In 2017, The Maccabees said an emotional, euphoric goodbye with three sold-out nights at Alexandra Palace. After a final performance of ‘Pelican’, they stood together on stage for the final time, waving back at a sea of adoring fans, all pouring their own goodbyes into the moment.
With the end of a 15-year working relationship as a band it was only natural that contact was fleeting following the split. But not all goodbyes are necessarily forever.
The first turning point on the comeback trail was Hugo White’s wedding in 2020. Part of his plans for the big day was to put together a covers band, fronted by close friends including Adele, Florence + The Machine and Jamie T. It was mooted that The Maccabees could play ‘Pelican’, but they hadn’t all been together since that last moment at Alexandra Palace.
It was the first opportunity for them to tentatively inhabit the same space and made clear what was important to all of them – the luck of being able to share something that is so rare to find in most other walks of life. There were no plans for a reunion that day, but it was the catalyst for them to gradually rekindle their relationships.
And now it’s on. The Maccabees reunited in 2025 for a European tour and to headline London’s All Points East. They’re back: for friendship, for celebration, for community. Will there be more chapters in their future? Maybe, maybe not. For now, they’re happy to keep their minds open and see where the journey takes them.
