Review: My Chemical Romance at Wembley Stadium

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For twenty years, My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade has taken listeners on an emotional and spiritual journey that few albums in music history have been able to match.

People from all over the world connect with its timeless themes of mortality and regret, but beyond that, it is the album’s versatility – from emotional ballads to hard rock anthems – that has cemented The Black Parade as one of the greatest albums of all time.

If you think that’s an exaggeration, 270,000 people turned up to Wembley Stadium across three nights to celebrate its milestone anniversary.

By its very nature, ‘The Black Parade’ is a theatrical album, and My Chemical Romance’s ongoing world tour elevates that theatricality to new heights. As Vera Lynn’s wartime anthem echoed around the stadium, a lone marching drummer signalled the arrival of the 52nd Regiment of the Black Parade and kickstarted proceedings.

The show felt immersive and cinematic as the band opened with songs such as ‘Dead!’ and ‘This Is How I Disappear.’ The excitement was palpable as the crowd sang every word back to the band, creating a dissonant, choir-like atmosphere as Gerard Way led the procession in commanding fashion.

That energy reached another level during ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’. As soon as those iconic piano notes rang out across Wembley, the stadium erupted. Despite its status as a rock anthem, it is also an emotional song that allows listeners to find their own meaning within it, provoking a range of reactions throughout the crowd.

Following memorable performances of ‘Mama’, ‘Teenagers’ and ‘Disenchanted’, the main section of the show concluded in dramatic fashion with ‘Famous Last Words’. Pyrotechnics literally engulfed the stage in flames while choreographed stage combat featuring a Pierrot clown unfolded amid fireworks exploding both inside the stadium and above the roof. It was an unforgettable sight to behold.

After a short break, My Chemical Romance made their way through the crowd to a secondary stage. Dressed in a skeleton onesie, Gerard Way led the band through a mixture of fan favourites, including “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” and “Helena”, alongside deeper cuts such as “My Way Home Is Through You”—a B-side from The Black Parade—and the live debut of the 2010 track “Zero Percent”. Following the grandeur of the main stage production, the stripped-back setting offered a more intimate experience while still keeping the 90,000-strong crowd captivated.

Without sounding overly dramatic, it genuinely felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a concert that only My Chemical Romance could deliver. Stadium shows can sometimes leave audiences feeling short-changed, but that was never the case here. Every element was executed to perfection, giving the 90,000 fans inside Wembley everything they could have hoped for: nostalgia, theatricality, emotion, adrenaline, headbanging and memories that will last a lifetime.

Photo: Matty Vogel