Date: 22nd August 2026
Event: Warrior’s Dance Festival
Venue: The National Bowl
City: Milton Keynes
Country: England
Support: see timetable
Tracklist:
1. Omen
2. Voodoo People
3. Poison
4. Need Someone
5. Light Up The Sky
6. Wind It Up
7. Firestarter
8. Invaders Must Die
9. Beyond the Deathray
10. No Good (Start The Dance)
11. Roadblox
12. Get Your Fight On
13. Their Law
14. Smack My Bitch Up
Encore
15. Breathe
16. Take Me To The Hospital
17. Warrior’s Dance
18. Out Of Space
19. Comanche
Extra info:
Times:
14:30 doors
15:45 David Rodigan
16:50 Scarlxrd
17:20 Yousuke Yokimatsu
18:20 Andy C
19:35 Carl Cox
21:10 The Prodigy
Review by David Jackson, www.miltonkeynes.co.uk:
It was a stunning return to The National Bowl for The Prodigy on Saturday, who – along with some of the biggest names in dance – proved yet again that more than three decades into their career, they remain untouchable.
Throughout their 20-song set, frontman Maxim frequently reminded fans it was 16 years since the Essex natives last headlined the Milton Keynes venue when the Warrior’s Dance festival first rolled into town.
That day in 2010 remains one of the most iconic moments in the Bowl’s recent history.
A lot has changed in the decade and a half since – most notably the loss of singer and dancer Keith Flint.
There was inevitably a question as to whether fellow members Liam Howlett and Maxim would continue following Flint’s passing in 2019.
They did, and anyone who caught the band on their arena tour earlier this year would have seen first-hand that between the pair and their live band, The Prodigy remain as good as they’ve ever been.
Like in 2010, the Warrior’s Dance brought together a stacked line-up across two stages.
Reggae and dancehall legend David Rodigan kicked off proceedings with dance heavyweights Carl Cox and Andy C both performing prior to the headliners.
However, it was ¥ØUUK€ ¥UK1MATU and Scarlxrd – sandwiched between the legends – who put in two of the best sets of the day as people poured into The Bowl.
So, what of The Prodigy. In truth, Maxim and Liam could have picked a set comprising of (almost) anything from their extensive back catalogue and the tens of thousands of adoring fans inside would have left happy.
It’s been a while since we’ve had any new music from the pair.
2018’s No Tourists was their last album and it’s no surprise most of their set came from the acclaimed mid 1990s classic Music for the Jilted Generation and 2009’s Invaders Must Die – with a handful of tracks from the rest of their back catalogue.
With Liam permanently surrounded by keyboards and electronics all night, for much of their set the focus was on Maxim.
Being the band’s sole frontman probably comes with greater pressure than he’s ever experienced – with all eyes fixed on him.
However, his command of The Bowl’s stage was faultless. It’s a huge stage to fill, but all night the singer was a blur – bounding around every inch of it and in the moments when he was stationary – he was glaring, menacingly, out to a sea of people.
The Prodigy kicked off with Omen before taking things back more than three decades with Voodoo People and Poison. The pace never really slowed down.
Masters of melding dance and heavy guitars, The Prodigy shifted between rave and rock all night, while lasers and lights reached out over the top of those inside.
The reprise of Omen gave way to Firestarter which was handled with aplomb.
In tribute to their late frontman whose lyrics dominate the track, lasers from a giant statue in the middle of The Bowl – between barriers separating fans – projected an image of the singer onto the screens.
It was an emotional but perfect nod while the song itself was a remix of the classic track.
Highlights of the set included rave classic No Good (Start The Dance) and Their Law before Smack My B**** Up brought the main set to a close.
The band then returned for an encore which included the likes of Breathe, Warrior’s Dance and their 1992 rave classic Out of Space.
The Warrior’s Dance festival brought to an end what’s been a fantastic year of live music at The National (dust) Bowl.
While many of those inside were there first time around in 2010, Maxim joked early on that many wouldn’t have been old enough to attend 16-years ago.
While you could – it’d be unfair to compare the two performances. What’s not up for debate is the astonishing power of The Prodigy.
No one else effortlessly melds genres as they do and no one puts on a show as intense or with as many lasers either.
Not many acts could headline The Bowl in two different decades and it’s a testament to their enduring appeal that they have.
Let’s hope they come back for a third time – but let’s hope there’s not another 16 year wait!
Review by Naomi Hefter, www.metaltalk.net:
The Prodigy were ready for a Warrior Dance at The National Bowl. The sun set, and the crowd were flying high, quite literally along the peak of the hazy yellow grassed bowl. We were all coming together for this special night of blended music genres. Innovators, pioneers, legends. This band, once unaware of the power of their influence, had returned once again. All were ready for The Prodigy.
From the silence on the stage to the hot, dusty air, drones buzzed above the crowd. Suddenly, a thunderous drumbeat and a bright electric red light filled the bowl. The crowd turned electric and prepared for a dance battle.
Opening with Omen, a fast-paced, direct, heavily lyrical favourite of the crowd, was an impactful start, and that is an understatement. From the album Invaders Must Die, this track got the crowd unleashing pent-up anger, pain, happiness, frustration, or excitement. Everyone felt the instantly powerful atmosphere.
Classics like Breath, Warrior, No Good and Voodoo, The Prodigy has carried the torch since returning in 2022, without replacing frontman Keith Flint. Founder Liam Howlett, guitarist Rob Holliday and MC Maxim have driven the band’s force and come back stronger than ever.
Headlining Glastonbury 2025 and on a single consecutive world tour, The Prodigy were now ready to take the stage at the National Bowl.
The National Bowl opened in 1979. Commonly known as The Milton Keynes Bowl, this open-air arena has seen multiple icons stomp the ground, including Metallica, Oasis and Guns N’ Roses. Now it was time for two hours of hardcore electronic dance, alternative rock and big beat, blended together.
Aggressive, full of attitude, fierce and sometimes even chaotic, The Prodigy (meaning child genius) have fans seeing them as untouchable, with unmatched live performances that make them one of the greatest acts in modern music history.
With seven studio albums, the band tried to avoid the mainstream, turning down repeated invitations to Top Of The Pops and other TV guest appearances. But with Flint’s infectious likeability, presence and opting to show his true talent from backing dancer to songwriter, and eventually frontman, Flint wrote the iconic Firestarter.
A blend of punk, Metal and techno, this track inevitably turned The Prodigy into the mainstream. This track changed everything.
Despite the controversy over the lyrics, Firestarter, raw and aggressive, marked the beginning of the band’s commercial peak, becoming their first UK number one single, a top 10 hit worldwide, and their US breakthrough. By 1996, the release of Breathe had instantly sold 1.2 million copies in the UK.
Since Keith’s passing in 2019, the band have only honoured him, and this hot Saturday night, mid-centre, its peak, and quite literally the heart of the gig, came a moment every single person knew was coming.
A sudden silence, with a faint background sound of strings and soft drum percussion. A giant statue set up at the front of the crowd, facing the stage. Suddenly, sharp laser beams shot from its eyes. These neon green laser beams, also known as aerial laser projectors, outlined Keith’s iconic silhouette on the stage for all to see.
With his famous green hair and double mohawk shaped like devil’s horns, the crowd erupted into an almighty cheer.
And like a door being kicked off its hinges, Firestarter went into full throttle. This spectacular, full-stage green laser show took over what felt like the world. It was a vision like no other. Flint’s silhouette then progressively moved and mimicked his famous energetic dancing style onto the screen on stage.
This celebration of Keith brought hard dancing, tears, cheers and smiles to every single person watching. A moment which preserved his presence,
Ending this impactful and powerful gig with Out Of Space, every crowd member sang and danced together. No one wanted the night to end.
The positive energy when leaving the bowl was radiant. This radical yet ironically positive band are forever honoured and respected. This band shall continue, and in the words of The Prodigy, “We’re here, it’s now, we live forever. The time has come. We live forever.”
Poster:
Tracklist:
T-shirts:
Photos by Rahul Singh:
Photos by Gina Smith:
Photos by David Jackson:
Photos by Ali Burman:
Photos by David Ellitts:
Photos by Erroll Jones:
[…] In early 2025, this remix unexpectedly found a second wind thanks to a viral set by Japanese DJ Yousuke Yukimatsu at Boiler Room Tokyo. During his performance on January 16, the artist suddenly wove the classic ‘Firestarter (Empirion Mix)’ into his modern techno set. The appearance of the old-school banger in such an unexpected context sparked immense excitement in the electronic community: listeners were amazed at how devastatingly the track still works on the dancefloor, even almost 30 years after its release. The case didn’t go unnoticed by Empirion either — in February, the band proudly posted a snippet of that very performance on their Instagram. And The Prodigy have invited Yousuke Yukimatsu to be the support act at the upcoming Warrior’s Dance festival in Milton Keynes. […]