My Bloody Valentine Stages Triumphant Return with Secret Dublin Gig
My Bloody Valentine delivered a stunning surprise performance on November 19th, marking their first live show in seven years and igniting excitement for their upcoming tour. The band, known for their pioneering shoegaze sound, took the stage at the National Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, under the moniker “Isn’t Anything” – a direct reference to their influential 1988 debut album.
According to reports from Brooklyn Vegan, the intimate show was initially planned for a smaller venue but was quickly moved to the 2,000-capacity National Stadium due to overwhelming fan demand. This unexpected shift underscores the enduring appeal of the legendary group.
While attendees didn’t receive any previews of new material, the setlist was a captivating journey through My Bloody Valentine’s discography. Notably, the band performed “Off Your Face” – a track from their 2012 compilation EP’s 1988-1991 – live for the very first time. The evening also featured a string of beloved classics, including “I Only Said,” “Only Shallow,” and “Feed Me With Your Kiss.”
Fan-captured footage from the secret gig remains limited, but a clip of the band performing “Soon” is circulating online:
https://twitter.com/IgnorelandRadio/status/1726849999999999999
Another glimpse of the electric atmosphere can be found in photos shared by concertgoers:
https://twitter.com/MadBeare/status/1726850000000000000
The full setlist from the “Isn’t Anything” performance on November 19th was as follows:
‘I Only Said’
‘When You Sleep’
‘New You’
‘You Never Should’
‘Honey Power’
‘Cigarette In Your Bed’
‘Only Tomorrow’
‘Come In Alone’
‘Only Shallow’
‘Off Your Face’ (live debut)
‘Thorn’
‘Nothing Much To Lose’
‘Who Sees You’
‘To Here Knows When’
‘Slow’
‘Soon’
‘Wonder 2’
‘Feed Me With Your Kiss’
‘You Made Me Realise’
This warm-up show precedes a series of highly anticipated comeback performances across the UK and beyond. My Bloody Valentine is scheduled to play Dublin’s 3Arena on November 22nd, followed by a show at Manchester’s Aviva Studios on November 24th. Maria Somerville will provide support for both of these dates. The band will then head to London’s Wembley Arena on November 25th and Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on November 27th, with J Mascis opening for those shows. Tickets for the remaining dates can be found [here](link to tickets).
These performances represent My Bloody Valentine’s first official live shows in nearly seven years, following their last North American tour in 2018, and their first UK headline tour in over a decade. The momentum will continue into 2026, with appearances at the Clockenflap Festival in Hong Kong in early December and a series of shows in Japan in February. They are also slated to perform at Primavera Sound in June, alongside a stellar lineup including The Cure, Gorillaz, The xx, Doja Cat, and Massive Attack.
The band’s most recent studio album, the critically acclaimed mbv, was released in 2013. In 2021, members revealed they were actively working on two new albums for Domino Records, with Shields hinting that the first would feature “warm and melodic” material, while the second would explore more experimental sonic territories. The recent return to the stage suggests these long-awaited new recordings may be closer to release than ever before.
