Outbreak London 2026: Deftones

All Points East has not pulled its punches this year. In sharp contrast to yesterday’s pop extravaganza headlined by the wonderful Lorde, the festival concludes its first weekend of this year’s edition with a heavier offering. This lineup is curated by Outbreak, who have their own annual outing in Manchester, and made their London debut at last year’s inaugural edition of LIDO Festival. 

The day has a lot to offer, including the return of Bristol punk collective IDLES, Australian punk favourites Amyl and the Sniffers and New York indie veterans Interpol, who deliver an afternoon set heavy on their early catalogue. The underground rap scene is also represented today by experimental rapper JPEGMAFIA and the UK’s very own EsDeeKid, who packs out the tent with a castle setup.

Following the release of new album private music last year and a sold-out UK arena tour earlier this year, Deftones return to London for their biggest outing yet, making their Victoria Park debut. The Dune-like atmosphere around the park sets the mood for their arrival as the sun begins to set and rising saxophone sounds blast out of the speakers. 

The band waste no time as they dive straight into the thundering ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away),’ the lights shining on a sea of headbangers as the opening riff bellows out. They refuse to slow down, following up with classic title track ‘Around the Fur’ and 2025 single ‘my mind is a mountain,’ the energy continuing to ramp up as the sky darkens.

After decades of being overshadowed by their nu-metal peers, it feels like Deftones are finally getting the love they always deserved as they play to a packed-out park with thousands of festivalgoers screaming the words back at them. The crowd bounces around to the raging ‘Swerve City,’ and the screaming refrains of ‘GUNS! RAZORS! KNIVES!’ are goosebump-inducing as the place erupts with feral energy for the dirty, angry riffs of ‘Rocket Skates’. The new tracks aired tonight also don’t feel out of place, padding the set with extra bursts of energy that never let up as frontman Chino Moreno darts around the stage and growls into the microphone.

Along with the crowd-pleasing heavy hitters for their new generation of fans, the band also throws in plenty of deep cuts for their older followers. White Pony’s ‘Feiticeira’ and ‘Korea’ are a pleasant surprise, while unexpected rarity ‘Xerces,’ taken from 2006’s Saturday Night Wrist, is also met with cheers.

Even the quieter, more melancholic moments of the set are met with love and applause. Shoegaze anthem ‘Sextape,’ which has gained a resurgence in popularity with the younger generation in recent years, sets thousands of swaying as the singalong begins to drown out even Moreno’s own vocals. The frontman’s signature moans make many appearances throughout the night, proving that Deftones have not lost what makes them so special even this late into their tenure.

The band save the best for last, rounding off the show with a hit-packed run of some of their biggest songs. The park can be heard screaming during the opening notes of their defining anthem ‘Change (In the House of Flies)’ and the frantic chorus of ‘My Own Summer (Shove It),’ while the pulsing lights of their dazzling stage show flash on a wave of crowdsurfers. Hands fill the air for encore opener ‘Cherry Waves,’ and the punters give it their all one last time for set closer ‘7 Words’ as multiple circle pits open up within the crowd.

Despite the blistering heat and dusty conditions caused by the UK’s recent bout of heatwaves, nothing can bring down the atmosphere on this day. The sense of joy and community from being at a festival is still well and truly alive, and can be felt even during the closing hours of the weekend. Every act on the bill delivers a stellar performances, wrapped up neatly by a truly generational set from the Californian rockers.