Birmingham’s favourite sons Judas Priest have returned to the legendary Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, and, if the crowds snaking around the block are anything to go by, the expectations for tonight’s sold-out show are sky-high.
Judas Priest
Eventim Apollo, London – 21 September 2026
Words: Kahmel Farahani
Photography: Eric Duvet
Tonight marks the closing night of Judas Priest’s Faithkeepers tour, a tour celebrating all eras and albums of an incredible 50-plus years of Heavy Metal.
The curtain is adorned with the various album artwork that the band has produced over a half century. The curtain falls, and Judas Priest launch right into You’ve Got Another Thing Coming. From the very first minute, the band look and sound phenomenal.
We are told a few hours before the show that Judas Priest’s own Ian Hill has a wrist injury and will not be able to perform. This is the first Judas Priest gig that Ian has ever missed in over 50 years, but thankfully they have found the perfect substitute. Uriah Heep’s own Davey Rimmer steps up on bass tonight.
Rimmer’s playing is flawless and there is a special full-circle moment for fans of the London Metal scene. Both Davey Rimmer and guitarist Ritchie Faulkner started out playing together in the Heavy Metal cover night and Camden institution Metalworks 20 years ago.
After more than 50 years on the road, the power of Judas Priest remains undiminished, and tonight’s setlist is a whistlestop tour of greatest hits and fan favourites. Metal Gods and Breaking The Law get some of the biggest reactions early on, as do gems in the Priest discography like Desert Plains.
Watching Judas Priest in 2026 is a masterclass of Heavy Metal, a well-oiled machine which still has the passion to pull the fans in. The truly breathtaking aspect of tonight’s show is Rob Halford’s voice. The Metal God himself just turned 75 last month, and whatever he is doing needs to be studied and emulated by singers across the land.
Watching him hit the highs during Victim Of Changes is jaw-dropping, and while some other singers from his generation are struggling to even maintain, Halford seems to be flexing with ease.
Delivering The Goods does just that, and it is followed by the newer song Panic Attack. The thunderous roll of drums from Scot Travis’ kit indicates that The Painkiller has arrived. This is still one of the greatest and most ferociously no-nonsense anthems in Heavy Metal, and the entire band storm through it.
The band briefly leave the stage before the revving of Rob Halford’s motorbike echoes off the walls, and the man himself cruises on stage astride his chopper.
Priest kick into Hellbent For Leather, and the mosh pit goes wild. There is only one place left to go and one last song to play. Living After Midnight is still the greatest closing anthem in rock and Metal, and every single voice in Hammersmith is united as one, singing along.
The imprint that Judas Priest has made and still hold over Heavy Metal is indisputable. What may come as a surprise to some is that they are still undisputed live.
Tonight’s Hammersmith show was an utterly flawless and joyful celebration of the music we all love and the songs that shaped generations.
