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System Of A Down are a force of nature. A defining voice in rock and metal’s outward expansion, the group have defied time and tide, finding a renewed audience amongst Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Of course, nothing has actually changed. Blessed with an extraordinary catalogue, System Of A Down have kept on doing what they do best – caustic, surreal, personal, and politics, they make music unlike any of their peers.

Taking their latest international tour to London, the band announce – and promptly sold out – two nights at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Joined by the indefatigable rock force that is Queens Of The Stone Age, it was a bill of dreams.

Rising to the occasion, System Of A Down delivered a performance of crushing intensity, a set of such incisive power that the foundations of the North London stadium threatened to rip apart from the Earth.

Seven years is a long time to wait, but on the first of two sold-out nights at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, BTS made it clear that time has not changed their connection with arguably the loudest fandom on earth.

Around 63,000 fans packed the stands and the sprawling X-shaped floor stage for the London leg of the Arirang tour – the group’s first UK stadium show since Wembley in 2019, and their first time in the city as a full group since completing their mandatory military service.

And the welcome back couldn’t be warmer – long before a single member stepped out, the stadium had already made its love noticed from the fanchants rolling through, a Mexican wave circling the seats, and lightsticks up and ready to be used.

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That noise only grew once JIN, RM, SUGA, J-HOPE, JIMIN, V and JUNGKOOK opened with ‘Hooligan’, the seven of them in matrix-sharp outfits and surrounded by a deafening mix of sing-along and screams of adoration.

‘Aliens’ and a ‘Run BTS’ remix followed, and ‘they don’t know ’bout us’ leaned into the night’s strongest visual conceit – dancers moving in sync with on-stage screens, each formation staged like a moving art installation.

The energy kept going for the first section with ‘Like Animals’ and a ‘FAKE LOVE’ remix that sent the stadium into havoc, the group spreading to all four corners of the X as their names were chanted back at them.

Then came their most recent record’s emotional centre: ‘SWIM’, the lead single from their post-hiatus return, set up against sheets rippling like waves – the most poignant moment this far into the set.

The mellow vibe was extended with ‘Merry Go Round,’ that saw dancers turning sheets into a slow-spinning carousel for one of the tour’s more laid-back stretches.

But that calmness wouldn’t last long. Act 2 pushed back into full throttle as ‘2.0’ and ‘NORMAL’ gave way to a ‘Not Today’ remix that hit with real nostalgic weight for longtime fans, rearranged to fit their newer sounds but losing none of its original power.

‘MIC Drop’ kept the throwback energy running before the night’s two genuine standout moments arrived back to back: an ‘FYA’/‘Fire’ mashup bridging the group’s 2016 and 2026 eras – Fire rearranged to sit inside Arirang’s sound style, but surprisingly fitting in perfectly – and then ‘Body to Body’, the clear highlight of the evening.

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It was hard to not get goosebumps from the energy that settled in as the ‘Arirang’ folk melody – a Korean traditional song – swelled in the track’s second half, screens filled with dancers in traditional hanbok while flag-bearers circled the stage.

To keep the moment going just a bit longer, the song transitioned into ‘IDOL’, when the group and dancers left the stage entirely, taking a full lap around the pit with flags and screens in tow, pulling the whole floor into the performance.

The encore leaned commercial – ‘Come Over’, then ‘Butter’ and ‘Dynamite’, both met with full-stadium singalongs for the group’s most successful English language radio hits.

Surprise additions ‘Life Goes On’ and ‘Dionysus’ followed, the latter a nice nod back to Wembley 2019, where it opened their last London show.

After over two hours, the set was closed by ‘Please’ and ‘Into the Sun.’ The latter has long been described by fans and media alike as BTS’s ultimate concert send-off. Live, it indeed felt like it had been built for exactly this moment.

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Between songs, members expressed their feelings about being back in town.

“It’s been a while,” RM told the crowd, before jokingly taking credit for England’s Word Cup win the night before: “We always bring luck to every place [we go]. When we were in Belgium, Belgium won, and now we’re in London, England won. You see?”

He went on to reflect on the time that had passed since their last visit: “It gives me a lot of like, reminiscence and memories of when we were at Wembley… everything was fine, but [after that] there was COVID, there was the military, and now we’re here in 2026, together. I missed you so much.”

Taehyung was just as direct about how important London is to him: “I’m officially choosing this place as my favorite country. This place really doesn’t disappoint my expectations at all… every time you all sing along, I feel so happy that I get chills.”

Jin closed the night on a lighter note, reminiscing about a UK visit years back before promising, with a grin, to see everyone again tomorrow.

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Setlist: Hooligan / Aliens / Run BTS (Remix) / they don’t know ’bout us / Like Animals / FAKE LOVE (Remix) / SWIM / Merry Go Round / Act 2 / 2.0 / NORMAL / Not Today (Remix) / MIC Drop / FYA / Fire / Body to Body / IDOL / Encore: Come Over / Butter / Dynamite / Life Goes On / Dionysus / Please / Into the Sun

BTS are scheduled to play their second London show tonight (7 July) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the Arirang tour continues to Munich (11-12 July) and Paris (17-18 July), before they continue in North America and Latin America.

Photo Credit: HYBE / BigHit Music

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After a record-breaking heatwave swept through London, Bad Bunny cranked the temperature up even higher with history-making headline shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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From headlining the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show to becoming the first Latin artist to win Album of the Year at the Grammys with ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’, Bad Bunny truly is the man of the moment. The Puerto Rican further etched his name in the history books over the weekend in London as he became the first Latin artist to headline a stadium concert in the United Kingdom.

Even before you stepped into the stadium, the vibe was set by the thirty-minute walk down Seven Sisters Road to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It felt as though the entire Latin population of London had come out to celebrate, with many draped in Colombian, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan and various other flags, while Bad Bunny blasted from pubs and bars along the route.

When Bad Bunny made his entrance in front of 50,000 people, there was a deafening reception, with chants of “Benito!” ringing out across the stadium. He took his time and savoured the rapturous applause before kicking off the party with ‘LA MuDANZA’ and ‘Callaíta’, which shined a spotlight on traditional Puerto Rican music on one of the biggest stages in the UK.

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During his memorable Super Bowl performance, Bad Bunny said: “The only thing stronger than hate is love.” This philosophy seeps into every aspect of his artistry, including live performances. People were salsa dancing to ‘BAILE INoLVIDABLE’ in the aisles and embracing each other as Bad Bunny created a feeling of unity from the moment he stepped onto the stage.

One of the early highlights was ‘NUEVAYoL’, as it encapsulated the infectious energy of the opening section. This all emanated from Bad Bunny’s showmanship as he glided effortlessly across the stage with a swagger and aura that showed he was made for the biggest stages. The cherry on top was the live band, who elevated the track with a deeper level of authenticity and brought the salsa sound to the forefront with congas and trumpets. All the while, the natural rhythms and energy of the song had everyone on their feet dancing as fireworks and pyrotechnics erupted around the stadium.

Despite being held in one of the biggest stadiums in the UK, Bad Bunny was able to create an intimate setting with his secondary stage, ‘La Casita’, a reproduction of a traditional Puerto Rican house. It felt as though the artist was hosting a huge house party, and everyone in the stadium was invited.

The energy was cranked up as Bad Bunny performed reggaeton and Latin trap songs such as ‘Tití Me Preguntó’ and ‘VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR’.

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As the genres switched, so did the energy in the crowd. From dancing together, fans were now jumping and vibing to hits such as ‘MONACO’ and ‘Me Porto Bonito’, while strobe lights turned Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into a huge nightclub.

Despite how tiring it must have been to dance and jump around non-stop for two hours in the humidity, the London crowd gave it their all for the final two songs – ‘DtMF’, a huge hit for the Puerto Rican with over 1.91 billion streams on Spotify alone – and ‘EoO’.

‘DtMF’ is a moving song that pays homage to the rich culture and traditions of Puerto Rican music. It ended with a heartwarming moment as Bad Bunny embraced his band in a huddle while fireworks lit up the sky.

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Words: Adam Davidson

Photography: Chloe Newman

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Gorillaz have confirmed the full guest cast for their Tottenham Hotspur Stadium show this weekend.

The multimedia collective play their first ever stadium show this weekend, with Gorillaz touching down in North London on June 20th.

Tickets are on sale now, with support coming from one-of-a-kind art-pop legends Sparks, and Trueno.

The band’s new album ‘The Mountain’ was released earlier this year, a typically eclectic, collaborative affair that dealt with loss in a unique way.

Looking to their Tottenham Hotspur Stadium show, Gorillaz will be joined by a massive list of guests. BRIT Award winner Little Simz will appear – although she’s famously an Arsenal fan – with the cast also set to include The Clash bass player Paul Simonon, Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder, and iconic rap force Yasiin Bey.

Dancehall legend Popcaan will appear, alongside UK hero Bashy, Kara Jackson, Anoushka Shankar, The Roots’ own Black Thought, and seminal hip-hop crew De La Soul.

UK indie legend Johnny Marr is set to take part, alongside Bootie Brown, Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys, Moonchild Sanelly, Omar Souleyman, and Yukimi.

The final tickets are on sale now.

Check out a teaser below.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA bring their joint tour to London this week.

Kendrick Lamar opened the year with a much-discussed, internationally-dissected Super Bowl performance, before linking with SZA for their joint Grand National tour.

The North American leg took in some mammoth stadium venues, before the pair relocated over the Atlantic to kick off the European run.

The UK dates for the Grand National tour opened in Cardiff, and his London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last night (July 22nd) for the first of two shows.

The London run continues tonight (July 23rd) with doors opening at 5pm, and final curfew at 10.30pm.

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When are Kendrick Lamar and SZA due onstage?

Kendrick Lamar and SZA have a stage time of between 7.45pm and 8pm.

DJ Mustard plays support, while the seating plan is below.

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The temperatures should be around 20 degrees Celsius, with light cloud over the skies of North London.

There are currently no strikes planned for the TFL networks.

Need something to do while you travel to Tottenham? Well, the acclaimed 33 1/3 series has come to Spotify, and the Kendrick Lamar instalment – focussing on his landmark ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ album – is available to listen to as an audio book.

Written by Sequoia Maner, it’s available to listen to free for all Spotify premium users as part of Spotify Audiobooks.

Check out our review of the opening night of Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Tottenham run.

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