Text by: Jéssica Marinho and Gabriela Marqueti
My Chemical Romance returns to Brazil for the first time in 18 years with two shows in São Paulo, at Allianz Parque, on February 5th and 6th. Tickets for the 6th are still available for purchase through the Eventim .
The city of São Paulo will host one of the most anticipated performances of the year, which promises a setlist full of classics and electrifying performances. The show will feature an opening act by the Swedish punk band The Hives .
In Brazil, My Chemical Romance was not just a successful band, but a cultural phenomenon in the 2000s. Their return – after their only visit to the country in 2008 during The Black Parade – takes place in a different setting, with older but equally engaged fans, and a new generation curious to see live a name that helped define 21st-century alternative rock.
Abroad, the band has sold out numerous dates with the Long Live: The Black Parade . The group has been playing the album The Black Parade (2006) in its entirety and dedicating the second half of the shows to some of their greatest hits, such as “Helena” , “The Ghost of You” and “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)”. The performance also has a theatrical and conceptual aspect, showing the members as characters opposing an authoritarian regime.
It's still unclear whether My Chemical Romance will bring their tour to Brazil in the same format as in the United States and Europe. Fans noticed that the announcement of the band's show in Brazil didn't include the tour name Long Live: The Black Parade and pointed to the producer's comment stating that it will be "an unmissable show with their greatest hits." The first show of the tour in Latin America takes place on January 25th in Lima, Peru , where this question should be answered.
Details about 'Long Live: The Black Parade'
In their most recent performances, the band revives The Black Parade in its entirety, mixing dramatization, thematic set design, and pyrotechnics, showcasing a cohesive, intense, and visually impactful My Chemical Romance.
The original concept of the album The Black Parade already explored themes of identity, life, and death through striking characters and costumes, telling the story of a dying character called The Patient Long Live: The Black Parade tour revisited this universe in an expanded way.
In this new phase, the show expands the universe created by the album, marking the return of the alter ego The Black Parade , rescued from the 2007 world tour, now inserted as part of a staging in which the band performs to satisfy the ruler of the fictional country called Draag , which lives under a dictatorial regime commanded by the Great Immortal Dictator , with aesthetics and visual references reminiscent of highly organized and authoritarian regimes.
Throughout the show, the story progresses through the band's interactions with different characters, including the Attendant and the Clown (both played by actor Charlie Saxton ) and Marianne ( Lucy Joy Altus) . During the tour, several ministries of the country of Draag were mentioned or appeared, including the "Ministry of Serial Tasks," the "Ministry of Free Reconditioning," and the "Ministry of Operatic Relations." My Chemical Romance also created the national anthem of Draag, titled "Over Fields (The National Anthem of Draag)," which was published on social media.
To reinforce the narrative aspect, several songs from The Black Parade were specially adapted for this tour, gaining new introductions, unreleased sections, and extended endings, creating exclusive versions that enhance the dramatic experience and connect the repertoire to the story staged on stage.
To create a distinct universe, Gerard Way asked typography designer Nate Piekos , a collaborator on the band's visual projects, to create a fictional language called Keposhka for the tour's visual elements.
In their shows, frontman The Black Parade era .
Some media outlets reported that this dystopian narrative generated public debate, including interpretations of implicit social or political criticism in the show. For example, the newspaper AS reported that the performance bothered sectors of the right in the United States because of its aesthetics and potential critical reading of authoritarian regimes. The American website Paste Magazine , on the other hand, commented on the video posted by the band in 2024 to announce the tour, calling it a "sinister coincidence," since Donald Trump had just been nominated for his second term days before the tour announcement, and "the possibility of our country becoming a fascist state was imminent."
A show of hits and B-sides
After performing the The Black Parade album, the band returns for the second part of the show, focusing on their greatest hits and tracks less known to the mainstream.
According to setlist.fm The Smashing Pumpkins can be expected .
Below are some classic examples:
READ ALSO: My Chemical Romance releases new version of the classic “Helena”
