The Cure, Edinburgh 2026; image credit: Aaron Law

Nearly 50 years since the release of their debut album, the post-punk icons show no signs of slowing down. After powering through a mammoth 2.5 hour set of massive hits and deep cuts in their first visit to the capital since 1992, Robert Smith proclaimed “we hope to see you again”, as he scuttled off stage leaving 35,000 fans hoping the very same thing. 

A packed support bill of Just Mustard, Slowdive and Mogwai saw the sunny afternoon at Ingliston’s Royal Highland Showgrounds drift into evening with brooding soundscapes, before the main act arrived just as the sun began to set. 

As the rest of the band fell into the slow synth of opener Plainsong, Smith drifted around the stage taking in the enormous crowd with a wry smile, clad in his iconic uniform of black, complete with messy lipstick and wiry black hair. 

Launching into fan-favourite Pictures of You, it became evident that his voice remains somehow untouched by age, as the 67-year-old followed the slow yearning of the two set openers with the almost magic-sounding intro of High and the timeless classic Lovesong. 

In Fascination Street, another anthem from 1989’s Disintegration kept the tone set appropriately dark, before a three-track run of effortless pop with Push, In Between Days and Just Like Heaven provided welcome mid-set singalongs for the multi-generational crowd.  

Some deeper cuts followed, including the unlikely early 90s track Trust, before a brilliant airing of A Night Like This which included an appearance by Gabriel Cooper, son of drummer Jason Cooper, on saxophone. A double header of early Cure tracks ended with the long gothic gem A Forest as the main set began to tail off.  

From the Edge of the Deep green Sea saw Smith really flex his vocal muscles, before a brooding, drawn-out ending saw the main set finish in a doomy manner with Disintegration.

Arriving back on stage for the extended encore, the frontman made a rare proclamation to his black-clad audience, stating that they were in for some “light entertainment”. What followed was eight tracks which would have brought a smile to even the gloomiest of fans, as the keyboard was turned up for The Walk and Smith himself danced around the stage to The Lovecats. 

The fun continued with the singalong anthem of Friday I’m in Love, before Close to Me and Why Can’t I Be You? ticked off all the big hits in the run up to the obvious closer Boys Don’t Cry.  

The mammoth encore made The Cure’s long-awaited return to the capital feel like a celebration of a band nearing the end of their career, but one that knows they are still at their best. Such a performance can give fans hope that this tour won’t be their last, as the gothic icons made it abundantly clear they still have plenty to give.

The Cure Setlist at Edinburgh Summer Sessions – Sunday August 23^rd 2026 

1. Plainsong 

2. Pictures of You 

3. High 

4. Lovesong 

5. Secrets 

6. Burn 

7. Fascination Street 

8. Never Enough 

9. Push 

10. In Between Days 

11. Just Like Heaven 

12. Trust 

13. Three Imaginary Boys 

14. Charlotte Sometimes 

15. A Night Like This 

16. Play for Today 

17. A Forest 

18. From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea 

19. Prayers for Rain 

20. Disintegration 

Encore 

21. Lullaby 

22. The Walk 

23. The Lovecats 

24. Let’s Go to Bed 

25. Friday I’m in Love 

26. Close to Me 

27. Why Can’t I Be You? 

28. Boys Don’t Cry 

Daniel Sutherland

Music Editor for the Strathclyde Telegraph 2026/27