There were fireworks over the Thames last night as The Kooks delivered a spectacular show at London’s historic Old Royal Naval College.
As part of Labyrinth on the Thames, the band played a special concert to ring in the 20th anniversary of their pivotal debut, ‘Inside In/Inside Out’, an album that helped define British indie music. Classics including She Moves In Her Own Way and You Don’t Love Me, sparked mass singalongs from the 10,000-strong crowd.
After a chorus of Sweet Caroline, the band hit the stage with the high-octane Sofa Song, instantly setting the outdoor crowd in motion.
Eddie’s Gun and She Moves In Her Own Way kept the collective energy at a high, while recent single Sunny Baby served as a reminder of the band’s ongoing ability to connect with huge songs.
The set closed with an encore of the era-defining anthems Ooh La and Naive, as fireworks lit up the River Thames behind the stage, cementing the band’s status as a cornerstone of modern British guitar music and sparking one final mass singalong.
‘Inside In/Inside’ catapulted the band into fame, selling more than 2 million copies and helping define an era of music. Two decades since their debut, The Kooks are resonating with a whole new generation. With sold-out tours and epic returns to festival main stages, the band has firmly cemented their place in the hearts of Gen Z fans.
Last year saw the group perform their biggest ever headline shows, which included a sold-out show at Manchester’s Co-op Live, described by The Guardian as a “triumphant and touching mass singalong”, and culminated in a career-defining performance at London’s O2 Arena.
In May of last year, The Kooks released their seventh studio album, ‘Never/Know’. Their highest charting body of work since 2008, ‘Never/Know’ landed at number 5 in the UK album charts. The album’s first single was selected as Radio X’s ‘Record of the Week’. NME referred to single welcoming in “The new era of The Kooks”.
Indie favourites, Circa Waves took on main support duties, successfully hyping up the crowd with much-loved bangers, T-Shirt Weather and Movies. Frontman Kieran Shuddall shared his appreciation for the headliners, telling the crowd, “Half of this set is ripped off The Kooks; so I owe them alot.”
Earlier, Sunderland’s Tom A. Smith helped build momentum with frenetic onstage presence, showcasing the recent EP, Put On A Record Tommy.
Girl In The Year Above won hearts with Jennifer Ball’s soaring vocal and onstage rapport. She told the crowd, “I’d like to thank The Kooks for everything they’ve done for me. They’re beautiful and you’re going to have a great night.”
Earlier sets from Danny Griffiths and Granada completed a lineup which perfectly complemented The Kooks‘ celebration of their debut.
The Kooks played:
Intro
Sofa Song
Always Where I Need to Need to Be
Eddie’s Gun
Stormy Weather
She Moves In Her Own Way
Bad Habit
Sweet Emotion
Westside
Sunny Baby
Junk Of The Heart
See Me Now
Jackie Big Tits
Seaside
Sway
GAP
Down
See The World
Matchbox
Do You Wanna
You Don’t Love Me
Ooh La
Naive
The Kooks are headlining Rock N Roll Circus. Earlham Park, Norwich. Sat 22 August 2026
Pop Scoop founder and editor. Ex showbiz/tech editor at the Cyprus Mail. Former sub-editor at Archant. Former art director Sky TV. Co-founder of Kool Magazine and freelanced for the BBC, Channel 4, Warner Bros and the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.
