Marcus and Martinus: A Night to Remember in Manchester

Norwegian twins Marcus and Martinus made their long-awaited return to the UK this week. They brought their 2026 headline tour to Academy 2. The venue isn’t the biggest, but it was just right; super intimate, with great views everywhere.

Fans started lining up as early as 6 am, and by 7:30, the line stretched halfway down the street. When I saw they were playing in Manchester, I knew I had to make the eight-hour trip. This wasn’t their first UK show. Until now, they’d only performed in London. I was excited to finally see them live.

I grew up watching their social media content and listening to their viral hit “Heartbeat,” which was everywhere on “Musical.ly” (now known as TikTok) back in 2016/17. You truly couldn’t escape that song, and hearing it live a decade later felt unreal. I knew we were in for a great show, especially after seeing them in Eurovision. But did it meet my high expectations? Let’s discuss!

One thing to know about Marcus and Martinus, their fans are dedicated. By 8:30, the clock hit and their intro reel began to play on the large screens in the background. The fans were deafening. They were ready to scream every word back to them.

The boys kicked off their set with the high-energy track “We Are Not The Same.” They came sprinting out. Their energy was unmatched right from the get-go. The duo was joined by two incredible dancers, Jennifer Pacaanas and Miinaa Kjellbom from Toledo Company. They bounced and danced all over the stage. Their performance hyped the crowd up instantly. After the song ended, the duo spent a few minutes introducing their team. They mentioned keyboardist Olle Tidblom, drummer Gurkan Lannebjer, and guitarist Anton Ramsö. They also introduced their dancers. Then they dived into the next track, “Bad.” This is an unreleased song fans have become obsessed with since the tour kicked off about a week ago.

This was the moment you could tell the boys had truly perfected their craft. Each dance movement was perfectly in sync. The vocals were flawless. The crowd somehow knew every word. This then transitioned into one of their biggest hits, “Girls”, a collab with Swedish duo Madcon released back in 2016. The boys turned Academy 2 into a dance party. The crowd was jumping along as they showed off their best dance moves.

Next up was one of my most anticipated songs of the night, “Gimme Your Love”. Jam-packed with high-energy choreography, musical breakdowns, and insane dance breaks, this was the perfect song to add to the setlist. I strongly believe this track could be the one to get them in the charts. It just needs to blow up on social media. The chorus is super catchy, and the beat is irresistible. You cannot listen to this song without dancing along, and that’s what makes it such a fan favourite.

Towards the end of this song, Jennifer and Miinaa took the stage by storm with a phenomenal dance break. They caught my attention instantly, and the energy onstage was out of this world.

Shortly after this song finished, it was time for the first interlude of the night. A video appeared on the LEDs with a series of screenshots displaying hate comments. It also showed a video of someone ranting about how much the boys have changed since their older performances.

This transitioned into them performing “Bae”. During the performance, they brought a fan onstage to sit on a chair. The boys performed around her, providing a super special experience she’s likely to remember forever.

Then it was time for another interlude. This time it was a super emotional one with Martinus being very vulnerable. He shared how the past few years have been difficult in terms of relationships. He detailed a specific experience where he thought he’d found “the one”. He believes he messed up and lost her forever.

This was the rawest, stripped-back section of the night. It featured an emotional rendition of their hit song “Heartbeat”. During the performance, Martinus was visibly holding back tears. This was truly gut-wrenching, but the sadness didn’t stop there. The duo then performed a cover of “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. Martinus had covered this track during his time on the Swedish version of the beloved TV show. He performed on ‘The Masked Singer’.

By now, the crowd was in a flood of tears, but next up was yet another emotional song. Marcus took to the stage by himself. He started the first verse of ‘When All the Lights Go Out’ alone. There was nothing but a mic stand and a spotlight on him. He delivered some of the best vocals I have ever heard from him. Then Martinus came back on stage as the pace picked up for the second half. The mood shifted back into a party with the crowd jumping along and singing every word back to them.

Next up was one of my standout moments of the show. It was the performance of “Follow me”. In this performance, the boys turned a bit more sensual. They showcased body rolling and perfectly synced movements whilst holding the mic stands.

It was then time for a total mood switch. The boys left the stage. Another on-screen interlude began to play. When the boys came back out, they had changed from all white outfits to all black. Then, they performed one of the fan favourites, “Jinx It”.

The dancers also joined them on the stage once more. The real highlight for many fans during this song was Martinus taking his shirt off. He revealed his back tattoos, abs, and muscular figure. The top was thrown into the crowd. Many fans fought to catch it while screaming every word back to the duo.

Next up was “Sugar Rush”, quite possibly the most heavily choreographed song of the night. The choreography was excellent, but the vocals didn’t suffer once. Both Marcus and Martinus still sounded flawless. I was blown away.

Then came another one of their mic-ography songs, “Love Flow,” my personal favourite track from their discography. This song is an English cover of “WANT” by K-Pop artist “TAEMIN”, but the boys truly make it their own each time they perform it. The movements are very dramatic. They include sensual hip movements and dance moves all centred around the mic stands. These also consist of leans and signature boy band moves like hand reaches and fingersnaps. It’s the whole package.

You thought the emotional rollercoaster was done? Not yet! The next few songs were heartbreaking ballads. They had nothing but a guitar or piano backing them. This left their powerful vocals as the focus. “With You” was my personal favourite of this section. Marcus, in particular, had me close to tears at one point. I have always loved his vocal tone. The little runs and riffs he included really added to the emotion in these songs.

This track, “With You,” is an emotional tribute. It is deeply personal to the twins’ grandmother. Unfortunately, she passed away before their music career took off. Throughout the verses, they think about times they wish they had shared with her. They believe they didn’t spend as much time with her as they could have. This resonated with me deeply. I lost my grandparents back in 2020 in tragic ways. The lyrics of this song choke me up every time. This song was clearly relatable to members of the crowd. The audience was in a flood of tears. They held phone torches up and sang along to every word with their hands on their hearts.

But the pace was very quickly brought back up. Their 2023 entry to Melodifestivalen was “Air”. This is a competition in Scandinavia to determine who will be representing their countries in Eurovision. The twins placed 2nd with this track. They showed you exactly why with their performance at the show. The choreography was slick, executed brilliantly and left the crowd even more excited as the show progressed.

Next up came “Diva”, in which Martinus asked the crowd, “Who’s going to be my diva tonight?”, sending the crowd into a frenzy. This was followed by their most suggestive performance to date. Two chairs were brought to the centre stage. The opening notes of “The Room” began to ring out. The twins were sitting on chairs. The dancers got up close and somewhat risqué. This was the most explicit the show got. It didn’t feel cheesy or ‘too much’. I thought they executed it brilliantly. This was especially true with the audience being mostly young teens.

This track, “The Room”, is the one that keeps going viral on social media for the performances. Witnessing it live proved exactly why. The choreography in the choruses was super addicting. The crowd copied their movements. The boys and their dancers finished up with some more high-energy dance breaks. The crowd clapped and screamed along.

I love that Marcus & Martinus aren’t afraid to make their Scandinavian roots known. This next track was the perfect way to bring the show to a close. It was the only one in their native language. The crowd knew every single word. It was super heartwarming to see. The crowd loves them so much. They took the time to learn each lyric of “Elektrisk.” This was super special. It was especially touching when Marcus held the mic out to the crowd. They recited the entire chorus back to the duo. The performers stood on stage in awe, with the biggest smiles on their faces.

The highlight of this song was after the last chorus. The boys took time to express gratitude towards the crowd for singing in Norwegian. Marcus asked, “We know you can sing like Norwegians, but let me see you jump like Norwegians.” Academy 2 turned into a rave. The boys started yet another dance break. The crowd bounced along to every single beat. This movement was felt from the front all the way to the back of the room. There wasn’t a single person in there who stood still. And just like that, the night came to a close. The duo blew kisses out to the crowd, expressed how much they loved them and exited the stage.

Then it was time for the encore. Obviously, their hit song “Unforgettable” was the choice. This song placed ninth in Eurovision 2024. This track marked their transition into a more mature sound. It features themes of an addictive, somewhat dangerous romance. It is packed with hypnotic production and electronic beats reminiscent of a nightclub. The super catchy hooks get stuck in your head instantly.

The duo started back-to-back. The lighting was synced perfectly. It lit up just one of the twins as they delivered their lines of the song. They switched back and forth. The anticipation kept building as the song progressed. The boys delivered their last dance break of the night. They went harder than ever before.

Martinus, in particular, really caught my attention. He was super comfortable up there, and each move felt natural. It’s clear the pair have been working on his dancing a lot since competing in Eurovision. I didn’t expect them to be anywhere near as slick. They really do have the full package.

This show was truly unforgettable. Marcus and Martinus really are one of the most exciting additions to the pop industry. I am eager to see how the next few years unfold for them. This was hands down one of the most impressive shows I have witnessed, especially in a venue of that size. I knew it would be a great show, but this far exceeded my expectations.

The pair have been in the spotlight since they were about 12 years old. Now, at 23, they’ve matured into true superstars. I reckon it’s only a matter of time until these two play venues double, if not triple the size. Two massive shows are coming up at Avicii Arena in Sweden. Another show is set at Unity Arena in Norway. Their popularity is surging. These two are set to become the biggest pop artists in Scandinavia. The region is packed with a truly incredible amount of talent. There are Swedish legends like ABBA. Pop superstars such as Zara Larsson and Omar Rudberg add to the list. Of course, the Eurovision legend, LOREEN, is also a part of this.