Bring Me the Horizon Delivers an Unforgettable Performance In Dallas

Last weekend, Bring Me the Horizon brought their USA Ascension Program tour to Dallas, TX, with support from openers Amira Elfeky, The Plot in You, and Motionless In White. Not only was this the first time the band has played the American Airlines Center, the venue that holds all of our Dallas Mavericks basketball games (yeah, this arena is gigantic), but it was also a massive milestone in Bring Me the Horizon’s career, being the largest show they have ever played in North America to date.

Amira Elfeky started off the night with a bang, stepping out onto the stage in a dress completely made from playing cards. Amira wasn’t just impressive from a fashion sense, though; her vocals and instrumentation caught my attention almost immediately. Her songs sounded like a heavier and slightly darker version of Maggie Lindemann’s music, which, if you know me, is quite the compliment. I had never heard her music before Saturday night’s show, which is truly a shame, because it was right up my alley. But that’s one of the best parts of being a concert photographer — getting to discover new artists and songs that you wouldn’t have otherwise. I will definitely be doing a deep dive into Amira’s Spotify over the next couple of days.

Next up was The Plot In You. This set was a very anticipated one, both for me and the other photographers I was shooting with. The band opened their set with three of their most recent singles, and the crowd began vibing with them immediately. I got lucky during the performance and got to hear my favorite song of theirs, “Divide,” up close while I was shooting in the photo pit. The band’s performance was lively and passionate and translated really well into an area-type setting. It’s very rare that metalcore bands get to play on stages as big as the Dallas American Airlines Center, and as someone who grew up in that music scene, it was really amazing getting to see a band like this get their moment to shine and show people just how talented they really are.

After The Plot In You played their final track, Motionless In White exploded onto the stage next, opening with “Meltdown.” Like, c’mon, can you imagine a better opener to a set? No, I thought not. The cheers that erupted from the crowd when the first breakdown hit were absolutely seismic, and one of the girls in the front row genuinely looked like she was about to cry when Chris Motionless stepped out onto the catwalk stage. Chris is one of the coolest frontmen in the scene, in my opinion. Not only just from an aesthetic or performance level, but from the uniqueness of his voice and the way he can command a crowd's attention. Also, the man has one of the best metal “bleghs” I have EVER heard. The band played through several tracks off of their most recent record, Scoring the End of the World, with “Slaughterhouse” getting the entire venue off their feet. The band then closed out their fantastic set with two of their most iconic songs, “Another Life” and “Eternally Yours.”

Finally, Bring Me the Horizon’s set began. Set, perhaps, is the wrong word to use. “Show” and “performance” don’t even really seem appropriate either, because what we saw that night transcended anything else that I have seen a metal band do on stage before. This wasn’t just a concert; this was an entire experience, both sonically and visually.

The spectacle started with a handful of old-school-style video game clips of the band members fighting off zombies, followed by a foreboding message from a female alien figure, a theme that would be present in a lot more of the show's graphics that night. Soon, the curtain dropped to reveal one of the most beautiful stage designs I have ever seen. The backdrop looked like something straight out of a cathedral with fake stained glass windows, and women dressed as some sort of nuns stood on each side with flags. The whole setting looked absolutely ethereal, and then “Dark Side” began to play and the confetti cannons erupted. It felt almost like a religious experience. 

The first half of the band’s set was made up of some of their most heavy-hitting songs over the last 10 years. By the time “Shadow Moses” started to play, the entire floor began to move in one of the biggest circle pits I have ever seen. The perks of playing in a massive venue: you have all the space in the world to mosh. BMTH also played one of my personal favorites off of Sempiternal, “Sleepwalking,” which was really special for me because I’ve never heard them play it live in person before. Similar to their opening track, the lighting and graphics were creative and impressive as ever. Several times the cameras would zoom in on an audience member, and unique, futuristic graphics would play over the top of each individual fan. I’ve never seen something like that done at a concert before, and it made everything feel more interactive and special. Another highlight of the performance was when singer Oli Sykes brought up a fan onstage to sing the majority of “Antivist” and later joined forces with him during that bridge. Bring Me the Horizon’s attention to and inclusion of their fans at their shows is always next-level and makes the whole experience super fun for us. 

As the band's set started to near the end, Oli took a really beautiful moment to thank everyone for coming out and supporting the band. He also mentioned that this was the biggest show the band had ever played in North America as of right now. The fact that this happened in my hometown made it even more exciting to me. The night ended with an iconic performance of “Throne,” and even more flames, confetti, and smoke started to pour out from the stage, leaving me and all other fans in awe. 

Bring Me the Horizon has always put on an incredible show, but the detail and attention that went into every single aspect of this tour's performance was truly one of the most spectacular things I have ever witnessed. It’s hard to crack my top 3 concert experiences, especially when bands like A Day to Remember and Sleep Token are among them, but I can genuinely say that Bring Me the Horizon’s show in Dallas this weekend might have just surpassed all of them. As of the time I am writing this, there are only a few more dates left on the North American tour. But the band will be playing at several festivals around the world from this year to 2026. So if you get the opportunity to attend one of their shows, do it! It will absolutely blow your mind.