From Childhood Dreams to Reality: The Offspring and Simple Plan Triumph at a Sold-Out O2 Arena
On 14 November, the sold-out O2 Arena in London became the epicentre of nostalgia and pure pop-punk energy as Simple Plan and The Offspring delivered one of the most memorable shows either band has ever staged in the UK. For a venue packed to the roof, the night felt both massive and strangely intimate. It was filled with personal stories, surprises and arena-level production that turned the show into a full-blown event.
Even the journey to the venue felt special. I’ve dreamt of seeing The Offspring play in front of such a huge crowd since I was eleven years old, and knowing it was finally happening made this show feel super special. The excitement kicked in long before I reached the O2. From London Bridge all the way to North Greenwich, fans were dressed in full ‘Pretty Fly’ gear, oversized sports jerseys, bright red caps, chunky gold chains and sunglasses, perfectly recreating the iconic look from the 1998 music video. Spotting them across the city created a warm sense of connection and shared anticipation before the doors even opened, and I felt incredibly proud to be part of it.
Simple Plan opened the night strong with ‘I’d Do Anything’, ‘Shut Up!’ and ‘Jump’. A standout moment followed with ‘Nothing Changes’, a new track from their documentary ‘The Kids In the Crowd’, proving the band is still creating with heart and purpose. Later, Pierre Bouvier (vocals) asked, “Who is seeing Simple Plan for the first time?” before warmly welcoming newcomers: “Welcome to the party, welcome to the family, welcome to my life”. The timing couldn’t have been better, because they immediately launched into ‘Welcome to My Life’, sparking a massive arena-wide sing-along. As the set ramped up, they played ‘Scooby Doo’, and the crowd erupted in the best way possible. Several people dressed as Scooby Doo stormed the stage, bouncing around and tossing merch into the audience.
Playing the O2 Arena for the first time clearly meant a lot to the band. They paused to reflect on their early-2000s tours with Bowling for Soup and how London has always felt like a place where they truly “belonged”. Naturally, this flowed into ‘Where I Belong’. ‘I’m Just a Kid’ followed, during which Chuck Comeau (drums) and Pierre Bouvier (vocals) swapped places. Chuck then announced he wanted to high-five the entire arena, resulting in an impressive crowd-surf through nearly half the venue. They closed the night with ‘Perfect’, as thousands of phone lights illuminated the O2 in a sea of soft white. It was a beautiful, tender final moment — proof of just how deeply Simple Plan’s music continues to resonate with fans, old and new.
Then The Offspring took the stage. They opened with ‘Come Out and Play’, featuring Jason ‘Blackball’ McLean delivering his infamous “you gotta keep ’em separated” line live. It was an appearance reserved for only a few selected EU/UK shows, making London especially lucky. Their setlist was also longer than their Newcastle show a night later, with London getting bonus tracks like ‘Let the Bad Times Roll’ and ‘All I Want’.
The Offspring incorporated several cover songs, which was more than usual. As a diehard fan, it felt like perhaps a few too many, especially considering their wealth of original material. Still, tributes like ‘Crazy Train’ for Ozzy and their Ramones cover ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’ (released in 2003 for the ‘We’re a Happy Family’ tribute album, which I absolutely love) were performed with passion and precision.
The emotional peak of the night came when Dexter sat alone at the piano for ‘Gone Away’. With thousands of lights shimmering across the arena and dramatic smoke and fire rising behind him, the moment was very powerful and impossible not to feel deeply. All around me, people were wiping away tears and I was right there with them, overwhelmed by thoughts of loved ones who are no longer here. Sensing the weight in the room, the band shifted gears and followed it with a cover of ‘Hey Jude’. Ten thousand voices came together for that chorus, and it was a great way to bring everyone back up.
After ‘Hey Jude’, they played ‘Why Don’t You Get a Job?’, ‘Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)’ and ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright’, bringing the focus back to their signature ‘Americana’ hits. From there, they built to their classic two-song finale: ‘You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid’ and ‘Self Esteem’. The crowd gave absolutely everything — jumping, moshing, crowd surfing and screaming every word. It was the perfect high-energy finish for a band whose anthems have truly changed so many lives.
Having seen The Offspring many times over the years, I can confidently say that production-wise, this was their most ambitious show yet. Even the Intermission between bands was wildly entertaining — complete with live-cam games, a mischievous gorilla mascot roaming the arena, goofing around, twerking with fans, handing out kisses and surprising people with upgrades to the standing area.
The concert also took place on the exact 25th anniversary of ‘Conspiracy of One’. As someone obsessed with that album, I admittedly hoped for more deep cuts, but that’s purely the diehard fan in me talking. Overall, the night was everything I’d hoped for and more: emotional, explosive, nostalgic and charged with the energy of ten thousand people. It was so good that I’m literally going to see the show again for the end of the tour in Glasgow on the 18th.