My Chemical Romance haven’t performed in the UK since 2022’s string of stadium shows. Their return came after years of hiatus and confusion over whether MCR was even a band anymore. What arrived in the country was a rag-tag group of 40-somethings performing their hits with archaic setlists full of deep cuts and in-jokes.

Now, they’re back with ‘Long Live The Black Parade’, a tour celebrating their 2006 record ‘The Black Parade’, brought to life with themes, concepts, actors, staging, props, costumes, pyrotechnics, a custom-made language, and more; and this is My Chem at their best. With frontman Gerard Way’s vision in full view, there has never been a better live performance from New Jersey’s best.

My Chemical Romance kicked off their trilogy of shows at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 (subsequent shows will take place Friday 10 and Saturday 11).

There, they took on the characters of the Ministry of Complimentary Reconditioning (MCR), an entertainment outfit in the fictional city of Draag – where they hold the long-standing tradition of performing ‘The Black Parade’ in full (read the background of the lore in our breakdown here).

As a result, the first half of the setlist holds no surprises. But it doesn’t need any. Texturally, ‘The Black Parade’ is still a better album than 90 percent of much contemporary music, and as a result, it’s stunning to witness live.

How it transcends in 2026, however, is through Gerard’s rich tapestry of themes and narrative. Across the album’s playback, attendees are complicit in execution, witnessing murder, and all kinds of dictatorial near-future dystopian horror.

Between it all, the songs feel truly elevated. ‘The Sharpest Lives’ explodes into a chaotic chorus that has never felt more thrash. ‘Sleep’ envelopes the stadium in a soundscape that is deafening from both the sound system and the fans screaming.

Even the ballads hit hard. ‘Cancer’ and ‘Disenchanted’ are drenched in tears as the emotions wash over the audience like waves.

‘Mama’ was the band’s zenith, though. Fire and flames licked Frank Iero’s guitar as he screamed into the microphone. Gerard welcomes an eyepatched-opera singer to belt out Liza Minelli’s lines while a man (literally) on fire ran across the stage.

And everyone is on form, as well. Guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro play so powerfully their instruments look like they’ll snap. Bassist Mikey Way moves so much it’s hard to keep up with him. And the band’s live drummer Jarrod Alexander is so punchy and powerful he adds new primal layers to ‘The Black Parade’s’ previously measured beats.

Gerard is sensational. The best he’s ever been; a generational dark-haired Bowie-like with even more flair, jazz hands, knowing smirks at cameras and buckets of true showmanship. He has built a circus, we’re just part of it.

Once The Black Parade ends, the band switch things up. Arriving at a B-stage in the center of the stadium, Gerard donned a green overcoat (referencing Liam Gallagher) and kicked off a second set of deeper cuts.

Here, they made the 90,000-capacity venue feel more intimate. And their setlist reflected that.

My Chemical Romance are renowned for crafting a unique string of songs for their second set each night, and this particular night didn’t disappoint.

Kicking off with ‘Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough for the Two of Us’ (the first performance in over 15 years), they delved into some of their older tracks to sate their long-term die-hards. With the added bonus of Ray Toro’s shredding in ‘Thank You For The Venom’, this was an incredible nod to their earlier years.

Even more so was the band’s rendition of ‘Jack The Ripper’ – a Morrissey cover – which they famously performed in clubs around the UK and Europe as far back in 2003.

The band dipped their toes into the rave-esque repertoire of their final album, ‘Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys’, with Planetary (GO!). It’s safe to assume we’ll be seeing even more Danger Days songs in the coming performances as their anniversary re-release looms.

My Chemical Romance are back. They’re bigger and better than ever. And, with their history of hiatuses and years of silence, it’s never quite obvious where the band will be going next. So fans will need to feast off of these performances for the foreseeable future. But even if they never perform in the UK ever again, My Chemical Romance have made history with the perfect rendition of The Black Parade.

For those who missed out, there are still tickets left for the upcoming Friday and Saturday shows. Fans can buy them from Ticketmaster and Seat Unique.