Mumford & Sons recently brought their Prizefighter tour to the Jiffy Lube Live amphitheater in Bristow, Virginia. The London-based bluegrass folk-rock band treated fans to an engaging, moving show – with the temperature hovering in the extremely comfortable low seventies and the occasional breeze from the North, it was the perfect night for a show.
Before Mumford & Sons took the stage on June 19, the evening was kicked off by Country/Americana artist Dylan Gossett, of Austin, Texas. Gossett and the five other musicians on stage were an excellent fit to warm the audience up to the classic Mumford sound – their instrumentation is very similar to that of their headliners. The violin, banjo, bass, drums, and two guitars complimented Gossett’s even, consistent voice.
He performed several of his own songs, including his second self-published single “Coal,” which cracked the Billboard Top 100 after gaining significant attention on TikTok. The crowd was engaged and certainly appreciated the nod to country legends Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash when Gossett covered parts of “Hangin’ On” and “Folsom Prison Blues.” A couple even got engaged on the North side of the pavilion around 25 minutes into the performance – congratulations to the newlyweds-to-be!
Watch Dylan Gossett perform “Coal” live on YouTube:
After Gossett warmed up the crowd, Mumford & Sons entered the ring right around 9pm, to a recording that contained elements of “The Wild” – a track off their 2018 album Delta. The core of the band is currently comprised of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, guitar), Ben Lovett (vocals, keyboard), and Ted Dwane (vocals, bass, guitar). The three were positioned at the front of the stage, illuminated in spotlights, while a cast of touring band members switched on and off the stage, depending on the needs of each particular song.
At Jiffy Lube Live, they hit the ground running with “Run Together,” off the Prizefighter album the band is touring for, released this past February. “Babel” followed next – the title track to their Grammy-winning smash hit album. “Little Lion Man” from their debut album Sigh No More rounded out the first three songs and set the tone for the evening.
Watch the official music video for “Little Lion Man” by Mumford & Sons on YouTube:
The band has the wonderful capacity to have such control over the pace and intensity of the moment – few songs demonstrating this more than “White Blank Page” – with its angry crescendos and quiet dips. That was the story of the evening as the band played pieces from their whole catalogue, with a heavy emphasis on the recent Prizefighter release and the rock-solid early foundation of Sigh No More and Babel.
Other highlights include Marcus hopping on the drum set and showing some impressive chops during “Lover of the Light.” “Badlands” also featured very welcome female vocalist backing from the trumpet player on stage right. The stage setup was impressive, featuring a disco ball that dropped during certain songs like “Believe,” and surprising pyrotechnics throughout the show, first appearing during “Truth.” “The Wolf” featured some intense strobe lighting and was really the only time I had to take my eyes off the stage.
During “Ditmas” Mumford jumped off stage left and ran through the pavilion, greeting fans while performing the song. After the song, yours truly was lucky enough to be standing in the right place at the right time as he made his return through the general admission section (I’m never washing my left hand again – and keeping the plastic water cup forever!)
Watch the official music video for “Ditmas” by Mumford & Sons on YouTube:
Near the end of the show, the core three of Mumford, Lovett, and Dwane moved to a rudimentary setup around the Front of House / soundboard space in the middle of the pavilion, where they performed “Timeshel,” “Where Are You Now,” and – to the joy of many – a cover of Taylor Swift’s “cowboy like me.” This part was pretty quiet, as all three were sharing a single microphone (along with Mumford’s guitar), but was just another example of the control the band had on the audience. Swift and Mumford’s professional relationship has been well-publicized, with her recording parts of her Evermore album at his home studio – he actually performed this specific song with her in Las Vegas during her Eras tour on March 25, 2023, and has said that it is his favorite song of hers.
A return to the main stage brought “Rushmere,” “The Banjo Song” (with Mumford on the banjo – making two banjos on stage for those counting!), “I Will Wait,” and “Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels).” The choice of ending with the boisterous, climactic “I Will Wait” and bringing it back down with “Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels)” had folks leaving the show refreshed and happy.
The band will be on the road for most of August and parts of September and October, after they wrap up their June leg in Hershey, PA and Boston, MA. They return to Virginia on Sept. 20 playing a show in Charlottesville – if you can’t catch them then, keep an eye out for them next time they’re in the DMV area. Their newer albums still capture the unique sound that fans love, and it translates well to a live show.
Dylan Gossett Set (incomplete):
1) To Be Free
2) Honeysuckle
3) Hangin’ On / Folsom Prison Blues (Waylon Jennings / Johnny Cash cover)
4) Coal
5) Somewhere Between
(Other songs Dylan performed may have included “If I had a Lover,” “Tree Birds,” and “Beneath Oak Trees”)
Mumford & Sons Setlist:
The Wild (played from tape)
1) Run Together
2) Babel
3) Little Lion Man
4) White Blank Page
5) Rubber Band Man
6) Awake My Soul
7) Lover of the Light
8) Prizefighter
9) Badlands
10) Believe
11) Truth
12) Ditmas (Marcus off stage, running through crowd)
13) The Cave
14) Here
15) Stay
16) Delta
17) The Wolf
B Stage (behind Front of House/middle of seating section – just Marcus, Ben, and Ted around one microphone)
18) Timshel
19) Where Are You Now
20) cowboy like me (Taylor Swift cover)
Main Stage
21) Rushmere
22) The Banjo Song
23) I Will Wait
24) Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels)
Here are some photos of Mumford & Sons (and opener Dylan Gossett) performing live at Jiffy Lube Live on June 19, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Luke Waldner.
