On a star-studded night in a city built on spectacle, Twenty One Pilots somehow managed to steal the show at ALTer EGO 2026.
Long before Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun hit the stage, the duo were already drawing massive reactions, with roaring cheers every time their name was mentioned inside the Kia Forum. By the time they finally appeared, the L.A. crowd was fully in their hands.
“Today is a very special day,” Tyler told the audience early on. “This is the very first show Josh has ever played as a father. He used to be our daddy, but now we’ve got to share him.”
From the opening moments, the production was dialed all the way up. Masks, glowing red eyes, illuminated microphones, fireworks, lasers and relentless pyrotechnics turned their set into a full-scale sensory overload, blurring the line between concert and theater.
When the masks came off, shifting the duo from anonymous figures into their familiar pop-rock forms, the connection with the audience intensified. The show became more intimate and interactive, with both Tyler and Josh trading moments in the spotlight.
During Drum Show, Josh leapt off the stage and made his way to a drum kit set up in the middle of the crowd, closing the song from the floor before tossing his stick to fans below him. Not to be outdone, Tyler took things even further during Ride, jumping off the stage and walking throughout the Forum, all the way to the back of the second level. Along the way, he sang, high-fived fans, posed for photos, and even stopped to thank venue staff and security.
When Tyler finally made his way back toward the stage, he invited Alt 98.7 announcer Stryker up to join him for a few lines.
“Stryker was the first person to ever play us on the radio,” Tyler said. “I owe you like a thousand dollars or something.”
After the chaos of the Forum-wide takeover, the screens lit up with a familiar face as Jack White appeared, giving his blessing for the duo to perform Seven Nation Army. Twenty One Pilots tore into the cover, echoing the version they recently delivered during The White Stripes’ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction tribute.
As the set wound down, Tyler took a moment to reflect.
“I know it’s been a long day of music. Thank you so much for sticking around with us,” he said. “You’ve got some of the best ever to do it coming up after us, Green Day. Stick around for Green Day. Thank you, iHeart, for having us. Seriously, there are a lot of people in this room who have believed in us for a very long time.”
Twenty One Pilots – ALTer EGO 2026 Photo Gallery
Setlist:
1. Overcompensate
2. The Contract
3. Shy Away
4. Heathens
5. Next Semester
6. Jumpsuit / City Walls
7. Drum Show
8. RAWFEAR
9. Ride
10. Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes cover)
11. Stressed Out