On November 21, 2025, the O2 Arena in London pulsed with anticipation as Radiohead returned home for their first UK show in nearly a decade. For fans, the night was a long-awaited reunion with the Oxfordshire legends—Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, and Philip Selway—who last graced a British stage 99 months earlier, according to BBC. The event marked the opening of a four-night London residency, part of a rare tour that had already seen stops in Madrid and Bologna, with Copenhagen and Berlin still to come.
The atmosphere before showtime was electric, with a multi-generational crowd—middle-aged devotees, teenagers, and families—debating the best vantage point. The band’s decision to perform in the round, with the stage set at the center of the arena and initially shrouded by pulsing panels, only heightened the sense of occasion. As Variety reported, the panels lit up section by section, stoking cheers from every corner until the band finally emerged, still hidden, to the opening notes of “Planet Telex.” It wasn’t until midway through the second song, “2+2=5”—a track originally written in 2003 as a reaction to George W. Bush’s “War on Terror” and, as BBC noted, now charged with renewed urgency—that the panels lifted to reveal the group in full.
This innovative stage design, with microphones at both ends and band members rotating positions, ensured there truly was no bad seat in the house. Thom Yorke, dressed in casual denim and radiating energy, prowled the stage with glee, switching sides and instruments, and showing off his signature, almost salsa-like dance moves during “15 Step” and “Kid A.” As Variety described it, Yorke’s stage presence was “magnetic and enthralling,” even as he kept his banter to a minimum—save for a few “pleased to meet you” and “thank you very much” asides.
Yet, there were moments of humor and humanity. Before launching into the encore, Yorke quipped, “Whenever you’re ready,” adopting the tone of a patient schoolteacher waiting for the crowd to settle. BBC highlighted this as a rare flash of levity from the frontman, a nod to the years of anticipation and the almost surreal reality of Radiohead’s return.
Musically, the band sifted through their entire discography, from the arena anthems of 1994’s The Bends to the layered electronics of Kid A—which celebrated its 25th anniversary that night—and the celestial ballads of A Moon Shaped Pool. The setlist was a carefully curated journey, with Variety noting that, aside from their 1993 debut Pablo Honey, the band drew evenly from their catalog. Dedicated fans had tracked the evolving setlists on Reddit, searching for patterns and surprises, and tonight’s show delivered subtle shifts: “Lucky” and “Bloom” swapped places, “Idioteque” returned to its usual slot, and “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” appeared later in the set than ever before.
Despite a few minor timing and tuning hiccups—perhaps the result of opening night jitters in a new venue, as BBC observed—the band’s technical prowess shone through. The addition of US session percussionist Chris Vatalaro added fresh energy, especially during the extended, percussive outro of “Sit Down, Stand Up.” Radiohead’s rhythm section, long considered their “secret sauce,” powered the night, with Colin Greenwood’s prowling bass on “The National Anthem” and Selway’s intricate beats on “Idioteque” giving the audience reason to jump, sway, or simply nod in communal appreciation.
It wasn’t just the band’s performance that felt different; the crowd itself defied expectations. Despite viral hits like “Let Down” and “No Surprises” introducing Radiohead to a new generation via TikTok, the audience was notably light on phone usage. As Variety described, “it was probably one of the least phone-crazed concerts I’ve been to all year, giving the show a real community feel.” Instead of screens, there were singalongs and shared moments—especially during the encore, when the crowd’s voices soared over Yorke’s on “Fake Plastic Trees.”
The encore was, by all accounts, the emotional high point. Seven songs—“Fake Plastic Trees,” “Let Down,” “Paranoid Android,” “You and Whose Army?,” “A Wolf at the Door,” “Just,” and “Karma Police”—spanned the band’s 90s heyday and beyond. Introducing “Just,” Yorke reflected, “This is one we wrote on a freezing cold farm in 1994, when we thought maybe this wouldn’t go anywhere. We thought, ‘Fuck it, let’s just write this one song.’” It’s a story that resonates even more given the group’s complicated recent history: years of side projects, personal challenges, and rumors that a reunion might never happen. As BBC reported, the tour was seen by many as an act of healing, with Yorke admitting, “We haven’t thought past the tour. I’m just stunned we got this far.”
Indeed, the symbolism of playing in the round—packed “like sardines in a crushed tin can,” as BBC put it—was not lost on anyone. It evoked a return to the rehearsal room, a sense of creative camaraderie that had sometimes seemed in doubt. The band’s chemistry was evident: Yorke and Jonny Greenwood faced off with dueling guitars during “Jigsaw Falling Into Place,” and Yorke and Ed O’Brien traded hollered lyrics during “Idioteque.” Even as the group reportedly had separate dressing rooms for the first time in their career, on stage they were united, feeding off each other and the audience’s energy.
The full setlist for the night, as meticulously chronicled by both Variety and BBC, bore witness to the band’s enduring range and appeal: “Planet Telex,” “2+2=5,” “Sit Down. Stand Up,” “Lucky,” “Bloom,” “15 Step,” “The Gloaming,” “Kid A,” “No Surprises,” “Videotape,” “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” “Idioteque,” “Everything in Its Right Place,” “The National Anthem,” “Daydreaming,” “Jigsaw Falling Into Place,” “Bodysnatchers,” and “There There,” before the cathartic encore.
For the thousands who queued for the Tube home, still singing “Karma Police” into the night, the message was clear: Radiohead’s return was not just a nostalgic victory lap, but a reaffirmation of their unique place in modern music. Whether this tour leads to new material or further reunions remains uncertain, but for one unforgettable night in London, everything truly felt in its right place.
