Radiohead returned to the stage this week in Madrid, Spain, marking their first live performance in seven years.
The Oxford quintet kicked off their highly anticipated European tour at the 17,000-capacity Movistar Arena, ending a prolonged hiatus that began after their Moon Shaped Pool tour concluded in August 2018.
The band’s comeback performance featured an 18-song set followed by a seven-song encore, demonstrating the enduring power of their extensive catalogue. Opening with “Let Down” from their seminal 1997 album OK Computer, the choice proved particularly timely given the track’s unexpected viral resurgence on TikTok earlier this year. The evening concluded with “Karma Police”, a song frontman Thom Yorke frequently used to close sets during his solo Pacific Rim tour last year.
Radiohead’s setlist drew heavily from two of their most celebrated releases, with six tracks sourced from OK Computer and four from 2007’s In Rainbows.
Speaking about their return to live performance, drummer Philip Selway explained the band’s motivation (as per Louder Sound): “Last year, we got together to rehearse, just for the hell of it. After a seven-year pause, it felt really good to play the songs again and reconnect with a musical identity that has become lodged deep inside all five of us. It also made us want to play some shows together, so we hope you can make it to one of the upcoming dates.”
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The lengthy gap between tours represents one of the longest periods Radiohead has spent away from live performance since achieving mainstream success. Their decision to announce a concentrated run of 20 shows across five European cities suggests a deliberate approach to their return, focusing on quality over quantity.
The setlist included both career-spanning favourites and deeper cuts, featuring “2 + 2 = 5”, “Bloom”, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”, and “Everything in Its Right Place” amongst the main set. The encore delivered fan favourites including “Fake Plastic Trees”, “Paranoid Android”, and “How to Disappear Completely”.
Madrid audiences will have two additional opportunities to witness Radiohead’s return, with the band scheduled for consecutive nights at the same venue before moving across Europe.
