In what can only be described as a marathon homecoming, Foo Fighters recently battled the heat with an explosive, sold-out show at Nationals Park. The crowd was so large that Metro service was extended in the Navy Yard area. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group’s previous two appearances in DC included a small-scale inaugural show at The Atlantis and an NPR Tiny Desk concert, so it was only a matter of time before they brought the full production back to a massive stage.
Opening the show was Mannequin Pussy, whose raw set was a perfect storm of grit and grace at Nationals Park on August 17. Singer Marisa Dabice’s first words on the mic addressed the extreme temperatures, an obstacle everyone in the stadium was attempting to overcome. Despite the discomfort, the band delivered an energized, character-filled 10-song set that flew by in an instant.
Queens of the Stone Age followed with their own condensed, 13-song tour through the band’s catalog. They closed their set with three of their biggest crowd-pleasers: “Go With the Flow,” “No One Knows” and “A Song for the Dead.” Having a nine-time Grammy-nominated, Billboard-charting, festival-headlining band as an opener is a treat that cannot go unnoticed. Better still, the band delivered a relentlessly electric performance, with Josh Homme’s vocals transporting the crowd back to an era when heavy rock ruled the airwaves.
As the sun fell beyond the DC horizon, leaving behind dim orange skies and cotton-candy clouds, Foo Fighters took the stage. Fog machines engulfed the band in a gray mist as its members emerged through the thick, swampy air and took their positions. A massive roar erupted from the stands, and with that, the three-hour marathon began.
As the show progressed, frontman Dave Grohl began grabbing strategically placed red Solo cups and dousing himself with water to keep cool. He joked that it was the reason he could handle the marshy mess — a method, he suggested, other artists had not fully embraced.
As a soaking-wet Grohl raced across the stage and headbanged relentlessly at age 57, it was hard not to admire the sheer energy the rock legend still brought to the stage. The crowd returned that energy during “My Hero,” when Grohl stopped singing and allowed thousands of voices to carry the chorus in unison.
Watch the official music video for “My Hero” by Foo Fighters on YouTube:
The tone shifted when the band moved to an auxiliary stage deeper into the field for a more acoustic stretch of the show. It offered a welcome breather for both the audience and the band after an hour of nonstop, thrilling music. Grohl also spent time speaking to the crowd, reminding everyone how special this particular homecoming was to him.
When the acoustic session ended, the band returned to the main stage, once again flanked by enormous video screens. Much of the night had felt like a balloon slowly inflating, waiting to pop. Hits such as “Learn to Fly” had sent the stadium buzzing, but that song had arrived much earlier in the set. An inevitable climax was still waiting, and everyone knew it was coming.
Like a lost ship finally spotting land, the opening riff that helped catapult Foo Fighters to legendary status rang out across the stadium. Fans were beside themselves, screaming the song’s name: “EVERLONG!”
Watch the official music video for “Everylong” by Foo Fighters on YouTube:
Somehow, on the final song of a brutally hot, extended set, everyone found enough energy for what became the final release of a three-hour crescendo. Literal fireworks exploded overhead, leaving fans snapping their heads back and forth between the band and the sky.
It was a fiery sendoff to a carefully constructed marathon of a show. Then, without much ado, Foo Fighters disappeared from the stage almost as quickly as they had arrived, leaving behind smoke, ringing ears and a hometown crowd that had given them everything it had left.
Here are some photos of Foo Fighters performing live at Nationals Park on August 17, 2026. All photos copyright Foo Fighters. Photos by Roman Meerzaman.
Here are some photos of Mannequin Pussy performing live at Nationals Park on August 17, 2026. All photos copyright and courtesy of Roman Meerzaman.
Here are some photos of Queens of The Stone Age performing live at Nationals Park on August 17, 2026. All photos copyright and courtesy of Roman Meerzaman.
