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Radiohead fans have been looking forward to this evening for a long time: on November 4th, 2025, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway finally returned to the stage together again.
At the Movistar Arena in Madrid, the band played the first concert of their major European tour in 2025, which includes a total of 20 shows in five cities – Madrid, Bologna, London, Copenhagen and Berlin.
After a seven-year break from live, the band presented themselves for the first time with new drummer Chris Vatalaro at Phil Selway’s side.
Radiohead: That’s what the evening was like in Madrid
The audience in Madrid experienced a two-hour journey through three decades of band history: from the anthems of the “OK Computer” era to “Kid A” to “A Moon Shaped Pool”. In total, Radiohead played 25 songs, spread across eight studio albums: 6 songs from “Hail to the Thief”, 6 from “OK Computer”, 4 from “In Rainbows”, 4 from “Kid A”, 2 from “A Moon Shaped Pool” and 1 song each from “Amnesiac”, “The Bends” and “The King of Limbs”.
The show opened with “Let Down” from the album “OK Computer”. This was followed by “2 + 2 = 5” and “Sit Down. Stand Up.”, the latter live for the first time since 2004. Of course, there was no shortage of hits: “No Surprises”, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”, “Everything in Its Right Place”, “Paranoid Android” and “Karma Police” made the arena shake – only “Creep” Yorke and Co., as usual, were not in the mood for.
The encore comprised seven songs and began with “Fake Plastic Trees,” followed by “Subterranean Homesick Alien,” played live for the first time since 2017. This was followed by “Paranoid Android,” “How to Disappear Completely,” “You and Whose Army?” and “There There.” The evening ended with “Karma Police” as the final piece.
In addition to the new live drummer Chris Vatalaro, who supports original member Phil Selway live on drums, Radiohead presented a round stage for the first time in their career. But there were other surprises too. Below is an overview.
1. Ed O’ Brien comes to the fore
For Noel Gallagher he’s just “the tall man with the guitar who does God knows what”, but at Radiohead Ed O’Brien is also considered number two behind “mastermind” Jonny Greenwood, who is responsible for experiments. Some fans in Madrid complained that O’Brien’s microphone was set too low. Others, however, pointed to his dominance, especially on the opening song “Let Down”. The guitarist intoned the “one day I am gonna grow wings” line to Thom Yorke’s vocals – an arrangement like the studio version of the “OK Computer” song. It’s often forgotten how good Ed O’Brien is as a co-vocalist.
2. No Surprises: The set list
Colin Greenwood said the band had rehearsed 65 songs. A look at the setlist for the 25-song concert seems like a best of, which is not surprising given that “Creep” was missing. Radiohead may be the only superstar band in the world that hates their biggest hit.
If you asked a Radiohead fan in 2018 to create a setlist with the “most important” pieces that everyone could agree on, “Fake Plastic Trees” would be there as well as “Paranoid Android” and “Everything in its right Place”. What would it have been like if Radiohead performed “Bullet Proof… I wish I was”, “Electioneering” or “Faust Arp”? That would be fan service from a band that really has nothing left to lose. But: wait and see. 19 concerts are still outstanding.
3. The view of the round stage
The US colleagues from ROLLING STONE report: The video screen was divided into panels that moved up and down throughout the show, always obscuring a large portion of the stage. This made it difficult to see the band at times. Yorke made sure to constantly change his position so that everyone in the arena could get a look at him.
4. Thom Yorke hasn’t forgotten how to dance
It was a joy to see these movements again after so many years, whether it was Yorke clutching his keyboard during “Ful Stop” or wading his arms through invisible water and jumping around in his sneakers like a wild, enthusiastic child during “The Gloaming.”
5. Hallowed be the thief
Radiohead played six songs from their 2003 album “Hail To The Thief”. Just as many as from their classic “OK Computer”. “Hail To The Thief” was recently released as a live album – perhaps the band now wants to commemorate it on stage. At the time, the record was directed against George W. Bush. Maybe these old songs are now a comment against the new POTUS?
6. Brotherly love
The two Greenwood brothers, Jonny and Colin, face each other during “Bodysnatchers,” and Colin beams.
7. Peace with the past
“Let Down” again: In an interview, Ed O’Brien said that he had to fight to have the song included on the “OK Computer” tracklist. Yorke didn’t like the song. Now it opened their comeback concert. This band is at peace with itself again.
8. Not a man of big words
“Fair enough,” Yorke said at the start of the encore with “Fake Plastic Trees.”
9. Comedy Man
In “You and Whose Army?” again the usual camera angle of Yorke at the piano: very close to the face.