OVO Arena Wembley, London, 13/12/25

2025 marks 31 years of Bowling For Soup – 31 years of the best pop-punk bangers with catchy hooks and provocative lyrics. And on Saturday night, the Texas trio took to London’s OVO Arena Wembley for the perfect celebration at their final tour date of the year.

Colourful smoke bursts for BFS’s opening number ‘Bitch Song,’ before the music video for ‘Almost’ takes over the jumbo screens, an instant crowd pleaser. This clearly gives Jaret Reddick somewhat of an ego boost, as he playfully beckons, “Ladies and gentlemen, what you’re experiencing right now is the greatest band that’s ever lived… pausing for dramatic effect.”

“We have to play songs that we’ve never played in the UK before,” says Jaret, paraphrasing bassist Rob Felicetti. With that, the group transitions into ‘I Don’t Wish You Were Dead Anymore’, featuring vocals from Jaret’s daughter, Emma, with emotionally-penned lyrics, “I only want what’s best for you.”

There’s a common misconception that BFS are a band you can’t take seriously. And while a small part of that is almost intentionally true, the topic of mental health was of high importance on Saturday night. “The truth is. Around 13-14 years ago, anxiety and depression came knocking on my door…,” says Jaret.

“I have three medications, three therapists and you guys. No one in this room is alone. We are all in this together. The reason I do this at our shows is to remind people in here who might feel alone that you’re not right now and that the world’s a better place that you’re in it. I’m so happy you’re at this show tonight. This song is for anybody who has been at a show with 9k people and felt like they were by themselves. Because I’ve been there.”

Phone lights surround the walls of OVO Arena Wembley for the melancholic ‘Turbulence.’ Motivational quotes appear on the big screen like “You deserve love”, “You’re doing your best”, and “Celebrate small victories”, to name a few. It’s a deeply connecting moment, away from the barrels of laughter that have already happened in the first half of the show. It’s a true testimony to the versatility of this band.

Pyro is back for their 2002 anthem ‘Punk Rock 101’. After spending some back-and-forth arguing with each other about not playing their biggest song ever (the Phineas and Ferb theme tune) and the drama of the synchronised boos from the crowd, the band, of course, blare straight into it.

“This is the biggest show we’ve ever played as a band, and I’m a little taken aback by it,” says Jaret. Really, if there’s one thing to take away from a BFS gig, it’s that it sits somewhere between a comedy show, a pantomime and a concert all in one. They offer so many layers of chaos that blend into one big commotion of fun.