After a seven-year hiatus, Radiohead made their long-awaited return to the stage on Tuesday, November 4, at Madrid’s Movistar Arena. The sold-out show kicked off their 20-date European tour, which will see the Oxford-formed band play across the UK and Europe, including a four-night residency at London’s O2 Arena, with additional shows in Bologna, Copenhagen, and Berlin throughout November and December.
This performance marked the band’s first live appearance since the summer of 2018, when they performed at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on August 1. Speaking about the reunion, drummer Philip Selway explained earlier this year, “Last year, we got together to rehearse, just for the hell of it. After seven years, 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.”
While the individual members of Radiohead have kept busy with side projects over the years, including frontman Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood forming The Smile with drummer Thom Skinner, this marks the band’s first major collective return. Radiohead-related activity also ramped up over the past year, with a live reissue of their 2003 album Hail to the Thief and a reworked version of that LP featured in a Manchester production of Hamlet.
The Band’s Hiatus and Emotional Burnout
Radiohead’s break from touring was also influenced by personal loss and emotional burnout. Reflecting on the band’s touring during A Moon Shaped Pool era, Yorke recently said, “I guess the wheels came off a bit, so we had to stop. The shows felt great, but it was like, let’s halt now before we walk off this cliff.” He also addressed his personal grief following the death of his first wife, Dr. Rachel Owen, in late 2016. Although they had separated a year earlier, Yorke explained, “I needed to stop anyway, because I hadn’t really given myself time to grieve. My grief was coming out in ways that made me think, I need to take this away.”
Having since taken time for reflection, Radiohead’s return to the stage in Madrid showed a rejuvenated band, visibly eager to reconnect with their music and fans. The performance was part of a 25-song set, spanning their nine studio albums, and included some of the band’s most iconic tracks.
Highlights from Radiohead’s First Show Back
The set opened with “Let Down,” a fan favourite from 1997’s OK Computer, which has experienced a resurgence in popularity recently. In fact, “Let Down” debuted at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August, marking Radiohead’s first appearance on the chart since 2008’s “Nude.”
The setlist also included big hits such as “Karma Police,” alongside fan favourites like “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” although it notably omitted some of their most well-known tracks, including “Creep” from Pablo Honey (1994). As is typical for Radiohead’s live shows, the setlist is expected to vary throughout their European tour, with each night offering a fresh combination of tracks from their expansive catalogue.
Here’s a look at the setlist from Radiohead’s return to the stage at Madrid’s Movistar Arena:
Setlist from Radiohead’s Madrid Show:
Let Down
2+2=5
Karma Police
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
The National Anthem
Everything In Its Right Place
The Bends
No Surprises
How to Disappear Completely
Paranoid Android
Exit Music (For A Film)
Fake Plastic Trees
Lotus Flower
Reckoner
The Gloaming
Idioteque
You And Whose Army?
All I Need
Motion Picture Soundtrack
Pyramid Song
Bodysnatchers
Everything In Its Right Place (Reprise)
There There
Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Optimistic
Radiohead’s return to the stage signals not only their personal and collective revival but also their enduring power as one of the most influential bands in the world. With their European tour underway, fans across the continent can look forward to more incredible live performances from the band in the coming weeks.