On a grim, rain-slicked night in London, California punk veterans The Offspring ignited the South East London dome with a surge of electric energy, sending shockwaves through a packed The O2 Arena in a riotous, punk-propelled power surge, serving up their Supercharged Tour 2025 at full blast.
The Offspring – Simple Plan
The O2, London – 14 November 2025
Words: Rhys Tagg
Photography: Federica Burelli
Before the first chord rang out, the band had already dropped the bombshell of a massive London takeover next summer at Crystal Palace Park. Slated for Sunday 28 June, the all-day punk blowout will see The Offspring headline a no-holds-barred lineup featuring Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, PUP, and Destroy Boys, a full-throttle celebration of punk’s enduring fire.
Simple Plan
Warming up the crowd, Canadian pop-punk stalwarts Simple Plan delivered a high-octane support set, stoking the flames for what was to come. Thanks to their version of the Scooby-Doo theme tune some 20-odd years ago, several crowd members were dressed as characters from the show.
Before the gig, some may have questioned why the support leaned toward the pop end of pop-punk, but the energy Pierre Bouvier and co. brought was undeniable.
They tore through catchy numbers like opener I’d Do Anything, flowing through the catalogue with Shut Up, Addicted, and of course, What’s New Scooby-Doo? The crowd was primed and ready to party.
The Offspring
The Offspring blimp was in action. Powered by a drone, it floated around The O2 Arena flashing messages in the build-up to the band’s arrival.
Their denim-clad, battle-jacket-wearing gorilla mascot made an appearance to the crowd’s delight, and a kiss cam/booty cam rolled across the big screens. Pure pop-punk theatre, keeping the crowd entertained and on edge.
By the time The Offspring hit the stage to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, the venue was heaving, packed side to side, front to back. Even the often-empty corporate boxes were filled.
The first note rang out, the crowd erupted, and bodies surged, surfers swept forward, and pits opened instantly. Kicking things off with Come Out And Play, and boy, did the crowd accept the challenge. From that moment on, three pits swirled at once, sustained across a set that powered through more than 20 songs.
The high-energy, supercharged crowd went wild for All I Want and Want You Bad, pure punk euphoria. This was not just a sold-out The O2. This was The Offspring sold out, party mode activated, good times guaranteed, wild from wall to wall.
They rolled into newer track Looking Out For #1, and the crowd stayed locked in. But it was Hit That/Original Prankster that ruptured the room, nostalgia and chaos colliding in glorious fashion.
The stage cleared for a moment as giant inflatables popped up. Noodles came forward first, then the wider band re-emerged to tear into Hammerhead. Another track from 2024’s Supercharged album, Make It All Right, hit and got the full confetti treatment, pure spectacle.
Noodles stepped up to the mic. “We’ve played for a lot of audiences,” he said, “but not like this. Wow, London.” He grinned and jokingly announced a world record for The O2, claiming over two million fans had packed the venue, as the crowd roared in approval.
Then came the covers section. Normally, five covers in a set might raise eyebrows, but when it’s The Offspring and includes an Ozzy Osbourne tribute (Crazy Train), all bets are off. The medley began with Paranoid by Black Sabbath and ended with I Wanna Be Sedated by the Ramones, punctuated by the surreal sight of Scooby-Doo crowd-surfing past.
A drum solo hit as the inflatables deflated. Then, the piano was wheeled out, which could only mean one thing. Gone Away was the show’s most mesmerising and moving moment.
Smoke billowed across the stage. The crowd shrieked, then hushed, offering a special cheer as Dexter Holland took his seat. “We’re gonna play one of our old songs,” he said softly. He explained he wrote it after losing someone close, and that the song helped him heal. “I believe music has the power to heal.”
He asked the crowd to think of someone special, to light up the arena and join him in the moment. Thousands of lights flickered on, a raw, real, and unforgettable shared moment. The band hit back with another cover, this time Hey Jude by The Beatles.
But the party atmosphere hit its crescendo with the final three songs, before the encore, fan favourites Why Don’t You Get A Job?, Pretty Fly (For A White Guy), and The Kids Aren’t Alright. Huge beach balls, confetti, and ticker-tape cannons shot debris around the arena.
The blimp returned, emblazoned with the message “DANCE FUCKER DANCE,” and inflatable Pretty Fly tube men styled after the white guy in the music video bounced across the stage.
The band declared, “This is the most incredible gathering of humans ever,” giving a huge shout-out to the crowd for rocking out to Simple Plan and supporting the tour.
They praised The O2 crowd for showing up “with energy, laughter, and love,” closing with “Thank you, London, thank you, England.”
With the final track, Self Esteem, complete, the show was done, and the band that formed in the ’80s and hit their stride in the ’90s proved they still have it in the 2020s.
The Offspring play Crystal Palace Park on Sunday 28 June 2026. Tickets are on sale from today at offspring.com/supercharged.
