Brighton Centre – 16th February 2026
There are few films that inspire the kind of fierce devotion that Twilight does, so bringing it to the stage at the Brighton Centre was always going to be an event. Twilight in Concert managed to strike a balance between cinematic screening and live performance, giving fans the chance to fall in love with Bella and Edward all over again while a live orchestra performed the score in real time beneath the screen.
From the moment the opening credits rolled and the first notes rang out, you could feel the shift in the room. The familiar brooding strains of Eyes on Fire set the tone, and suddenly you weren’t just watching the film, you were sitting inside it.
The musicians handled the blend of rock and orchestral textures beautifully, leaning into the sweeping romance one minute and the tension of the baseball scene the next. When Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole kicked in, the crowd reaction said it all. Cheers erupted and the live vocalist added the perfect touch to help the scene really come to life.
What made Twilight in Concert so enjoyable was the way the audience leaned into it. This wasn’t a stiff, sit quietly and clap at the end event. Fans were encouraged to cheer their favourite moments and they absolutely did. Edward’s first dramatic entrance got a roar, as did Charlie and Carlise’s. The meadow scene drew sighs and a smattering of cheeky laughter. Even the cheesier lines of dialogue were met with affectionate chuckles. It felt less like a standard screening and more like a communal celebration of something people genuinely adore.
Decode landed exactly as you’d hope, with the live arrangement giving it a bit more bite, while Bella’s Lullaby drew one of the loudest responses of the night. As soon as those delicate piano notes began, the audience collectively melted. It’s one of those themes that’s become inseparable from the saga, and hearing it performed live added a warmth that the original recording, lovely as it is, can’t quite replicate. Flightless Bird, American Mouth closed the prom scene with a gentle hush over the room before applause swelled again.
The production itself was slick without being overblown. The large screen ensured every lingering glance and glittering close up landed, while the stage lighting and candles gave the musicians their own presence without distracting from the film. The balance between soundtrack and dialogue was well judged too, so you never felt the music drowned out the story or vice versa.
Crucially, it wasn’t just nostalgia carrying the night. The live performance added texture and nuance, especially in the quieter, moodier passages that define much of the film’s atmosphere. You noticed details in the arrangements that are easy to miss when you’re wrapped up in the plot. For long time fans, that fresh perspective is part of the appeal. For anyone newer to Forks, it’s a pretty grand introduction.
By the time the end credits rolled and the final notes faded, the Brighton Centre was buzzing. People lingered, chatting about favourite scenes and comparing Team allegiances (are you team Edward or team Jacob?), clearly reluctant to let the evening end.
Twilight in Concert may trade on a well known story, but in this format it feels newly polished. While the film’s plot might not exactly be Oscar-worthy it’s incredibly loved with its own fans known as Twihards. If you’ve ever swooned at a silver Volvo pulling into a rainy school car park, you’ll find plenty to love here. And even if you haven’t, you’ll likely leave with at least one of those songs stuck in your head on the journey home.
Twilight in Concert review – 5 stars
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