend’ all are sprinkled with a soft, smoky ache as she and her dancers float with effortless grace. But these beautiful moments are brief cinematic respites for the rage core that soon bubbles up when she hands the baton back to Lamar.
Back in the spotlight, the rapper unleashes his devastating arsenal of floor-shaking hits for the third and fifth acts. He’s petty, performing his initial Drake diss ‘Euphoria’ in full, before turning to crowd favourites ‘Humble’ and ‘Family Ties’ (minus cousin Baby Keem). Shockwaves ripple through the arena, energy building like a pressure cooker until it explodes. Mosh pits erupt and frenzied bodies collide in joyous chaos, every slam feeling like a communal victory.
It’s sad that SZA’s subsequent acts then drop the pace dramatically, ushering us back into her world of creepy crawlies as she goes on a journey of metamorphosis. The stadium witnesses her turn into a beautiful butterfly – if the screen doesn’t obstruct your view, at least. The fiery momentum of Lamar’s segments might come undone in this serene space, but SZA offers a chance to breathe, even if it does feel disorienting at times.
It’s a given that ‘Not Like Us’ is the apex of the night’s energy. As soon as the beat drops, the whole stadium screams every iconic line with a roar fit for a winning Championship goal. The encore, though, provides the true highlight of the night. After the crowd thins, Lamar and SZA reappear together – no fireworks, no pyrotechnics; just two voices, raw and vulnerable.
Basked in a hazy white glow, they deliver versions of ‘Luther’ and ‘Gloria’ with breathtaking tenderness. It’s a rare moment of collective softness after a sprawling, disjointed spectacle – proof of what the show could have been if the music had been allowed to breathe, to speak for itself. In London tonight, two stars collide, but even greatness can struggle to find the perfect balance.
Act I: Kendrick Lamar
‘Wacced Out Murals’
‘Squabble Up’
‘King Kunta’
‘ELEMENT.’
‘TV Off’
Act II: SZA
‘30 for 30’
‘What Do I Do’
‘Love Galore’
‘Broken Clocks’
‘The Weekend’
Act III: Kendrick Lamar
‘Euphoria’
‘Hey Now’
‘Reincarnated’
‘Humble.’
‘Backseat Freestyle’
‘Family Ties’
‘Swimming Pools’
‘m.A.A.d city’
‘Alright’
‘Man at the Garden’
Act IV: SZA
‘Scorsese Baby Daddy’
‘F2F’
‘Garden’
‘Kitchen’
‘Blind’
‘Consideration’
‘Low’
Act V: Kendrick Lamar & SZA
‘Doves in the Wind’
‘All the Stars’
‘LOVE.’
Act VI: Kendrick Lamar
‘Dodger Blue’
‘Peekaboo’
‘Like That’
‘DNA.’
‘Good Credit’
‘Count Me Out’ / ‘Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe’
‘Money Trees’
‘Poetic Justice’
Act VII: SZA
‘I Hate U’
‘Shirt’
‘Kill Bill’
‘Snooze’
‘Crybaby’
‘Nobody Gets Me’
‘Good Days’
‘Rich Baby Daddy’
‘BMF’
‘Kiss Me More’
Act VIII: Kendrick Lamar
‘N95’
‘TV Off’
‘Not Like Us’
Act IX: Kendrick Lamar & SZA (Encore)
‘Luther’
‘Gloria’
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.
