Radiohead has officially rewritten the history books at The O2 in London, surpassing a long-standing record held by heavy metal titans Metallica to claim the highest single-night attendance in the venue’s history. The achievement occurred during the final night of the band’s sold-out four-show residency, which concluded on Tuesday, November 25.
The Oxford art-rock quintet drew a verified audience of 22,355 fans on the final night of the run, edging out the previous record established by Metallica in 2017. According to venue officials, Radiohead actually broke the attendance record on each of the four nights (November 21, 22, 24, and 25), with capacity increasing slightly with each performance until hitting the new peak on Tuesday, as reported by NME.
The historic numbers were facilitated by the band’s production design. For their first tour in seven years, Radiohead opted to perform “in the round,” with the stage positioned in the center of the arena floor, allowing for maximum capacity usage compared to traditional end-stage setups.
Christian D’Acuna, Senior Programming Director at The O2, confirmed the milestone in a statement following the residency.
“These past four record-breaking nights will go down in the venue’s history, with Radiohead breaking the attendance records each night,” D’Acuna said. “We knew how special these exclusive shows would be and we’re so grateful to the band for bringing them to The O2. It’s been a true honour to host them, and each night they played different set lists spanning their incredible back catalogue. These shows will be remembered for years to come.”
Beyond the box office success, the residency served as a significant fundraising vehicle. The band implemented a £1/€1 levy on all tickets sold for the tour. Proceeds from the London dates are being directed to the LIVE Trust, an initiative supporting the UK’s grassroots music venues and entertainment sector.
For the upcoming European leg of the tour, the levy will benefit Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). The band has pledged to match the total amount raised from ticket sales for the humanitarian organization, which currently provides emergency medical aid in over 70 countries.
Additionally, Radiohead drummer Philip Selway utilized the London platform to support Samaritans, a su*cide prevention charity for which he serves as an ambassador. Volunteers were present on-site at The O2 to collect donations and raise awareness about mental health, specifically regarding male suicide rates.
“l’ve been a proud Ambassador for the wonderful Samaritans for many years, a cause close to my heart,” Selway stated. “To mark International Men’s Day, they revealed how male stereotypes are holding men back from being themselves and showing that they are struggling.”
Musically, the shows were noted for their fluidity. Frontman Thom Yorke and the band adopted a “busking approach” for this tour, working from a pool of approximately 70 songs and altering the setlist significantly every night.
With the London engagement complete, Radiohead’s 2025 comeback tour continues with four scheduled performances at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, followed by a four-night stand at the Uber Arena in Berlin.
Radiohead Remaining European Tour Dates 2025:
- December 1, 2, 4, & 5 – Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark
- December 8, 9, 11, & 12 – Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany
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