By Casey Brockbank
Photo Credit: @BETHANMILLERCO
There are some moments as a fan that you spend years imagining, only to find that the reality exceeds any expectations you ever had. After ten years of watching their career evolve entirely online and waiting for the day I felt ready to brave seeing them headline a festival, I found myself standing in the crowd at the final day of All Points East awaiting Twenty One Pilots’ first, and only, UK performance in 2026.
Aside from the Pilots, the day’s lineup was full to the brim of killer acts spanning across alternative, rock and indie music. As well as the likes of Ren, BBNO$, half.alive, Wunderhorse and PVRIS, the lineup had Artio, Dead Pony and Noahfinnce. These are artists who featured on Blurryface Reborn, a record that saw rising acts put their own spin on songs from Twenty One Pilots’ Blurryface. It certainly was a day of celebrating all things alt.
The entire park was themed around the GRAMMY Award-winning Ohio duo so much that it felt more of a standalone Twenty One Pilots show than a mere headline slot at an annual UK festival. Despite only touring their most recent album, Breach, in the US last year, it became very apparent that they were extending this experience to London. They’d transported every bit of band memorabilia over for their Fan Premier Exhibit. Bandito Camp made a comeback, a space where fans can congregate, sign a ‘London’ flag that would be carried by drummer Josh Dun later in the show, and dip themselves into the infamous ‘Blurryface’ paint. It was as if they were hinting to us from the get go that this was going to be a special one.
From the day it was announced up until the pre-show call of “What’s your ETA? 2 minutes!”, the anticipation was real. Their APE slot was over two hours, 45 minutes longer than they had previously done at festivals, meaning there was time for additional songs. There was a flowing buzz of adrenaline throughout the crowd as fans nervously waited for a set where nobody knew what exactly was going to happen.
I’ve seen countless artists live, and the opening notes of 2024 track Overcompensate will always be the best build-up to the start of a show I’ve ever experienced. Nothing hits the same as sharing a moment with Josh Dun behind the kit before singer Tyler Joseph, in his Clancy attire, vaults over his piano right on the beat with an explosion of pyro.
Two songs in and Joseph is already amongst the fans. For Breach’s lead single The Contract, he is standing on a platform held up by a small group at the centre barricade. With his famous red wired microphone, he has the crowd putty in his hands, the masses of festivalgoers screaming every word in unison.
One commendable thing about the duo’s setlist was that it appealed to both new listeners and longtime fans, drawing heavily from albums Breach, Blurryface, Clancy and Trench. From the crashout-worthy Center Mass to the infectiously bouncy Shy Away, and Heathens from Suicide Squad, which segued seamlessly into Next Semester, they certainly did their discography justice.
Twenty One Pilots love their covers, and this night was no exception. You wouldn’t think that the Pilots’ One Way would remix well with Milky Chance’s Stolen Dance, but with an alter in tempo and a smooth transition, Joseph and Dun make it work. Instead of Joseph taking the lead, it’s a joint vocal effort between the two. Dun has only very recently made the move to sing on stage alongside his bandmate, and I can’t believe we’ve been concealed from these dreamy vocals for so long.
Next came, arguably, the biggest surprise of the night. We fans were anticipating a live debut from Breach, but Robot Voices was on nobody’s radar. As soon as I heard Joseph begin to tease the song on the piano, I turned to the people around me and screamed “IT’S ROBOT VOICES!”, but no one believed me. Lo and behold, he humbly asked the crowd, “Is it okay if we play a song for you we’ve never played before?”, to which he received an uproar of encouragement. A wholesome touch to this moment was that Emi Grace joined them onstage, who played her own support slot at the festival earlier in the day, and who has recently been signed on Joseph’s own record label, ARRO Records. It’s refreshing to be a fan of a band who celebrates upcoming creatives. Following this debut, the American band paid homage to British music culture with a rendition of The Beatles’ Let It Be.
After a crowd walk soundtracked to Routines In The Night, the duo made their way to a second stage further back in the audience. A car sat ablaze as Joseph launched into Message Man, smearing himself with black ‘Blurryface’ paint asa snippet of Pet Cheetah crept into the setlist. This theatrical sequence concluded with Polarize, the Spanish lyric “Domingo en fuego” feeling very apt, considering Sunday was very much on fire. Blurryface had her moment and I’m so glad I was there for it.
On the way back to the main stage, it was time for Chlorine. Dun, as Torchbearer, carried the ‘London’ flag signed by the Bandito Campers. Shortly afterwards, a group of fans dressed as Ned, the beloved horned furry creature from the Twenty One Pilots universe, joined Joseph for the second verse. A memory they will all cherish, for sure.
A large curtain then lifted for the final act, revealing the infrastructure of the city Dema. The catharsis continued as the Pilots played the headbanging Jumpsuit, with a hint of City Walls inserted in the bridge. Fan favourites Nico and the Niners and Heavydirtysoul came next, with flames not only engulfing the main stage but also erupting from pyro towers positioned deep in the crowd.
The ‘jocals’ (Josh Dun vocals) made a return with Drum Show, a unique song in their discography dedicated to the drummer’s feelings about playing music very loud when he’s driving to drown out thoughts. Dun made his way to a specially constructed tower next to the main stage, accompanied by Joseph singing a snippet of Radiohead’s Creep. He finished Drum Show by showcasing his dynamic skills with a beat too fast for the naked eye to catch. I love that while Joseph is the lead singer, he is not the frontman. Both him and Dun are equals and have their times to shine during their shows.
After a playful time interacting with the crowd and security during RAWFEAR, the vibe took a complete shift.The first spits of rain came down just as the oh-so-brilliantly-ambient Drag Path kicked in. Usually rain is something to shelter from, but with such a song playing, it felt better to embrace the weather as it wholeheartedly enhanced the atmosphere.
Following the TikTok viral Doubt (demo), which never fails to be fun live, was smash hit Ride. For this one, Joseph invited security guard Lucas on stage to sing the final chorus. On the surface, it was a man who was merely working that day who was dragged up on stage. However, Lucas later took to social media to say singing in front of thousands of people who were chanting his name made him realise how much he wanted to become an artist. Just one reason out of many why Twenty One Pilots’ music changes lives.
Since watching the band’s performance at 2025’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I knew I had to experience their cover of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army live myself. That time finally arrived, and it did not disappoint. The whole crowd, hardcore fans and casual listeners alike, came together for an international banger. It is remarkable how these two musicians can create an atmosphere that feels universally shared. The set’s relentless pace maintained during the next song, Tally, the crowd’s energy levels soaring and showing no signs of slowing down.
Normally, the band would conclude their festival set as they were approaching 90 minutes. But this set still had 35 minutes left, so they added in two of my favourite songs, much to my delight.
First was Downstairs, a 14 year old deep-cut demo that hadn’t seen the light of day until Breach was released. The rain, a paid actor, transformed from a slight spit to a consistent drizzle by this point, and again the ambience was unmatched. The second was Guns For Hands, my first favourite song of theirs, so it felt like a personal full circle moment. A surprising addition was that the band displayed their original Vessel logo on the stage’s backdrop, which was incredibly nostalgic.
Much to everyone’s dismay that it was ending, the show came to a conclusion with signature closers Stressed Out and Trees, everyone coming together for one last time. There really is no better way to end a Pilots show – Dun and Joseph pounding away at their drums balanced above a sea of fans. All hands raised, voices screaming, and tears running.
And right on cue, after Joseph’s customary “We’re Twenty One Pilots and so are you. We’ll see you next time. Peace,” the heavens absolutely opened and the entire crowd was showered on. What a way to make a sad moment even sadder.
Twenty One Pilots smashed their All Points East set out of the park, their setlist including elements of their 2025 Breach tour and their 2026 festival run. With a live debut, surprise guests, a car set ablaze, Josh Dun perched atop a tower and plenty of crowd interactions, they made the show just as much ours as it was theirs. The precision, speed and teamwork displayed by the crew in executing the visuals, sound and production deserves a round of applause in itself.
To be surrounded by thousands of fans who get this band just as I do, I felt right at home. I’ve spent ten years wondering what this would feel like. Now I know.
Text Copyright 2026 © Casey Brockbank/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Photography Copyright 2026 © as credited within the article.
Alexandra Pullen 
Ella Bradbury