Panic! At The Disco came together for a major onstage reunion as Spencer Smith performed with the band for the first time in 12 years. Fans caught the emotional moment on camera as the former drummer returned to close out the set with the group.
Last October, Brendon Urie and the rest of Panic! At The Disco announced they would reunite for a special slot at When We Were Young Festival 2025. At the time, it wasn’t confirmed which members would return, but the performance was meant to celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary with a full live rendition of their debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.
The festival officially opened on October 18, with Urie and his live band performing some of the group’s earliest hits. As the night came to an end, Urie surprised the crowd by calling Spencer Smith to the stage, introducing him as his “oldest friend” before closing the show with their breakout single I Write Sins Not Tragedies.
This marked Smith’s first performance with Panic! At The Disco since 2013, when he stepped away from touring after opening up about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. He officially left the band in 2016, making his return to the stage even more meaningful for longtime fans.
Panic! At The Disco’s ‘When We Were Young’ setlist was:
‘The Only Difference Between Martyrdom And Suicide Is Press Coverage’
‘London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines’
‘Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks’
‘Camisado’
‘Time to Dance’
‘Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off’
‘But It’s Better If You Do’
‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’
‘I Constantly Thank God for Esteban’
‘There’s A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought Of It Yet’
‘Build God, Then We’ll Talk’
‘Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time’
‘Say Amen (Saturday Night)’
‘Hey Look Ma, I Made It’
‘Death Of A Bachelor’
‘This Is Gospel’
‘Miss Jackson’
‘King Of The Clouds’
‘Nine In The Afternoon’
‘Vegas Lights’
‘Emperor’s New Clothes’
‘Girls/Girls/Boys’
‘House Of Memories’
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
‘Victorious’
‘High Hopes’
‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ (with Spencer Smith)
The band is set to perform a second night at the festival on October 19.
This reunion followed their farewell show at the AO Arena in Manchester in March 2023, which wrapped their Viva Las Vengeance tour. Brendon Urie announced in January 2023 that he was ending the band after nearly 20 years to focus on family life, as he and his wife Sarah Orzechowski were expecting their first child.
Reflecting on the band’s legacy at their farewell concert, Urie said, “I’m overcome with gratitude. I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. For the last 18 years, it’s truly been an experience that I’ll always be grateful for.”
Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz also spoke to NME about the end of Panic! At The Disco, expressing his support for Urie’s decision. “I think that as far as Brendon wanting to live a more private life and be a dad, in that regard a new chapter for him has started, which I can really appreciate being a dad [myself],” he said.
