On tour in 2026, the band may be far removed from their beginnings in 2003, but they proved they still know exactly how to thrill a crowd.
From 7.30pm the hum of anticipation built through one of Bournemouth’s biggest venues as fans of all ages poured through it’s multiple entrances to see a band they’ve loved for two decades.
Families in Kaiser Chiefs merchandise grinning into camcorders rubbed shoulders with hairy biker lookalikes, teenagers, young couples and groups of friends, all eager for the show to start.
Bournemouth was the 10th stop on it’s 12 date tour and the Chiefs gave the south coast audience exactly what they came for.
Lead singer Ricky Wilson arrived in classic indie sleaze style, channelling Elvis with trademark knee shakes and repping a structured blue-and-striped blazer, skinny jeans and boots.
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Lead singer of Kaiser Chiefs, Ricky Wilson, performing at the BIC (Image: Rockstarimages)
Wilson’s audience command and strong stage presence showed a man completely at ease commanding thousands of screaming fans.
Guitarist Andrew “Whitey” White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick “Peanut” Baines and drummer Vijay Mistry looked just as comfortable, delivering songs they’ve been perfecting since the release of ‘Employment’ in the early noughties.
Guitarist for the Kaiser Chiefs, Andrew White, performing at the BIC. (Image: Rockstarimages)
The concert’s stage visuals leaned heavily into a Jurassic Park-style aesthetic, with huge dinosaur graphics looming over the jumping crowd, who practically bounced in appreciation for the bands indie-rock anthems.
The band opened with ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’, which reached number 10 in the UK singles chart in May 2005, before launching into the iconic ‘I Predict a Riot’.
The latter had every person in the arena on their feet, hands in the air, shouting along.
During ‘I Predict a Riot’, the band made their only overt political statement of the night, with slogans on the screens behind them reading “I predict a right to protest”, “Expect resistance”, “Protest is not terrorism” and “Defend dissent”, accompanied with footage of protesters and police.
Lead singer of the Kaiser Chiefs, Ricky Wilson, performing at the BIC. (Image: Rockstarimages)
For the rest of the set, the mood stayed light-hearted, fun and indie-rock heavy.
Abstract visuals of pigeons with mohawks, psychedelic patterns and parody news bulletins played behind album tracks including ‘Na Na Na Na Naa’, ‘Born to Be a Dancer’, ‘Time Honoured Tradition’, ‘You Can Have It All’, ‘Saturday Night’, ‘Caroline, Yes’, ‘Modern Way’, ‘Oh My God’, ‘What Did I Ever Give You?’ and ‘Team Mate’.
The ‘Employment’ album and the band have not only stood the test of time, but they have also cultivated a devoted following that ignores age and genre boundaries.
Knowing what their fans wanted, the Chiefs finished the show strong with more of their most well known tracks such as ‘Ruby’. A song that went to number one in the UK singles chart in 2007 and ‘Angry Mob’ – both from the bands second album ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’.
Bassist for the Kaiser Chiefs, Simon Rix, performing at the BIC (Image: Rockstarimages)
From silver-haired devotees to gaggles of teens, the standing arena looked like a surging tide of rocking fans belting out songs they seemed to know by heart.
With just two dates left, the tour now heads to sold out shows in Cambridge and Wolverhampton to round off the 2026 anniversary run.
If you’re reading this annoyed you missed out on the Kaiser Chiefs anniversary tour, there’s good news.
The Chiefs will return to the south coast this summer to play Poole Harbour Festival on 2 August 2026.