The Mohegan Sun Arena was full of energy on August 8, 2026 for Billy Idol’s “It’s A Nice Day To… Tour Again!” concert as the crowd eagerly waited for Billy Idol to take the stage.
Billy Idol, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed snarling lip rocker, brought his MTV generation fans out in droves to a packed house. That full house stayed on their feet through most of the entire concert.
Mohegan Sun was not only filled with MTV Generation-age fans. I saw what looked to be a multigenerational crowd. It was filled with what looked to be dads and moms joined by their kids, and some looked as young as late teens.
Two women near me must have been around when Idol’s first hits topped the charts, like “Rebel Yell” and “White Wedding,” and it was obvious they were big fans. They were so excited to see him and screamed like 16-year-olds when he removed his shirt and threw it at the audience at the end of “Rebel Yell.” It was refreshing to see the years melt off these mature women and see them throw inhibitions to the wind. After all, that’s what every artist wants to see, an audience thoroughly enjoying themselves so much they enjoy the music with abandon. For an artist to still get that kind of reaction four decades in is a testimony to Idol’s place in rock history.
The multi-award-winning singer is known for many 1980’s hits, many of those songs are still played regularly on radio stations because of their staying power. For that reason, the audience was a mix. There were those just coming of age when MTV began who remember Idol’s popular videos, to much younger audience members like the two young early-twenties women who danced the night away behind me. That’s when you know you are a true rock icon as you cross multiple generations with your music. A hit is a hit no matter what year it’s played.
Billy Idol has surrounded himself with a fantastic band that has been with him for many years. In fact, Steve Stevens on guitar has been with Idol playing and co-songwriting since the beginning of their careers. Along with Stevens, there was Billy Morrison on guitar, Stephen McGrath on bass, Erik Eldenius on drums, and Paul Trudeau on keyboards.
Idol was accompanied by his backup singers Jessica Childress and Kitten Kouri throughout the whole show, but during a couple of songs, including “Mony, Mony,” they joined Idol at the front of the stage, where they got the crowd even more riled up, spurring them to “Come on!,” as they danced and pranced around Idol. Both Childress and Kouri have strong singing backgrounds and added just the right sound and movements to complement Idol with their harmonies.
Idol has earned multi-platinum albums and three Grammy nominations. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and, in 2026, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his long-time bandmate, fellow songwriter and guitar player, Steve Stevens, sealing their place in rock and roll history.
The lead-in band for the evening was Devo. They warmed up the audience for the night to come with their electric energy. Devo played an assortment of their well-known punk rock ’80s hits complete with their signature red plastic hats and yellow Velcro tear-off outfits. Some of the audience were treated to hats, and some of the yellow outfits were thrown out to those close and nimble enough to catch them as Devo played their set.
Billy Idol and his band gave an outstanding, energetic concert. Idol’s voice and attitude have not lost any of his star power and flair. They played a fantastic set and left the audience singing for “More, More, More!” If you get the chance to catch a Billy Idol concert while he’s touring, do go and you’ll be glad you did.
For more information about Billy Idol and his upcoming tour dates, visit Billy Idol
Review by Donna Erichsen
Photos by George Bekris
Setlist:
Still Dancing
Cradle of Love
Flesh for Fantasy
77
Love Unchained
Eyes Without a Face
Steve Stevens guitar solo
Money Mony
Trouble with the Sweet Stuff
Ready Steady Go
Blue Highway/Top Gun Anthem
Rebel Yell
Encore:
Dancing With Myself
Hot in the City
People I Love
White Wedding
