Busted vs McFly at 3Arena, Dublin on October 26th 2025

Whoever once asked these two English pop-punk powerhouses ‘What Happened to Your Band?’ clearly hadn’t seen their explosive two-for-one spectacle at Dublin’s 3Arena this week. The show opened with slick visuals tracing both bands’ intertwined histories and friendly rivalry before McFly literally burst onto the stage with ‘Where Did All the Guitars Go?’, a punk-rock anthem that instantly set the tone.

The crowd roared through hits like ‘Star Girl’, ‘One For The Radio’ and ‘Obviously’, before a heartfelt singalong to ‘All About You’ filled the arena. ‘Red’ delivered the peak of McFly’s set with frontman Danny Jones transforming into a fully fledged rock-star, clambering onto the barricade and throwing himself into the crowd as his powerful vocals travelled through the room.

They closed their half of the show with ‘The Heart Never Lies’, a piano-led finale that showcased Tom Fletcher’s musicianship, even if it softened the high octane pace. Busted reignited the energy instantly with 2003 classic ‘Crashed the Wedding’. Matt Willis bounced across the stage like a Duracell Bunny while Charlie Simpson’s powerful vocals cut through a set full of fan favourites including ‘Dawson’s Geek’ and ‘Loser Kid’.

An emotional moment came during ‘Sleeping with the Light On’, when Willis and Simpson paid tribute to bandmate James Bourne who was forced to sit out on the 30+ date tour due to illness. They asked the crowd to take out their torches and sing along to James’ verse in the song, an assignment an Irish crowd never fails to understand.

Their finale, ‘What I Go to School For’, reminded everyone why Busted helped define the British pop-punk era. The supergroup section saw drummers Harry Judd and Eddy Thrower face off in an intense drum battle, followed by Willis’ playful battle of the basses with Dougie Poynter high up in the tiered seats of the area.

The next battle commenced as Jones and Simpson united for a stripped-back rendition of ‘3am’ before the groups switched back for ‘Air Hostess’, ‘Not Alone’ and ‘5 Colours in Her Hair’, the 2004 hit which features an irresistibly catchy guitar riff. McBusted joined forces and returned for the encore, keeping fans hooked with ‘What Happened to Your Band?’ and ‘Shine a Light’, before a euphoric end to the two-and-a-half-hour show‘ with Year 3000’

From start to finish, it was a masterclass in punk-rock showmanship with both bands oozing energy and chemistry – but if this were a battle, McFly may just have edged it by a fraction. Either way, fans left 3Arena with a spring in their step and a hoarseness to their voice.