THE KOOKS BROUGHT AN EVENING OF FULL NOSTALGIA AND ENERGY TO THE COLUMBIAHALLE IN BERLIN
Written and Captured By | Chantal Burau
The Kooks stopped on their 2026 European tour at Columbiahalle to celebrate not only their latest release, Never/Know, but also the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Inside In/Inside Out. With the venue already packed and some fans still waiting in line outside, there was no question that the show was completely sold out.
Before that, however, the evening was opened by Girl In The Year Above, who do things a bit differently. As they explained, they haven’t released any music yet. While there are a few live/acoustic performances on YouTube, for now they can only truly be experienced live. The emerging Irish/Cornish band delivered storytelling songs with raw, emotional sounds infused with indie rock elements. The singer’s slightly expressionistic arm movements further underlined the captivating mood and dynamic of the set.
See more photos of Girl In The Year Above HERE
Looking around the room during the break, both the upper tier and the floor were completely full. Conversations buzzed throughout the venue, blending with the evening’s playlist playing in the background. Then the final song faded out, the lights went dark, and it was time for The Kooks to take the stage.
After the other members had taken their places, singer Luke Pritchard followed. As the intro to “Sofa Song” filled the room, the crowd went wild. It didn’t take long for the band to energize the entire venue; there was barely anyone holding back throughout the night. Even security staff and paramedics were seen bouncing along from time to time.
See more photos of The KOOKS HERE
Although the tour partly supports Never/Know, the main focus was clearly the 20th anniversary of Inside In/Inside Out. The band played classics such as “She Moves in Her Own Way,” “Seaside”—which Pritchard performed acoustically, accompanied by a choir of fans singing along—and “Ooh La.” With “Sunny Baby” being the only track from the latest album on the setlist, the evening leaned heavily into nostalgia, featuring beloved fan favorites from Konk like “Shine On” and “Sway,” which kept the energy high throughout the show.
Sharing an anecdote about deciding to perform the song live again after some time, Pritchard sat down at the keyboard to play “See Me Now,” adding that he hoped he would make it through the emotional song, written for and about his father. After that heartfelt moment, the band returned to more energetic tracks before closing the evening with “Naive,” ending the night on a high note that had carried steadily throughout the entire show.