Florence + The Machine Talks Loss, Hope, & Freedom At The Everybody Scream Tour

Photos: Florence + The Machine's social media

Florence + The Machine has been a driving force in music since 2009 with their album Lungs, which laid the groundwork for their sixth record, Everybody Scream, released on Halloween of 2025. After a highly successful UK and EU tour, the North American leg has only continued this trend, like with May 7th’s show at Dickies Arena.

The concert is supported by the charismatic and spunky CMAT, an Irish country/indie-pop artist who brings a catchy and joyful mood to the arena. With her charming stage presence, she got the crowd into a two-step dance for the song “I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!” off of her latest album EURO-COUNTRY. They closed their vibrant last set on tour with the song “Stay For Something”, having the crowd shout lyrics back at them and proving themselves to be a wonderful and strong opener.

The arena hums with anticipation long after CMAT and the band exit the stage, and when the lights go down, it’s as if the entire crowd has been entranced. One by one, the enigmatic members of the Witch Choir—backup dancers—twist and turn onto the stage. And when lead vocalist and writer Florence Welch rises and begins with the title track of the latest record, excitement and joy crash into the arena.

Florence basks in the beginning of the set with her arms high, black and white dress flowing around her as she takes in the crowd, before her supernaturally powerful vocals fill the space. The crowd does just as the song says: they dance, they sing, they move, they scream.

The classic track “Shake It Out” from their second album Ceremonials brings revelry to new heights as the crowd jumps and sings in elation. Florence commands with little effort as she glides across the stage before announcing to the crowd, “Whatever you have been through or whatever you are going through, we hope we can give you a place to scream.”

The arena is cast into darkness on the last word, and a low, droning hum fills the room. Blood red lights slowly turn on, revealing the contorted figures of the Witch Choir as they drag themselves on the floor to the centre of the fog-covered stage before the band begins the haunting and cinematic track “Seven Devils”.

“Daffodil”, from 2022’s Dance Fever, has the crowd swaying as Florence sings of magic rituals and resurrection under the moonlight. Near the end of the track, she is escorted down to the front barricades before moving as if she is possessed by the song’s beat. The sharp, staccato hits transition perfectly in the track “Which Witch”, where Florence commands the crowd to jump and chant.

The tone shifts into a slower, nostalgic mood as the band’s harpist plays a beautiful, intricate melody before beginning the track “Cosmic Love” from the group’s debut album. The crowd sings louder than ever as fans of the band, both from the very beginning to brand new, experience the throwback to the ensemble's start.

Florence discusses how it had been years since they performed the next song, and how she has taken it off the setlist because she felt it represented a different, troubled version of herself. She said she began to feel guilty when she heard people say it was her favourite song and how they even got tattoos of it (she says the latter as if a stranger getting a tattoo of her lyrics were the strangest thing).

She closes the conversation by announcing the next track is “Never Let Me Go” from Ceremonials, which immediately has fans cheering and shouting. She seamlessly floats through the song as the crowd feeds into each other before she guides the arena like an orchestra’s conductor through the ending.

“Buckle” is slow and heartfelt, with an acoustic guitar as the only instrument playing. The crowd sways and sings and cries as Florence sings of a damaging connection that she can’t help but stay devoted to. The song “King” uplifts and repairs, moving from a hopeless attachment to finding power and independence in being a woman. Florence's vocals shine as she belts in a way that is loose and free, yet controlled all at once.

The Witch Choir returns for the song “Howl”, where they dance with an almost feral sort of moment, free and untamed. With the following track, “Heaven Is Here”, their talents are truly displayed as they dance and contort themselves in powerful and theatrical ways. Florence stands in the centre of them as they bend and twist, seemingly at her command.

“Sympathy Magic” raises the arena’s spirits even higher, as Florence affirms that trying your hardest to be worthy of something will not fulfil you, and that rising up the occasion and putting yourself first in your life is far more important. The lyric “So c’mon, c’mon, I can take it” is sung long after the instrumentals fade away as Florence hugs and displays powerful connections with the front row, even getting choked up herself multiple times.

When the opening chords of the band’s biggest song, “Dog Days Are Over”, play, the crowd is elated. But the song doesn’t begin right away. Florence asks the crowd to join her in a ritual of sorts—to put their phones away. She says she gets it, but isn’t experiencing the reason you go to support live acts? Experiencing, feeling, living, she lists, are the reasons everyone is gathered together. The crowd eagerly obliges as Florence commands them to jump as high as they can for as long as they can for the final chorus. Joy practically bursts through the room, alive and unrelenting.

Though the night feels as though it could go on forever, all good things must come to a close. “If the tracks on Everybody Scream are rituals, or spells, or prayers, or whatever,” Florence says before the final track of the evening, “let this one be the one that comes true.”

“And Love”, the final track on Everybody Scream, repeats one line: “Peace is coming”.

For every ticket of the Everybody Scream North American Tour sold, $1 is donated to the non-profit Doctors Without Borders, which provides life-saving medical care to those across the world in need, including those threatened by war, displacement, disease, and more.

Whether Florence + The Machine has been on your radar since their 2009 debut, or you found them last week, the Everybody Scream tour has once again solidified the band as a powerful force to be reckoned with, and the freeing and magical show they put on certainly won’t be forgotten any time soon.

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