The Hives live at Alexandra Palace

Written by Aggie Anthimidou on December 15, 2025

It was a particularly cold night in North London, but The Hives brought the energy—and the heat—to Alexandra Palace. From the moment they hit the stage, Ally Pally surrendered to pure rock ’n’ roll.

29 November 2025, Alexandra Palace, London

Review & Photography: Aggie Anthimidou

It’s the first time I’ve played a venue where the outside temperature is the same as the inside! It’s freezing! And I’m from Scandinavia!

Pelle Almqvist joked in his opening address, immediately setting the tone with his trademark dry humour. What followed over the next two hours was an unrelenting, high-energy performance that proved the cold was no match for The Hives’ ferocity. Pelle’s trademark jumps, fearless crowd invasions and audience surfing ensured that neither band nor crowd stood still for long.

The Hives have been riding serious momentum in the UK, particularly in London, where they’ve played multiple shows over the past year alone, including repeated visits in the same calendar year. After an epic show at Outernet earlier this autumn to promote their latest album The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, it felt only right to wrap up the year with a major statement at Ally Pally.

With a lengthy 19-song set, the band leaned heavily into their last two albums. Songs from The Hives Forever Forever The Hives – ‘Legalize Living’, ‘Enough is Enough’ and the album titled one – already feel like established classics, while tracks from The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons– ‘Bogus Operandi’ and ‘Countdown to Shutdown’ remain firm fan favourites. ‘Smoke & Mirrors’, added to the set following fan requests, was met with a particularly ecstatic response.

Dressed in their unmistakable black suits with white lining—this time dramatically lit—the band delivered pure rock ’n’ roll energy, met in equal measure by a devoted and relentless crowd. The connection between band and audience was constant, loud and gloriously chaotic.

Never one to miss a final flourish, Pelle made sure the night ended on a personal note, taking an extra lap along the front row to greet fans right out at the edges, ensuring no one was left out of the celebration.

On one of the coldest London nights, The Hives once again proved that few bands can ignite a room quite like they can. Ally Pally may have been freezing, but inside it burned bright with noise, sweat and uncompromising rock ’n’ roll.