It has been 25 years since Moby last played Brighton, and judging by the reaction on the beach on Sunday night, the wait had only heightened the anticipation.
Closing this year’s “On The Beach” Festival with his only UK show this year, one of only a handful of live performances scheduled worldwide in 2026, the electronic pioneer delivered a set that celebrated the enduring brilliance of “Play”, and the emotional generosity that has always set him apart from many of his contemporaries.
As the sun set and a cooling sea breeze rolled across Brighton Beach, the festival’s closing night felt perfectly staged. Earlier sets from Max Cooper, Logic1000, SWIM and Planningtorock had steadily built the atmosphere, but everything changed the moment Moby and his band took to the stage.
The roar from the 10,000 strong sold-out crowd suggested this was the return of an artist whose music has quietly become part of people’s lives.
Backed by a superb band, including a brace of wonderful string players and two extraordinary vocalists in Nadia Christine Duggan and India Carnegie, Moby remained characteristically understated, drifting between guitar, keyboards and percussion while frequently stepping aside to let others take centre stage. That absence of ego has become one of his defining strengths as a live performer.
Moby has always effortlessly blurred the lines between electronica, gospel, punk and blues. A soaring rendition of David Bowie’s “Heroes” became one of the evening’s emotional high points.
If the songs carried the emotion, Moby’s stories gave the evening its heart…
Looking out across the beach, he paused to admire the blazing sunset behind the audience. “This is a strange thing for a narcissist to say,” he smiled, “but look at that sunset.” It was a wonderfully revealing moment: self-deprecating, quietly funny and entirely devoid of rock-star swagger.
Introducing “Heroes”, Moby reflected on the surreal privilege of working with David Bowie, calling it “the best song ever written”. Rather than sounding boastful, he spoke with the enthusiasm of a lifelong fan still astonished that his hero had become a collaborator. The performance that followed was quietly magnificent.
Moby setlist
Bodyrock
Go
Next Is The E
In This World
In My Heart
We Are All Made of Stars
Heroes (David Bowie cover)
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
Raining Again
Disco Lies
Flower / Find My Baby
Honey
Lift Me Up
Extreme Ways
Encore
Porcelain
Natural Blues
Feeling So Real
Compassion has always run through Moby’s music, and it remained central here.
Before “Heroes”, a moving video message from his late friend Jane Goodall on the big screen introduced a heartfelt reflection on animal welfare, kindness and our shared responsibility for the planet. The sentiments never felt worthy or preachy; they simply reinforced the empathy that has long defined both the artist and his work.
The evening’s most charming moment arrived when Moby admitted that, as a teenager, he’d always dreamed of stepping to the front of the stage to deliver an outrageous rock guitar solo. Smiling broadly, he finally did exactly that. It was gloriously joyful, the crowd cheering not technical brilliance but the infectious delight of watching someone fulfil a dream.
Before the closing stretch of his 100 minute, 18 song set, he also saluted the pioneers of British rave culture, thanking Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox and Danny Rampling for helping create the scene that inspired his own career. It was a generous acknowledgement from an artist who has never forgotten where dance music came from.
The euphoric closing blast of “Feeling So Real” sent the crowd home on a wave of rave nostalgia, while the iconic piano hook of “Go”, which arrived early in the set, still sounded every bit as exhilarating as it did in 1991.
As darkness settled over the Channel, elegant lighting merged with the fading colours of the sky. Looking across the beach, it was impossible not to notice the remarkable span of generations in the audience: those who had first danced to Go in the early 1990s stood beside younger fans discovering these songs live for the first time.
This was simply a reminder that truly great music grows with its audience. A quarter of a century since his last Brighton appearance, California’s Moby returned as an artist whose songs continue to offer hope, connection and moments of genuine transcendence. Judging by the warmth that flowed between stage and shoreline throughout the evening, the affection was entirely mutual.
Upcoming 2026 Moby Tour Dates
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