The Hives @ The Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA
March 16th 2026: The Hives @ The Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA
The Hives - Photos Courtesy of: Erika Reinsel
If you haven’t been to a Hives show, you’re missing out. And if you have, you already know that once is never enough. That much was clear Monday night, when a packed crowd at The Fillmore Philadelphia braved rain and even a tornado watch just to be in the room.
Our favorite Swedes, The Hives, arrived impeccably dressed in support of their latest album, The Hives Forever Forever The Hives. Clad in suits lined with white LED strips, they quite literally lit up the stage, glowing against a backdrop of massive inflatable balls spelling out H-I-V-E-S… because subtlety has never been their thing.
A Hives show is equal parts explosive rock ‘n’ roll and razor-sharp banter, and the balance is exactly what makes it work. Frontman Pelle Almqvist is nothing short of magnetic, repeatedly insisting it was actually Saturday night (because in Philly, a Monday can feel like one). Between songs, he doubled down on the band’s long-standing, tongue-in-cheek claim: that The Hives are the greatest band in the world – and will be forever. While Pelle Almqvist commanded center stage, he regularly leapt beyond the barrier to mingle with lucky front-row fans, turning the performance into something far more personal. The rest of The Hives matched that energy without hesitation. Guitarists Niklas Almqvist and Vigilante Carlstroem delivered a relentless stream of sharp, electrifying riffs, all while urging the crowd to move, shout, and somehow get even louder. While stage-named The Johan and Only and Chris The Dangerous held things down from the back, their tight, driving rhythm anchored the chaos – effortlessly pulling everything together into a raucous, electrifying evening.
As the crowd danced, thrashed, and jumped along, The Hives tore through their catalog with relentless intensity. Fittingly, they closed the night with ‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’, a final, triumphant burst of energy.
And even as fans spilt back out onto the rain-soaked streets, the chant of “The Hives Forever!” echoed on, lingering well beyond the final note.
Setlist:
Enough is Enough
Walk Idiot Walk
Rigor Mortis Radio
Paint a Picture
Main Offender
Born a Rebel
Roll Out the Red Carpet
Stick Up
Bogus Operandi
Hate to Say I Told You So
Countdown to Shutdown
Come on!
Tick Tick Boom
Encore:
Legalize Living
Bigger Hole to Fill
The Hives Forever Forever The Hives
