Deftones Are Invading Edinburgh And Dragging Idles Along For The Ride

Some bands you go and see. Deftones you go and feel. On Thursday 27th August 2026, the Sacramento outliers touch down at the Royal Highland Showgrounds for Edinburgh Summer Sessions, with special guests IDLES in tow, and if you're anywhere near Scotland this summer, this is the show that needs to be in your diary right now.

Deftones have spent close to four decades refusing to fit anywhere neatly, and that's exactly why they matter so much. Formed by hometown friends in Northern California back in 1988, they built a sound that took the heaviness of metal and fused it with something far dreamier, far more atmospheric, and honestly far harder to pin down. That fearless originality is why their culture is talked about as one of the most fervent in modern music — a GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum band whose influence stretches way beyond the genre boxes people try to squeeze them into.

The catalogue backs it up completely. 2000's "White Pony" earned the band their first GRAMMY and remains a genre-defining record twenty-five years on, one that critics still point to as the moment nu-metal grew up. "Diamond Eyes", "Koi No Yokan" and "Ohms" kept the momentum rolling, with "Ohms" landing as their fourth Top 5 debut on the Billboard 200. Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham and Frank Delgado have sold over 10 million records and racked up more than 10 billion streams worldwide, and they show absolutely zero signs of slowing down.

In fact, 2025 saw the release of their tenth full-length album, "private music", on Warner Records — another creative peak from a band who, by all rights, should have run out of new ideas years ago. They haven't. Chino has spoken recently about how "Around The Fur" still stands the test of time as possibly his favourite Deftones record, and that same restless, emotionally raw energy runs straight through to whatever they're playing next. This is a band still writing the next chapter of their own story, not just performing the greatest hits.

And then there's IDLES. If you've somehow missed the Bristol band's rise, now's the time to catch up, because their 2024 album "TANGK" was a genuine statement — all raw sound wrapped around themes of love, joy and resistance, delivered with the kind of intensity that turns a support slot into an unmissable event in its own right. Anyone who caught their Glasgow OVO Hydro show recently will tell you exactly what kind of chaos and catharsis they bring to a stage. Pairing them with Deftones on this bill is genuinely one of the smartest support choices Edinburgh Summer Sessions has made all year.

Picture the scene at Ingliston that evening: doors open from 5pm, the Scottish summer light stretching long over the showgrounds, IDLES tearing the place apart early doors, and then that unmistakable wash of Deftones' guitars rolling in as the sky starts to turn. Whether it's the crushing weight of "Rocket Skates", the aching beauty of "Digital Bath" or a cut from the new record, Deftones live is one of the most physically overwhelming experiences in modern rock — a wall of sound and light that swings from tender to brutal within a single song.

This isn't just another stop on a European tour either — Edinburgh sits alongside Berlin and Dublin as one of only three cities added to Deftones' summer 2026 run outside their main touring schedule, which tells you everything about how much weight this show is carrying. It's also worth noting this will be their second Scottish appearance in the space of a year, following a run at Glasgow's OVO Hydro, so expectations up here are sky-high.

This is an outdoor, all-standing event, so dress for whatever the Scottish weather decides to throw at you, and check the official Summer Sessions terms for bag policy, age restrictions and entry requirements before heading down. Demand for this one has been serious since the announcement, with artist and venue presales moving fast, so if tickets are still on your to-do list, don't leave it too long.

A GRAMMY-winning band at a genuine creative high point, one of the most vital live acts in UK punk right now as support, and an outdoor Edinburgh evening built entirely around noise, atmosphere and catharsis. Thursday 27th August at the Royal Highland Showgrounds is shaping up to be one of the heaviest, most emotionally charged nights of the entire Summer Sessions run. Be there.

🎤 Deftones (special guests IDLES)
📅 Thursday, 27 August 2026
📍 Royal Highland Showgrounds, Ingliston, Edinburgh
🎫 Get your tickets here
📌 Edinburgh Summer Sessions

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