Outside the arena, fans huddled up in skeleton, elf, and alien outfits, excited to get into the venue. For some, it was their first time seeing Bridgers live. Others were going multiple nights for her New York stop.

Alex G took the stage at 7:30PM, and he made the most of every minute. He played from House of Sugar, Trick, God Save the Animals, Rocket, and practically every other album, including his latest releases. Rather than the main stage, he performed from the pit, set inside a cage-like light structure with his drummer facing him and his guitarist and bassist turned in other directions. The sound was piercing and louder than anyone would expect from the arena, but it was thrilling for the masses shuffling in, grabbing soft drinks and popcorn to catch his set. At one point, he even picked up the accordion. Close to the front, one fan sang along the entire time with a hand raised in the air.

Early on, “Gretel” and “Southern Sky” were played, and the lights shifted into a sunset glow before “Runner.” After a quick “Thank you Phoebe Bridgers for having us,” he went into “Miracles.” “Bobby,” one of the catchier tracks from Rocket, arrived after a dramatic count-off from the drummer, followed by “Mary.” Blue and orange lights flashed in columns surrounding him, and it was easy to feel my pulse beat along with them. Alex G has a particular two-step lean that fans have come to expect while he rocks out, and it was on full display.

Alex G kept the banter light and genuine, thanking the crowd often. “I hope you all are having a good time,” he said, before asking if anybody out there was sick and jokingly warning the crowd not to give the band a cold. He then announced his last song, launched into “Brick,” and kept going anyway, later admitting they actually had eight more songs, then six. The set moved from drone music into indie rock and a wall of noise rock before transitioning into the closers. Alex G swayed back and forth with his electric guitar through “Immunity” and a good range of songs from across all his albums, the autotune landing just right. Spotting fans in costume, he pointed out how many people were dressed as skeletons, cautioning that skeletons may be cool but they are scary. Jokingly, the band said they didn’t like skeletons or aliens, but they did like werewolves. When “Sarah” began, people roared, got up, and jumped to dance.

Alex G closed with “Blessing” under red and white dotted lights, surrounded by screaming, and its outro was sublime. Before leaving, he gave thanks to his band: Sam Acchione on guitar, Tom Kelly on drums, Molly Germer on violin, and John Heywood on bass. Together, they also thanked the crew working behind the scenes.

It would be a tad difficult to soak in all of Alex G’s brilliance in a single opening set. The crowd jumped up and danced when they found the right moment, and his presence carried the room. Personally, seeing him perform once at the 933-capacity Paradise Rock Club in Boston was just as fun.

Between the sets, the arena lights washed the upper levels in cyan blue, grazing seats filled with fans and Brooklyn Nets flags. The main stage sat dark, waiting to light up, its curtain resembling a static TV screen, with a circular dome overhead a little more elaborate compared to her surprise Madison Square Garden show last summer. Ambient music played with a sound that resembled a harp, peaceful and balanced just before the loudness rolled into the night.

Phoebe Bridgers opened with “The Outside” around 9:00PM as a blue flashing LED ball lifted and rotated above the crowd, its beams spotlighting different sections of the arena. By “Motion Sickness,” the crowd was all in. She wore her signature classic black dress and black boots, with shimmer makeup around her eyes and cheeks that left her glowing during the entire performance. Her band matched in black, now joined by more string players for The Lost Tour. She belted passionately, and it was such a fun moment to watch the whole arena get pumped and sing along.

“Kill Me” is one of my favorites from Lost Weekend, and it was a highlight live. The lights cut out during the pauses before her dramatic hold in the chorus, beams shifted across the stage, and the string section shredded. She looked upward as if toward the heavens. During the chanted outro, the dome lifted like a spaceship, every section of the band playing like it was their last. “The Governor’s Waltz” followed under orange, yellow, and blue light, the stage looking celestial as planets rotated on the curtain. She smiled through the devastating lyrics while her image doubled on the screen, finishing the track on keys.

“What is up, Brooklyn?” she asked, noting she was seeing familiar faces in the crowd from the night before. She introduced “Lost Boys” as a song she wrote with her friend and special guest Alex G, and the arena lit up in blues and purples as everyone jumped back up to sing again. Jay Som’s trumpet was what elevated the arrangement to another degree.

The intro to her sophomore record Punisher, “DVD Menu,” led into “Garden Song” to roars and claps. Red light soaked the stage before a transition into the Punisher album art, the landscape taken at Trona Pinnacles in the Mojave Desert, with the night sky with stars projected above. She softened her voice but gained momentum, a shaker filling out the rhythm section. For “Moon Song,” a moon in all its character was projected in the dome. It is a fan favorite, myself included, and the crowd was extremely passionate, thousands of voices joining as one.

During “Liberty Tree,” Bridgers ditched her guitar and walked to every side of the stage, smiling, engaging with the crowd, and pumping her hand in the air as fans waved back. She returned to keys before the dome lowered and she switched stages, reemerging on the pit stage where Alex G had performed earlier that night, the blue LED ball rising once more.

Phoebe Bridgers at Barclays Center Brooklyn, NY September 25, 2026 Photo by Photo Credit @saladjockey

Bridgers calmed things down for “Lost Weekend,” sitting at the keys in one of the more vulnerable and intimate moments of the show, before the lights went statically wild. “Funeral” brought muted cheers and sunset colors, serene as a shooting star moved across a projection of space. Fans in the corner waved glow sticks and held up lighters as the stage rotated so she could face every section of the crowd. She then introduced her backing band: Lily Belknap Honigberg on fiddle, Connor Vance on mandolin and violin, Nick White on keys, Micah Preite on guitar, and Yi-Mei Templeman, frequently known as yeemz, on cello. “Graceland Too” swirled blues and purples across the dome and screen, and “Haunted” kept the rotating stage turning, its Americana and indie folk leanings giving the room the feel of a celebration.

Then, there was the most personal stretch of the night. Bridgers recalled announcing her new album and shared how grateful she has been for how well it has been received. She spoke openly about her complicated relationship with her late father, explaining that much of the record relates back to the time period when he died. She thanked the crowd for putting their phones away and shouted out the crew who made the planetarium of The Lost Tour possible.

“Still Standing” followed, with Bridgers encapsulated in a cone of hazy blue light. The crowd gave her all the space she needed to sing her truth, simply listening. In the chorus, she added a direct address to her dad at the end of the line, and it broke my heart a little. It nearly brought me to tears. “As Above,” a song that references her mother, felt like a fitting reflection. She sang with her hands behind her back, her breath control impeccable, belting clearly as sparkler-like lights burst around her. It is one of the more cathartic moments on the album, and it translated perfectly on stage.

Back under the dome with her band, “Bobby” got a crowd-pleasing lyric swap in the second verse, a little more on the nose than the official version, and the crowd went wild. “Waiting Room” became one of the most passionate moments of the night for such a bittersweet tune, the crowd shouting out. For “I Can’t Wait,” she kept it simple with keys, guitar, and one spotlight, closing her eyes to take it all in. Before “No Video,” she mentioned she had put out a song that day and encouraged everyone to see the movie too, called Primetime.

The big surprise came later. For “Not Strong Enough,” Bridgers brought out Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, reuniting as boygenius for a second night in a row. Green light flashed as she encouraged everyone to jump, and the trio harmonized stunningly amid the screaming. “Are you guys surprised?” she asked. “It’s my boys.” “Souvenir” followed, calm, lush, and beautiful, bringing me right back to listening in high school. The three embraced on stage before leaving as Phoebe told the crowd to give it up for boygenius.

“Kyoto” played beneath fish swimming across the projection, and “I Know the End” paired a driving video of the open road with flashes of Bridgers performing. The scream at the end was visceral as always. For “Lost Weekend (Reprise),” she reappeared in a white dress and white boots that glowed under hologram spotlights, glitter tears beneath her eyes.

Bridgers closed with “Scott Street,” taking intentional pauses throughout. When the lyric about the band arrived, she highlighted them as the dome lifted and they emerged to join her once more. The lights came up a little brighter, and you could see everyone waving their hands in unison as they sang along. It was touching. She took a bow and bid the crowd goodnight, promising to see them tomorrow.

As “Never Going Back” played over the speakers and fans walked out, it felt like everyone was trying to hold onto every moment. Three nights at Barclays Center is no small feat, and on night two, Phoebe Bridgers proved exactly why so many people keep showing up for her again and again.

Words by BellaJoli Gedeon

Phoebe Bridgers at Barclays Center Brooklyn, NY September 25, 2026 Photo by @saladjockey

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