System Of A Down Fill London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as QOTSA Open and 50,000 Mosh Nonstop
System Of A Down played London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (capacity roughly 62,000) on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, with Queens Of The Stone Age (QOTSA) opening. An estimated 50,000-plus fans turned out for the show, one stop on the band's 2026 European tour and, per NME's review of the show, the biggest date yet in the TikTok-fuelled alt-metal revival that has also pushed Deftones and KoRn back to the top of the touring circuit.
On stage: political jabs, nonstop pits, and a shot at Oasis
Introducing "Needles," guitarist Daron Malakian set the crowd off by saying he was going to "name this tapeworm Oasis," prompting all 50,000 in attendance to chant along — a callback to Noel Gallagher's early-2000s dig that SOAD were "the worst band ever."
The set opened with the mournful "Soldier Side" before shifting into "B.Y.O.B.," its screen visuals flashing "HUMAN SUFFERING, NOW IN 4K!" and setting the tone for the night. Malakian told the crowd: "Forgive us for being angry, but the world's kind of fucked right now."
The pit barely let up from opener to closer, with "Chop Suey!," "Bounce," and "Spiders" all drawing huge responses. Frontman Serj Tankian, Malakian, and bassist Shavo Odadjian shared the spotlight fairly evenly onstage, with drummer John Dolmayan anchoring things from behind the kit.
QOTSA's opening slot, and where the band stands now
Queens Of The Stone Age walked out to the Starlight Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight" for a daylight set that ran through hard-hitting cuts like "Sick, Sick, Sick," "My God Is the Sun," and "Little Sister," plus deeper picks such as "Regular John" and "The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died." Josh Homme closed with: "Give yourselves a night you'll never remember."
System Of A Down have not released a new studio album since reuniting in 2010 following their 2006 split, yet this European tour is still filling stadium-sized venues. NME's review points to viral mosh-pit clips on TikTok as a major factor, tying the band's renewed drawing power to the same wave lifting Deftones and KoRn. Per that review, on a night like this, fans' hunger for new material can wait.