During the opening night of the When We Were Young festival, Panic! at the disco lead singer Brendon Urie surprised longtime fans in an unexpected way.
The shocker happened on Saturday, October 18, as the band celebrated the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough album. A fever you can’t sweat. After taking the stage as the festival’s headliner, Urie was joined by the band’s original drummer, Spencer Smithmarking their first time playing together in 12 years.
Although officially disbanded in 2023, Panic! at the Disco reunited in Las Vegas this weekend and delivered a full-length album. At the end of the show, Urie told the crowd, “I want to bring my oldest friend on stage,” before Spencer – and a full live band – joined Urie for their hit “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.”
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In videos circulating on social media, fans could hardly contain their excitement about the reunion.
“There is hope that Spence will return, maybe the rest of the group has made amends,” said one X user.
Another noted: “He looks so happy.”
The other festival attendees weren’t too happy with the evening’s set list, with one hoping: “I think panic! At the disco, we should play the entirety of Vices and Virtues tonight to make up for the mistake in last night’s setlist.”
“The panic at the club choosing to play their entire 2018 tour setlist on wwwy is so…interesting…the fact that they had to say ‘damn how do we win the crowd back at the end. I know! let’s play the sins AGAIN’ is so funny,” posted another.
The band’s history has been anything but simple. Formed in Vegas in 2004 by Urie, Smith, Ryan RossAnd Brent Wilsonthe group quickly became a defining voice of the mid-2000s emo-pop scene. Their debut album catapulted them to stardom with runaway success, but unfortunately, fame brought friction.
Within a few years, the original lineup began to fall apart, first with the departure of Wilson, then the replacement of Ross and Wilson. Jon WalkerReleased a few years later after creative disagreements. Urie and Smith continued, creating albums Pretty. Odd. And Vices and virtuesbefore Smith’s personal struggles with addiction forced him to retire from touring in 2013 and officially leave the band in 2015. His absence marked a turning point for Panic!, leaving Urie as the sole creative force behind subsequent albums.
Despite the turbulence, the band’s blend of theatrical pop and emo energy has made them a scene staple among other bands like Fall out BoyAnd My chemical romance. And even though Urie announced their official split in January 2023, it seems the group still has a few tricks up their sleeves.
This story was originally reported by Parade on October 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as your preferred source by clicking here.
