It’s mid-October 2025, and the long wait is almost over. After seven years without a major tour, Radiohead will return to the live stage this coming November and December — in a bold, unusual format: residencies in five European cities. The band is treating these as more than a standard tour; they are approaching performance as creative exploration. Here’s what we know so far, what we hope for, and what might surprise us.
Unlike a hop-skip trek across dozens of cities, Radiohead is concentrating their energy in a few places. They will perform four nights in each of five cities: Madrid, Bologna, London, Copenhagen, and Berlin.
The Setlist: Freedom & Deep Cuts
If there’s one exciting hint so far, it’s this: Radiohead is treating the setlist with a “busking attitude.” Bassist Colin Greenwood said the band has “whittled it down to about 70 songs,” and they plan to “play anything in any order, at any time.”
That’s a huge catalog — spanning Pablo Honey through A Moon Shaped Pool, with side projects and rarities possibly creeping in. The flexibility means a show in Madrid could feel very different from one in London or Berlin. Also, Greenwood joked that he and his brother Jonny aren’t even on the “setlist committee” because they’re too indecisive.
One speculation getting traction is that they might dust off “Spectre” — the tune they recorded for the James Bond film but didn’t ultimately use. Some fans hope for a full band reinterpretation.
Between classic hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts, what’s likely to appear? Based on speculation and past setlist patterns, some candidate songs include:
Core fan favorites: Paranoid Android, Karma Police, No Surprises, Street Spirit (Fade Out), Everything in Its Right Place.
Deep cuts / rarities: Let Down, The Numbers, How to Disappear Completely, Separator, Daydreaming.
Wildcard / surprises: “Spectre, ” or reworked versions of songs rarely played live.
Transitions and ambient interludes: given their history, expect moody textures, synth pulses, and bridging instrumentals
Setlist.fm data already shows a few commonly played tracks in 2025 performance contexts (e.g. Airbag, Paranoid Android, Exit Music) and the “expected setlist” speculation lists Reckoner, Nude, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, There There, 2 + 2 = 5, Pyramid Song as possible inclusions.
Because the band is not pledging new material per se, the emphasis seems to be on revisiting, reshaping, and recontextualizing their existing work — not simply replaying the hits.
Mood, Experience & Visuals
This tour feels like it will be less about spectacle in the “arena show” sense and more about immersive experience. The residency format allows for evolving visual themes, lighting changes, and perhaps variations in staging. Each night could be its own creature.
Given Radiohead’s track record, expect:
Atmospheric transitions — gradual shifts between ambient soundscapes and more urgent rock..
Extended intros and outros — breathing space to let songs land or drift..
Setlist surprises — no guarantees that a popular track appears every night..
Audience connection — in smaller or repeated-night venues, the communion between band and crowd can deepen.
Also, since they’re not promoting a new album (as far as public statements go), this feels more like a reawakening than a launch. It’s permission, in a sense, for fans to re-experience the catalog in full.
Risks & Unknowns
Of course, no preview is complete without acknowledging uncertainties:
- Vocal stamina: Thom Yorke will have to navigate deep, emotionally taxing repertoire night after night.
- Setlist balance: with 70 songs in rotation, how many nights will include rare tracks versus familiar favorites?
- Technical consistency: especially with variations, transitions, and light/sound cues over residencies.
- Expectations vs surprises: fans will arrive hoping for certain songs; the band may choose differently.
Also, the political and social contexts might shape reception. Some shows face boycott calls (e.g. tied to Jonny Greenwood’s past cross-cultural collaborations) as reported in media.
What to Do Now as a Fan
- Brush up / refresh your favorites: revisit albums across periods — OK Computer, Kid A, In Rainbows, A Moon Shaped Pool — and also explore deeper tracks that rarely get played live.
- Create “live-mix” playlists: assemble favorite tracks in a dynamic order to simulate possible setlists.
- Anticipate shifting nights: go with openness — one show might be more ambient and introspective, another more rock-driven.
- Connect with local fan communities: discussions, predictions, speculation help build excitement and broaden perspectives.
- Capture moments: if you attend, bring the mindset that you’re witnessing something ephemeral and unique, not a rote performance.