REVIEW: Biffy Clyro – Edinburgh Summer Sessions ★★★★☆

Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh | 21 August 2026

I'm going to start this review with a confession that may get me thrown out of Scotland.

I'm not really a Biffy Clyro fan.

There. I've said it.

So heading along to Edinburgh Summer Sessions at the Royal Highland Centre to see one of Scotland's biggest rock bands playing what was effectively a huge homecoming show was going to be an interesting one.

Would seeing Biffy live finally convert me?

Well... not quite.

But did they put on one hell of a show?

Absolutely.

Edinburgh Summer Sessions returned to the Royal Highland Centre with Biffy Clyro headlining a massive outdoor show, supported by swim school and Nothing But Thieves.

I caught some of Nothing But Thieves before Biffy took to the stage and thought they were... okay.

That's probably not going on their next tour poster. 😂

They sounded good and certainly had plenty of fans in the crowd, but they didn't completely grab me. Then again, when thousands of people are waiting for Biffy Clyro to appear, being the band immediately before them isn't necessarily the easiest job in the world.

And when Biffy finally arrived, the difference in atmosphere was immediate.

This was their crowd.

From the moment Simon Neil and co took to the stage, the Royal Highland Centre erupted.

Even as someone who wouldn't describe herself as a fan, it was impossible not to appreciate just how good Biffy Clyro are live. There is a confidence and sheer force to their performance that comes from decades of playing together, and they know exactly how to command a crowd of this size.

Simon appeared wearing a denim kilt — because if you're going to play an enormous Scottish homecoming show, why the hell wouldn't you? — and the band launched into a set that stretched right across their career.

There was plenty for the die-hards, with tracks including Justboy, Black Chandelier, Mountains, Machines, Space and, of course, Many of Horror.

Now, I'm not going to sit here pretending I suddenly knew every word.

I didn't.

But looking around me, approximately everybody else did.

And that's where the scale of the night really hit.

Thousands of voices singing these songs back at a Scottish band on home soil created an atmosphere that even a Biffy sceptic couldn't help getting swept up in.

Then there was the production.

Pyrotechnics, fireworks and even a flamethrower made sure this wasn't simply three guys standing on a massive stage playing guitars. It looked and felt like a headline Summer Sessions show.

Mother Nature — or technically the Royal Air Force — even decided to join the production.

During Space, an RAF Airbus A400M flew directly over the venue.

I assume Biffy hadn't booked that as part of the lighting package.

Although given the production budget, who knows? 😂

One of the quieter highlights came with Machines. Strip away the huge production and thousands of people for a moment and the strength of the songwriting becomes much more apparent.

And eventually came the song that even people like me know.

Many of Horror.

Hearing thousands of people singing it together as the night came to an end was undeniably impressive. You don't have to love Biffy Clyro to understand why moments like that mean so much to their fans.

Of course, no outdoor gig experience is complete without investigating the food situation.

My choice for the evening was salt and chilli chicken with curry sauce — because apparently reviewing one of Scotland's biggest bands also requires serious investigative journalism into the scran.

Someone has to do it.

The Royal Highland Centre works well for an event of this scale, with plenty of room for the huge crowd and the festival-style food and drink offering you'd expect from Summer Sessions.

But ultimately, the night belonged to Biffy.

Did I leave as their newest superfan?

No.

Their music still isn't particularly my thing, and I'm probably not about to start working my way through the entire back catalogue.

But that's also why I think they deserve the four stars.

Because if a band can hold my attention for nearly two hours, surrounded by thousands of devoted fans, when I walked through the gates already knowing their music wasn't really for me — they're doing something right.

Biffy Clyro are a seriously impressive live band.

I may not be joining the Biffy fan club just yet...

…but I finally understand the hype.

★★★★☆ – 4/5

Jenna attended Biffy Clyro at Edinburgh Summer Sessions, Royal Highland Centre, on 21 August 2026.