The Midnight
The Octagon // Sheffield, England // 10 October 2025
Photos and review by Stuart Peach
The Midnight closed out the England dates of their UK 2025 tour in Sheffield for a sold-out night at the Octagon, and it was honestly one of the best shows I’ve seen from them yet. I’ve been lucky enough to catch them five times now from the first show at the Scala to the huge Camden Roundhouse, and this smaller venue really carried the sound of their new material beautifully. The night was emotional, nostalgic, and full of energy from start to finish.
Pale Blue Eyes opened things up and fit the vibe perfectly. Their dreamy synths and jangly guitars were the ideal warm-up, the crowd showed up early for them, which was nice to see – especially as they’re local to the area.
When The Midnight arrived on the stage, the crowd lit up. The lighting and colours were unreal, all neon blues and pinks that matched their sound perfectly. Syndicate is the group’s most recent album, released only a week before but the audience knew all the newer songs word for word. The Octagon’s a weirdly shaped venue (you’ll never guess what shape), but it worked. The sound was huge, the atmosphere even bigger – The Midnight clearly loved coming to the UK and although Tim’s presence was missed, the rest of the band brought the energy up and played this varied setlist beautifully.
Hearing the new songs “Summer Is Ending Soon” and “Friction” live for the first time was incredible. Both songs already feel like classics with SIES reminding me of the first time I heard Los Angeles (a favourite of mine from the first album) and they blended right in with the older stuff. You could tell the band were loving it too; there was warmth between them and the crowd all night. Justin found time to jump into the crowd for his sax solos in Vampires. The inflatable saxophones and 80s styled accessories in the crowd are so typical for the fans, even at their first London show back in 2018 I remember the inflatable instruments.
By the end, everyone was singing, swaying, completely lost in it. It reminded me why I keep coming back to The Midnight, they somehow make every show feel personal and inclusive. The Midnight don’t just play songs; they build a whole neon soaked world around you for an hour and a half, and I’m already ready to go back. I hope they treat us again in 2026 to another UK tour (also please put Cold Pizza on Spotify and release that Metropolis song you did in 2024!).
Syndicate is out now!
