Bring Me The Horizon Unleash Pure Energy In A Powerful Live Assault On Allstate Arena
Review by Nicholas Stevens
BRING ME THE HORIZON – NORTH AMERICAN ASCENSION PROGRAM 2
live in Rosemont, IL. Allstate arena
Bring Me The Horizon rocked Allstate Arena on May 15th, 2026, alongside opening acts Motionless In White, The Plot In You, and Amira Elfeky. Supporting their “newish” album POST HUMAN: NeX GEn, this sold-out show was packed with fans from every age group imaginable — proving just how loved this band from Sheffield truly is.
Of course, no great tour is complete without great opening acts. Amira Elfeky opened the night with dreamy nu-metal vocals and a dark, atmospheric sound. The Plot In You followed with emotional metalcore that had the crowd surfing nonstop, while Motionless In White brought horror-inspired visuals and crushingly heavy breakdowns that filled the arena with screams of “One mutilation under God.”
At around 9 PM, Bring Me the Horizon finally took the stage. Frontman Oliver (Oli) Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, and drummer Matt Nicholls delivered a performance that felt larger than life from the very beginning. The Grammy-nominated band, famously named after a line from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, has never been shy about pulling inspiration from other forms of media, especially horror and video games.
One of my favorite examples of this influence comes from POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, with songs inspired by games like Resident Evil and Parasite Eve. Before the show even started, the arena screens displayed visuals that resembled an old PlayStation 1 horror game — complete with a Resident Evil parody cutscenes, eerie visuals, and creepy messages directed at the crowd. At one point, the visuals “scanned” the audience while making jokes and referring to everyone as “parasites” as the crew prepared the stage.
Then the lights went black.
An unsettling animated video began convincing the audience to “join the church,” and the second the band launched into the opening song “DArkSide”, the curtain withdrew to reveal a gigantic cathedral-inspired stage set complete with stained glass windows, massive church imagery, and flag-waving “nuns” standing on both sides of the stage. The moment the first heavy riff hit, smoke cannons exploded, confetti filled the air, and Oli Sykes unleashed his signature screams as the crowd erupted.
With Bring Me The Horizon, it immediately became clear that you weren’t just attending a rock show — you were attending THE rock show.
Everything about the production felt massive. The lighting, pyro, lasers, visuals, and stage design all worked together perfectly. Even with the darker themes and imagery surrounding the band, I honestly felt blessed to be there, surrounded by fantastic music and fans who genuinely loved every second of it. Surrounded by thousands of people screaming every lyric at the top of their lungs, the entire experience felt larger than just another concert.
The walls of death never stopped. Circle pits continuously opened across the floor, and nobody wanted the night to end. From the fans packed into the bleachers to the kids sitting on their parents’ shoulders near the barricade, everyone seemed completely locked into the experience.
One of the night’s most memorable moments came when the band invited a fan named Morgan on stage to sing along while the screens transformed into a karaoke-style video game animation. Morgan absolutely nailed it, performing the verse while Oli relaxed and let Morgan take over. Eventually, Oli did join in, but Morgan was ready to take over the show.
Another standout moment featured a gigantic demon appearing on the arena screens as it seemingly tore apart the cathedral stage visuals, inciting another massive circle pit. “Happy Song” was another one of my highlight moments as the nuns returned with Pom poms this time, cheering “S.P.I.R.I.T, SPIRIT! LET’S HERE IT!” Oh man, such an iconic song.
I don’t want to spoil every surprise for fans attending future dates on the tour, but I have to mention one of my personal favorite moments of the night: “Kingslayer.” Originally featuring BABYMETAL, the song still managed to capture the same chaotic energy even without the group physically present. During the performance, three girls wearing Kitsune masks (fox masks) appeared on screen, dancing in sync as if BABYMETAL themselves had joined the show. It was incredibly cool to watch.
Without a doubt, this was one of the best rock shows I’ve ever seen performed live. Not just because of this amazingly talented band or the incredible production, but because of the crowd itself. Every single song felt like an anthem as thousands of fans screamed every lyric together in one unified voice. It reminds you how strong the power of music really is.
Bring Me The Horizon Setlist:
DArkSide
The house of wolves
Mantra
Happy song*
Teardrops
AmEN!
Kool-Aid
Shadow Moses
Kingslayer
Antivist (with Morgan)
Follow you
LosT
Can you feel my heart*
Doomed*
Drown
Throne
*songs I recommend.
Bring Me The Horizon Tour Dates:
3 – 6 June, 2026 – Sweden Rock Festival – Sölvesborg, Sweden
June 9, 2026 – Tauron Arena – Kraków, Poland
June 12, 2026 – Rock for People – Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
June 14, 2026 – Nova Rock – Nickelsdorf, Austria
June 18, 2026 – Hellfest – Clisson, France
June 20, 2026 – Graspop – Dessel, Belgium
24 – 27 June, 2026 – Tons of Rock – Oslo, Norway
June 25, 2026 – Copenhell – Copenhagen, Denmark
25 – 27 June, 2026 – Provinssi – Seinäjoki, Finland
26 – 28 June, 2026 – Tuska – Helsinki, Finland
July 2, 2026 – Ferrara Summer Festival – Ferrara, Italy
July 10, 2026 – B.E.C Arena – Manchester, United Kingdom
July 11, 2026 – B.E.C Arena – Manchester, United Kingdom
August 14, 2026 – Sziget Festival – Budapest, Hungary
September 5, 2026 – Rock in Rio – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
September 20, 2026 – ROGERS ARENA – Vancouver, BC, CANADA
September 23, 2026 – ROGERS PLACE – Edmonton, AB, CANADA
September 24, 2026 – SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME – Calgary, AB, CANADA
September 26, 2026 – CANADA LIFE CENTRE – Winnipeg, MB, CANADA
September 30, 2026 – VIDEOTRON CENTRE – Quebec City, QC, CANADA
October 2, 2026 – CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE – Ottawa, ON, CANADA
October 3, 2026 – TD COLISEUM – Hamilton, ON, CANADA
October 6, 2026 – CANADA LIFE PLACE – London, ON, CANADA
October 8, 2026 – VAN ANDEL ARENA – Grand Rapids, MI, USA
October 11, 2026 – Furnance Fest 2026 – Birmingham, AL, USA
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Bring Me The Horizon Links:
Official: https://www.bmthofficial.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmthofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bringmethehorizon
