26 bands. 5 stages. 1 city.
All Points East’s multi-day music festival closed its summer events on Sunday with a day of alternative rock, showcasing Ohio’s favourite duo to conclude one of the biggest music gatherings of the bank holiday weekend with a bang. Twenty One Pilots delivered a performance spanning over two hours, with a setlist exploding with hits from every era of their catalogue. From Trench to Clancy, Blurryface to Breach, and Scaled and Icy to Vessel, this was not only the band’s only UK performance of 2026, but a career-spanning celebration of everything that has made Twenty One Pilots such an enduring live act.
The hype was vibrating from the second you walked into Victoria Park, not only from the fans’ attire, but from the sheer amount of Twenty One Pilots-themed activity scattered across the festival site. This included Magnum, who created a custom ‘Blurry’-themed ice cream as a nod to the headlining act; an exclusive Fan Premiere Exhibit showcasing a number of the band’s artefacts from past tours; and – as all great outdoor music events have – a grand variety of food and drinks vendors, plus exclusive merch to commemorate the occasion.
Opening the main East Stage were Savssounds and LEAP, setting the tone for a day that would move effortlessly between alternative rock, punk, electronic experimentation and everything in between. They handed the baton over to Manchester alt-rockers Hot Milk, who had the circle pits spiralling to epic proportions alongside their high-energy, explosive set. PVRIS provided a perfect palette cleanser with their atmospheric and captivating performance, closing their set with ‘Goddess’, dedicated to ‘the girlies and the gays’ amongst the crowd.
Moving over to the West Stage, and returning to London, were Gang of Youths, who offered a perfect combination of charm and charisma. A gloriously unruly mix of instruments collided against the stormy backdrop, creating something simultaneously rough-edged and triumphant. Frontman David Le’aupepe had the crowd roaring during ‘Let Me Down Easy’. He was equally happy taking the piss out of himself, joking about his sunglasses and admitting that he’d seen people wearing them onstage and simply thought they looked cool. Even a forgotten lyric became part of his charm, laughing it off with a simple, ‘It’s been a while.’
Nova Twins have spent the last decade transforming every stage they take on into an immersive drum-and-bass-rock sensation, and taking on the North Arena Stage was no exception. Their powerful and punchy sound hit with relentless force, blending thunderous bass, live drums and snarling guitars into something that felt both chaotic and completely controlled.
Closing the West Stage were Cornwall-formed Wunderhorse, who brought their trademark blend of raw, guitar-driven rock and infectious energy to the final slot, with a set exploring material from their two album releases.
An artist who has triggered the interest of all who have stumbled across him since his 2022 release ‘Hi Ren’ was main-stage support REN, who, for me, gave one of the top performances of the day. His performance was as visual as it was musical, with striking screen graphics adding another layer to the assault of sound and colour. Working with a theatricality that blurred the line between concert and performance art, REN commanded the stage with an intensity that demanded attention. Closing his set with an exclusive guest appearance from Chinchilla, the pair delivered a moving collaboration on ‘Chalk Outlines’. The performance proved exactly why REN has become one of the most talked-about live artists on the circuit.
As fans repped their favourite era through their chosen coloured tape, Bandito masks, lavish suits, or dress-up salutes to the band’s mascot Ned, the excitement across Victoria Park was overwhelmingly palpable. Gearing up for the infamous two-piece, we were given their ‘two minutes’ warning throughout the arena, sampled, of course, from their epic hit ‘Midwest Indigo’. Then the stage lights dimmed, the screens displayed a rippling ocean and the opening of ‘Overcompensate’ rang out as we were welcomed back to Trench.
Tyler jumped onto the stage to a roar from the crowd almost as powerful as the opening track itself, launching the two-hour spectacle at full force. Josh Dun’s drumming, once again, was impeccable, while the ever-present theatricality of costume changes and dramatic imagery kept the show moving at breakneck speed. Taking us through the tales of Blurryface and Trench, all the way to Clancy, the pair left no corner of their expansive catalogue untouched.
The duo leaned heavily into the unexpected, debuting their unreleased single ‘Robotic Voices’ before treating us to a surprise collaboration with Emi Grace, who had performed in her own right earlier in the day. Keeping the tone of predictably unpredictable, we were given a tender cover of ‘Let It Be’, but this wasn’t the only curveball before ‘Routines in the Night’ and ‘Polarize’ brought the energy straight back.
‘Chlorine’ became a particularly memorable visual moment, with the camera capturing Tyler surrounded by a collection of fans dressed as Ned, while Josh carried the Trench torch and London flag through the audience before launching into ‘Jumpsuit’.
With several stages at their disposal, Tyler and Josh certainly made use of the space they had throughout the arena. A second stage hosted a burning car, while a drum kit perched on top of the main stage allowed Josh to truly show off his octopus-like playing during ‘Drum Show’. And, of course, there was the pair getting right into the mix of the crowd.
The show’s sense of community was perhaps its strongest quality. With a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’, plus a snippet of the Milky Chance classic ‘Stolen Dance’, the band continually pulled the audience into the performance. But it was security guard Lucas who had the spotlight time of his life when he took to the stage for the solo in ‘Ride’, with Tyler reassuring him: “It’s okay if you suck, I will be sucking with you.”
And then, just when it seemed the night couldn’t get any more surreal, the face of Third Man Records’ very own Jack White appeared on the screens as the band launched into ‘Seven Nation Army’ – an enormous, chaotic final flourish to a show that never stopped surprising. Concluding the night with their classic anthems ‘Stressed Out’ and ‘Trees’, plus an instrumental outro of ‘Lavish’, every fan walked away with nothing but smiles on their faces.
Four cover tracks, an exclusive new single, a guest performance and a solid two-hour set: a wonderfully chaotic celebration of everything that makes Twenty One Pilots’ live shows so compelling. The few, the proud, and the emotional.
An exceptional day celebrating alternative music.
A huge, heartfelt thank you to all crew across all departments, in association with All Points East, for their tremendous work on a successful run of events.
All Points East — Sunday 30 August 2026 — included performances from:
Twenty One Pilots, Wunderhorse, REN, Gang of Youths, bbno$, PVRIS, Jessie Murph, half•alive, Hot Milk, Nova Twins, Kid Kapichi, Noahfinnce, Honey Revenge, Dead Pony, Mouth Culture, LEAP, Josie Edwards, Ray Bull, Red Leather, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Witch Post, Artio, Emi Grace, Headsend, Reece Young and The Meffs.
Review by Charlotte Hooper
Photo Credit: Bethan Miller Co
