The Prodigy, Wythenshawe Park. 30th August 2026

After successfully dodging the rain with The Cure and Pulp, it seems my luck has run out with The Prodigy. That’s okay though, the storm clouds are merely an excuse to embrace the chaos as the Essex rave monsters bring this year’s Live at Wythenshawe Park to a messy close. I’ll be honest, I’m here for a bit of redemption. Having witnessed their blistering set in Victoria Warehouse a few years ago, I was then bitterly disappointed with their outing at Mayfield Depot. I think it was more the venue that let things down that night, but ever since, I’ve been itching to see them again and come away with that buzz of having just been deftly torn apart by Howlett’s body bludgeoning beats. After two previous trips this week, it’s hard not to compare the different gigs, but it’s fair to say that it’s not only the mud that’s different tonight. The Cure crowd were polite (aside the prick with the kazoo). Pulp had a different energy, grown up perhaps. The Prodigy crowd… wonderfully batshit. It’s beautiful carnage from the get go. I walk in as Carl Cox is on the main stage (there’s a second satellite stage tonight) and it’s going off! A kazoo would fit in perfectly!! Not that you’d hear it over The Prodigy. I’ve been impressed with the sound in here (out here) this week, but I shit you not, as the furious wallop of ‘Omen’ kicks off, I swear the fucking earth moves. This might be expected, massive beats are this lots stock and trade, but a singalong?… maybe not, that’s what we get though, a 25,000 headed beast screaming the lyrics back at Maxim.‘Voodoo People’ goes mental as what feels like the entire field turns into a seething pit and the lights explode in a full on assault. Quite an entrance. ‘Poison’ surprisingly slows things with that lazy bass sludge set up. It feels more like a head-banging metal gig. You forget there’s live drums and guitars up there these days, they’re a far cry from the 90s set-up, with scuzzy riffs tearing from the stage. No more so than on ‘The Day is My Enemy’. It’s fucking hard, but without Maxim the hype man firing up his “warriors” (I know bit cheesy) it falls a bit flat. He’s back for ‘Light Up the Sky’, but it takes the old school ‘Wind It Up’ to light the fuse again. It’s brutal compared to its original recorded version and honestly sounds superb, I’d love to hear what they’d do with more of the tracks from Experience. ‘Firestarter’ too is a different beast these days but for different reasons, as it takes on the role of memorial to Flint. Maxim’s stock still silence speaks volumes, as Flint’s outline takes control from the screens. I’ve seen this a few times now but it still lands every time. Spotlights probe sky from two giant raygun stage props, as ‘Invaders Must Die’ kicks at double speed. They’re very much a singles band, but it’s quite disarming just how many massive songs they have in their arsenal. ‘No Good (Start the Dance)’ is one for the ravers. Never my favourite but it still packs a punch, even though it doesn’t get the metal makeover. ‘Roadblox’ sees them get back onto a harder footing. They seem more comfortable these days with the more industrial sound and I’m here for it, although this might be the weakest of the newer songs. I say newer, this is 10 years old, surely we’re due an album soon? I’d love to hear what this more aggressive live sound would do in the studio. That aggression is summed up nicely with ‘Get Your Fight On’. Which pairs nicely with ‘Their Law’. For years I preferred PWEI doing this live, but I think The Prodigy have wrestled it back. A circle pit forms, semi-successfully and as that riff builds and teases, the drop when it comes is deadly. This is why I’ve not really got a decent photo from tonight. Getting your phone out in a crowd like this is asking for trouble. They do come out though as ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ takes us gloriously into the break. That ethereal eastern vocal in its interlude sounds wonderful in a crowd this size, it’s hypnotic. I shift to the back for the encore, in the interests of a smooth exit, as ‘Breathe’ is unleashed. It’s no less nuts back here and remarkably sounds just as good. Honestly hats off Wythenshawe Park, you’ve outdone yourselves this year. ‘Take Me to the Hospital’ feels like the last big banger as the heavens open, the strobes beautifully picking out the downpour in the dark. ‘Warriors Dance’ though does work well with its drum and bass backline setting up that euphoric chorus. I often talk about a desire to see bands in small spaces, not The Prodigy, they need a crowd, a big one that doesn’t give a fuck if a weeks worth of Manchester rain hits them in 10 minutes. ‘Out of Space’ would be a fitting finale, but they squeeze in ‘Comanche’ to close a brilliant set that has restored my faith. When on form, I can’t think of another band out there quite like The Prodigy. So that’s it. Next week’s gigs will be indoors, maybe judging by today’s weather, the summer is over, we’ll see, but it’s been brilliant. My final tip for gigs at Wythenshawe Park for when we return next summer. Cycle! Honestly the smug feeling of hoping on your bike and dodging all the chaos is fantastic!