Bring Me The Horizon Turns St. Paul Into a Sci-Fi Spectacle on The Ascension Program II Tour
Grand Falls Arena, St. Paul, MN, USA, 5/13/2026
A Night of Escapism Inside The Ascension Program
In 2025 Bring Me The Horizon’s Ascension Program Tour didn’t come to a city near me, so when they announced that The Ascension Program 2 Tour would be making a stop in Saint Paul, I jumped on the opportunity immediately. For a band that has spent the better part of two decades reinventing themselves while continuing to push the boundaries of modern heavy music, missing this tour felt irresponsible. The anticipation surrounding this run had been building for months, especially considering the theatrical presentation and immersive production elements that fans across social media had been raving about since the first dates kicked off.
Taking place at Grand Casino Arena, typically known as the home of the Minnesota Wild, the venue was transformed into something entirely different for the evening. Instead of a hockey arena, it became a massive escape for rock and metal fans looking to disconnect from reality for a few hours and fully immerse themselves in the world that Bring Me The Horizon created on stage. Giant screens, dramatic lighting, and the constant pulse of anticipation throughout the crowd made the arena feel less like a sports venue and more like stepping into a sci-fi experience.
Of course, with the Stanley Cup Playoffs in full swing, the arena still carried traces of its hockey identity throughout the night. Between sets, clusters of fans could be seen huddled around cell phone screens keeping tabs on the Wild playoff game, creating a uniquely Minnesota atmosphere that blended sports culture with the excitement of a massive rock show. It was honestly fascinating to watch the two worlds collide. One moment fans were passionately discussing line changes and power plays, and the next they were sprinting back toward their seats as the house lights dimmed and the next band prepared to take the stage.
That contrast somehow added to the experience rather than distracting from it. The arena became a shared gathering place for thousands of people escaping into two different forms of entertainment at the same time: playoff hockey and live music. But once the lights dropped for each band, every lingering distraction disappeared instantly as the entire building shifted its attention toward the stage.
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A Short but Memorable Opening Set
Newer to the scene and already finding herself on an arena tour, Amira Elfeky took the stage first to kick off the evening. Even though doors had only recently opened and she was the first of four bands scheduled to perform, the crowd inside Grand Casino Arena was surprisingly respectable for a 6 PM start time. The lower bowl still had noticeable gaps and the concourse remained busy with people filtering in from merch lines and concession stands, but there were already plenty of fans gathered near the stage ready to give the night an energetic beginning.
An Atmosphere That Instantly Pulled You In
From the moment her set began, Elfeky brought a completely different atmosphere than what many may have expected from an arena opener. Her music carried an ethereal quality that floated throughout the venue, blending haunting melodies with a modern heavy edge that felt both emotional and cinematic. There was something strangely calming about the performance despite the heaviness woven throughout the instrumentals. It is difficult to accurately explain, but her sound created a mood that slowly wrapped itself around the audience rather than immediately demanding attention through aggression alone.
Her vocals were easily the centerpiece of the set. Powerful without feeling overdone, she controlled the stage with a confidence that felt impressive for an artist still relatively early in her career. Even in a shortened opening slot where many fans are still finding their seats, she managed to gain attention and establish a strong emotional tone for the remainder of the night. In many ways, her performance served as the perfect foundation for what would become an evening filled with massive production, heavy music, and emotionally charged performances.
Gone Before the Crowd Was Ready
One of the most surprising aspects of the set was just how little downtime there was between songs. There was very minimal stage banter, with Elfeky seemingly choosing to let the music speak for itself rather than interrupting the atmosphere she was building. The result was a performance that felt incredibly fluid, but it also made the set feel unbelievably short.
Before it even felt like the audience had fully settled into the experience, she was already thanking the crowd and walking off stage. That feeling was not imagined either, as her opening slot clocked in at only around twenty minutes total. For a performer capable of creating that strong of an impression in such a limited amount of time, it honestly felt like we were robbed a little. Just as the crowd seemed fully locked into her performance, it was suddenly over, leaving us wanting far more than the brief glimpse we received.
Turning the Arena Into Their Stage
The last time I saw The Plot In You they were opening for Beartooth in a venue that could probably fit inside Grand Casino Arena thirty times over with room to spare. Even though they were still in an opening slot, this no longer felt like a band simply trying to win over a crowd. This felt like a band fully confident in their place on a major tour.
And to their credit, they absolutely used every inch of the arena setup available to them. The energy inside the building escalated almost immediately the moment their set began. Coming off the more atmospheric and restrained performance from Amira Elfeky, The Plot In You brought a dramatic shift in intensity that could physically be felt throughout the crowd.
The production value jumped noticeably as well. What started earlier in the night with a smaller lighting setup suddenly exploded into a full-scale presentation. Video boards lit up the stage with visuals synced to the music while sweeping lights cut through the darkness in that classic concert style that instantly makes everything feel bigger. It was the kind of setup that transformed the performance from simply “an opening set” into a legitimate spectacle.
More importantly, though, the band knew how to use it. They carried themselves like the seasoned veterans they are, who belonged on a stage of this size, balancing emotional heaviness with explosive moments that kept the crowd fully engaged from start to finish.
Minnesota Understood the Assignment
As the set moved toward its conclusion, vocalist Landon Tewers asked the crowd where the surfers were at, and Minnesota absolutely answered the call. During the final two songs, crowd surfers started pouring over the barricade in waves. Security barely had time to reset before another person came flying toward the front.
Honestly, it may have been one of the most concentrated bursts of crowd surfing I have personally seen in such a short period of time. Every heavy breakdown seemed to launch another wave of people into the air, adding even more energy to an already electric performance. You could feel the momentum of the night fully shifting at that point as the crowd became increasingly louder, more animated, and more invested with every passing song.
The Perfect Bridge to the Main Event
By the time their set ended, The Plot In You had accomplished exactly what a great support act is supposed to do. They raised the energy in the room, pulled more people fully into the experience, and perfectly prepared the audience for the final two bands still waiting in the wings.
What impressed me most was how natural the transition felt. They did not simply “fill time” before the headliners. They made their portion of the night feel important. For longtime fans who remember seeing them grind through much smaller venues, watching them thrive in an arena environment felt rewarding. And for anyone unfamiliar with them walking into the show, it is hard to imagine many people left the arena without at least becoming curious enough to dive deeper into their catalog afterward.
A Familiar Band That Never Gets Old
This was my fourth time seeing Motionless in White live, and somehow the excitement still felt just as strong as the very first time. There are some bands where repeated performances can start to blend together over the years, but Motionless in White continue to find ways to make every set feel massive, theatrical, and emotional. Going into the night, they were easily one of the performances I was anticipating the most, especially with their newer emotional track “Afraid of the Dark” having just been released earlier this February.
The song has already connected strongly with fans in a short amount of time, and hearing it in a live setting added even more life to its emotional atmosphere. In the middle of a tour filled with giant visuals, heavy breakdowns, and arena-sized madness, the track provided a reminder of just how well the band balances heaviness with vulnerability.
Chris Motionless Continues to Be One of the Best Frontmen in Heavy Music
One of the most impressive aspects of any Motionless in White performance, to me, continues to be vocalist Chris Motionless himself. The vocal range and control he displays live is honestly incredible to witness in person. The way he can transition from absolutely vicious screams into smooth melodic choruses without losing intensity is something that few vocalists in modern heavy music can truly master.
And let’s be honest, the man delivers one of the best bleghs in the business.
Every harsh vocal hit with force throughout the venue, yet he still managed to bring emotional depth during the more melodic moments. Songs that leaned heavier ignited the crowd, while the more atmospheric choruses created massive singalong moments that echoed throughout Grand Casino Arena. It created a perfect balance that kept the set fresh from beginning to end.
The Perfect Setup for The Main Event
What stood out most during their performance was how perfectly they fit into this specific tour package. If there was ever a band built to play directly before Bring Me The Horizon, it might honestly be Motionless in White. Their blend of theatrical imagery, crushing heaviness, electronic elements, and emotionally driven songwriting created the ideal hand off between the earlier support acts and the massive production waiting for the headlining set.
The crowd clearly felt the same way.
By this point in the evening, the crowd had fully transformed. Seats were packed, the floor was alive with movement, and every song seemed to pull louder reactions than the one before it. Fans screamed lyrics back at the stage, hands filled the air throughout breakdowns, and the energy inside the building felt like it was constantly climbing higher with every passing minute.
Motionless in White did more than simply support the tour. They helped solidify the atmosphere of the night and made the transition into the headlining performance feel seamless. By the time they walked off stage, the crowd was completely primed for the spectacle that Bring Me The Horizon was about to unleash.
The Bucket List Band Finally Takes the Stage
The main event, Bring Me The Horizon, has been a bucket list band of mine for quite some time now. There are certain bands you build up in your head over the years because of the stories you hear about their live performances, the production value, and the connection fans seem to have with them. Bring Me The Horizon was absolutely one of those bands for me. By the time the lights dimmed one final time, my excitement was honestly indescribable.
The band entered St. Paul carrying a lot of momentum behind them as well. They had just come off a sold out performance at Madison Square Garden, one of the most iconic venues in the world, but they had also recently dealt with an unfortunate incident where vocalist Oli Sykes was hit by a phone thrown from the crowd at another stop on the tour. During this show, Sykes was still sporting a bandage from where he had been struck, making it hard not to wonder how much lingering pain he may still have been dealing with while preparing to perform at the level fans expect from Bring Me The Horizon.
Thankfully, the energy from the St. Paul crowd seemed to completely outweigh any negativity surrounding that previous incident.
A Concert Turned Into a Video Game Experience
Before the band even appeared on stage, the audience was already being pulled into the world of The Ascension Program. Rather than immediately jumping into music, the show opened with a cinematic setup that mimicked the introduction to a video game rather than a traditional concert.
The arena speakers suddenly blasted the unmistakable boot-up sound of the original PlayStation, instantly triggering a wave of nostalgia throughout the building. The massive video boards lit up with visuals styled like a PlayStation 1 era game menu, complete with grainy graphics, menu selections, and small gameplay previews teasing what we were supposedly about to experience together. It framed the entire concert as if the audience itself was entering a game and becoming participants in the Ascension Program storyline unfolding throughout the night.
Then came one of the coolest stage reveals I have ever personally witnessed.
Normally, the tarp covering the stage setup simply drops to the ground when the show begins, and you get to watch crew members franticly roll it up and carry it out of view. Instead, this one suddenly shot upward into the ceiling as if it had been vacuumed away instantly. The entire arena erupted the second it happened. It was such a simple change to a familiar concert trope, but it felt incredibly cinematic and immediately made the night stand out from countless other arena shows I’ve attended.
The Stage Design Was on Another Level
Once the stage was finally revealed, it became obvious that Bring Me The Horizon were not interested in simply playing songs back-to-back for two hours. The stage itself appeared designed to resemble some kind of futuristic church or cathedral, fitting perfectly into the themes of ascension, control, and dystopian storytelling that unfolded throughout the set.
Massive video boards surrounded the band and constantly evolved throughout the performance, guiding the audience level-by-level through the fictional Ascension Program narrative. Rather than random visuals playing in the background, every animation seemed intentional and connected to the larger story being told during the show.
The standout moment of the entire visual presentation came when the story introduced a villain breaking free from containment. The screens suddenly shifted as the arena effects made it appear like a gigantic creature was stomping toward the audience. The way the screens shook and simulated movement honestly felt reminiscent of the iconic T-Rex attack scene from Jurassic Park. Eventually, the creature appeared to smash directly through the church walls displayed on the screens, creating one of the most immersive concert visuals I have ever seen.
Throughout the night, sections of the video boards would also move toward the crowd and toward individual band members, warping their appearances in real time. One particularly creepy section morphed fans’ faces and even Oli himself, into distorted zombie-like versions of themselves, adding another layer of unsettling sci-fi atmosphere to the experience.
A Crowd That Knew Every Single Word
As impressive as the production was, the crowd may have been equally unforgettable.
Not a single song went by without thousands of fans screaming every lyric back toward the stage. From the opening notes onward, the audience became part of the performance itself. Whether it was massive singalongs during melodic choruses or deafening screams during heavier moments, the energy inside the arena never once dipped.
Several songs stood out above the rest during the performance. “Shadow Moses” predictably turned the arena into complete chaos, with the crowd erupting from the very first note. “Follow You” provided one of the night’s more emotional moments as thousands of voices sang together throughout the venue.
But the performance of “Drowned” may have been my personal favorite moment of the evening. During the song, Oli grabbed a handheld camera and walked along the barricade, leaning directly into the crowd while singing alongside fans face-to-face. Seeing those moments displayed live on the giant screens created a feeling of intimacy that is difficult to achieve in an arena setting, yet Bring Me The Horizon somehow managed to make a massive venue feel personal.
The Nine-Year-Old Who Stole the Show
Of course, it would be impossible to talk about the St. Paul show without mentioning one of the defining moments of this entire night.
Throughout The Ascension Program II Tour, Bring Me The Horizon have been bringing fans on stage to perform “Antivist.” Not alongside the band either. The selected fan essentially takes over lead vocals for the complete song in front of an entire arena.
In St. Paul, the honor went to a nine-year-old girl.
And she absolutely crushed it.
The moment instantly became one of the loudest crowd reactions of the night. The entire arena rallied behind her as she confidently screamed lyrics back at the crowd with an confidence that felt fearless. It was one of those live music moments that perfectly captures why concerts can feel so special and unpredictable. You could tell everyone in the building realized they were witnessing something memorable in real time.
Ending the Game in Spectacular Fashion
To close out the evening, Bring Me The Horizon launched into “Throne,” sending the crowd into one final eruption of energy. As the song reached its climax, confetti blasted throughout the arena, covering the audience while thousands of fans screamed every word one last time.
Then, once the house lights finally came back on, the video screens displayed rolling credits confirming that the “game” we had all entered together at the beginning of the night had officially been completed.
It was the perfect ending to one of the most immersive and creatively ambitious live performances I have ever witnessed.
Words genuinely cannot describe how thoroughly Bring Me The Horizon destroyed every expectation I had for what their live show would be. I expected a great concert. What I experienced instead felt like a full-scale multimedia event that blurred the lines between live music, theater, and cinematic storytelling. It was not just a concert anymore. It was an experience.
Afterglow
Overall, this night has officially risen to the top as my favorite show of the year so far, and that is saying a lot considering how incredible some of 2025’s tours have already been. As much as I loved seeing Bad Omens back in March, The Ascension Program II Tour managed to slightly edge it out simply because of how complete the entire experience felt from beginning to end.
What made this night truly special was the way every single performance built naturally into the next. There was never a lull in energy or a moment where the momentum dipped. Amira Elfeky set the emotional and atmospheric tone early, The Plot In You injected the first real wave of energy and crowd movement, and Motionless in White escalated the theatricality and intensity to another level entirely before finally handing things off to Bring Me The Horizon for one of the most immersive live productions I have ever witnessed.
It genuinely felt like each band was carefully positioned to escalate the experience rather than simply fill a slot on the lineup. By the time the house lights finally came on at the end of the night, it felt less like leaving a concert and more like stepping back into reality after being pulled into another world for several hours.
That is ultimately what made this tour stand out so much. It was escapism in the purest form. For a few hours, thousands of people inside Grand Casino Arena forgot about everything happening outside those walls and became completely immersed in the music, visuals, and shared energy of the people around them.
If you got the opportunity to catch this tour, I would genuinely love to hear about your experience because it feels like one of those shows where every city probably developed its own memorable moments. And if you didn’t get the chance to see it, hopefully this review gives you at least a small glimpse into what made the night feel so special and gets you excited for the next time Bring Me The Horizon comes around. Because after finally experiencing them live, I can confidently say the hype surrounding their concerts is absolutely deserved.
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