Live Review + Gallery | Deftones @ The 3Arena, Dublin

Deftones | Drug Church | Denzel Curry

3Arena, Dublin

16th February 2026

Chea McArdle

Hi my name is Chea and I dove into the world of band photography midway through 2023. I was really involved in the amazing music scene at uni in Falmouth, making friends with lots of super talented people. After uni I really wanted to explore the vibrant music scene within Belfast and used this creative drive to begin my exploration into the local scene and further my photography.
Im hoping to continue my photography journey further and capture many more great moments with many wonderful people!

Deftones bring an exhilaratingly loud and sweat-drenched night to Dublin’s 3Arena

Deftones’ show at the 3Arena Dublin on 16th of February was nothing short of a mesmerisingly high-octane celebration. The atmosphere in the arena was electric featuring a diverse mix of long-time fans and new listeners, drawn in by the band’s recent viral momentum.

The whole audience was rife with anticipation as we waited for the band to dawn the stage; the arena’s energy still felt electric after tremendous opening acts Drug Church and Denzel Curry, both of which had already captured the audience, commanding seas of crowd surfers and erupting mosh pits.

From the first moment when Deftones walked onstage, the reaction was deafening. A mass eruption of chaos claimed the arena whilst the band’s ferocious yet dreamlike sonic identity took over. Chino Moreno’s vocals were commanding and expressive throughout, shifting from soft almost whispered lines to full-throated screams without missing a beat. The lighting and visuals matched this with a blend of heavy textures and dreamy ambience, as washes of colour swept over.

The energy throughout the show ebbed and flowed perfectly with quiet atmospheric moments, during songs such as ’Cherry Waves’, where you could look around and see thousands of people slowly swaying in sync, completely absorbed in the music. Before heavier hits like ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’, would kick right back in and the floor would explode, bodies passed overhead, shirts where ripped off and chaotic dance movements ensued.

The night was sweat-drenched, loud and exhilarating: a testament to why Deftones remain one of the most compelling live acts in rock and a reminder of why the band still means so much to so many people.