LOVE AMONG THE RUINS: THE MACCABEES AT KIRKSTALL ABBEY

LIVE REVIEW | The Maccabees w/ Maxïmo Park, Everything Everything, Mystery Jets and Fiona-Lee | Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds | 31st July 2026 by Myles Pearson

As I wandered into the grounds of Kirkstall Abbey, I couldn’t help but become increasingly excited at the night ahead. The late July heat still clung to the air; the old stone ruins bathed in the evening glow, and the entire place was alive with hustle and bustle.

Kirkstall Abbey is an extraordinary place to hold a concert. The remains of the 12th-century monastery create an incredible backdrop, with centuries of history standing next to you. In the afternoon sunshine, however, the ruins did not feel imposing or gloomy. They became part of the warmth of the occasion, surrounding what felt like one enormous indie gathering in the heart of Leeds.

Supported perfectly by Fiona-Lee, Mystery Jets, Everything Everything and Maxïmo Park. Each song gently heated up the audience. Rather than feeling like acts people were merely waiting to finish, they turned the concert into a full day of British alternative music. Everything Everything brought their usual quirkiness, while Maxïmo Park provided the sort of energetic final warm-up needed to bring an already lively crowd fully to its feet.

Between the performances, there was a familiar outdoor-concert rhythm. People weaved through the crowd carrying drinks, old friends bumped into one another and queues formed before suddenly disappearing again. Everywhere you looked, someone seemed to be wearing a faded band T-shirt from another era. The abbey was decorated in nostalgia.

As the sun began to drop and the shadows around the abbey grew longer, attention gradually turned towards the stage. The chatter faded, bodies moved closer together, and phones appeared above heads. Then came the opening of ‘Love You Better‘, and the atmosphere changed immediately.

It was an ideal opener. The song’s restless guitar and emotional urgency swept through the grounds, prompting thousands of voices to join Orlando Weeks from the first line. There was no sense of The Maccabees needing time to find their feet. They walked on and sounded like a band comfortable in each other’s company, almost as though the years apart had been little more than a short interval.

From there, the band launched into ‘Latchmere‘ and took the evening back to the scruffier, more frantic sound of The Maccabees’ early years. It still bounced along with the same peculiar charm, producing an affectionate response from those who had followed The Maccabees since Colour It In. Hearing it within the grounds of a medieval setting was a slightly surreal contrast, but that only added to the fun.

Weeks was excellent throughout the evening. His voice remains one of the most distinctive in British indie music, able to sound fragile one moment and soar above the guitars the next. There was also something refreshingly understated about his presence. He did not attempt to fill every pause or force significance upon the occasion. He allowed the setting, the crowd and, most importantly, the songs to do the talking.

The band sounded remarkably sharp too. The guitars retained all the detail and nervous energy associated with The Maccabees, while the bigger songs expanded naturally into their surroundings. At times, the music bounced from the stage towards the ruins and back again. As the bright sky slowly became a softer summer evening, the abbey appeared to change with it.

The standout moment arrived midway through the performance with ‘Toothpaste Kisses‘. Its familiar whistle was greeted by an immediate cheer before the crowd joined in. It was gentle, intimate and strangely moving. Arms went around shoulders, couples kissed and, for a few minutes, the hustle and bustle that had filled the grounds earlier was replaced by thousands of people concentrating on the same delicate moment.

That moment captured what made the evening work so well. These songs have lived with people for years. They have played in student bedrooms, on iPod Nanos, through difficult break-ups and during long journeys home from nights out. Hearing them again was never going to be purely about musical appreciation. Each one carried a collection of memories that belonged to the people singing along.

The Maccabees separated in 2017 and, for a long time, appeared determined to leave their story there. Their eventual reunion could easily have become a brief look backwards, but this performance suggested something more natural. They did not resemble musicians reluctantly revisiting old material because people were willing to buy tickets. There was a visible enjoyment in being onstage together again, and that feeling travelled through the crowd.

By the time the evening reached ‘Pelican‘, Kirkstall Abbey was completely theirs. The opening guitar sent one final burst of energy across the grounds, with the crowd bouncing from the front barrier to the edges of the venue. It was both frantic and joyous. A song concerned with the speed at which time passes felt particularly fitting for a night shaped by memory and moments both past and present.

Then, almost as quickly as it had begun, it was over. The final notes disappeared into the night, the stage lights remained against the abbey walls, and thousands of people slowly turned towards the exits. The earlier bustle returned as friends attempted to find one another and the crowd spilt into Leeds.

The Maccabees did not need to reinvent themselves at Kirkstall Abbey. They simply reminded everyone why their absence had mattered. On a warm July evening, surrounded by old ruins and a crowd carrying years of memories, they created something which felt beautifully unforced.

The Maccabees’ Marks to Prove It 10th-anniversary edition is available now. To listen, purchase the record and be the first to hear about future live dates, visit www.themaccabees.co.uk/tour/