It’s over. For real this time.
Refused closed the book on a 31-year career with their final-ever live performance in Umeå, Sweden last Sunday (December 21), ending one of hardcore punk’s most disruptive, influential runs on home soil. The show followed a final stretch of UK and European dates and was live-streamed worldwide for fans who couldn’t be in the room.
To mark the moment, the band tore through a 21-song set that cut straight through their legacy, finishing exactly where it had to: ‘New Noise’ from 1998’s The Shape Of Punk To Come.
After the show, frontman Dennis Lyxzén summed it up with clarity and conviction.
“The weekend is over, and it’s been overwhelming to say the least. I need a couple of days to process everything and I will post more on the matter,” he wrote. “But for now: thanks to everyone that came to the shows, or watched the live stream or just made all of this possible. I love you all. Refused is dead. Long live Refused.”
Refused’s final setlist:
‘Circle Pit’
‘The Shape Of Punk To Come’
‘The Refused Party Program’
‘Rather Be Dead’
‘Malfire’
‘Liberation Frequency’
‘Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine’
‘The Deadly Rhythm’
‘Re-Fused’
‘I Wish’
‘Hate Breeds Hate’
‘Pretty Face’
‘Life Support Addiction’
‘Coup D’état’
‘Refused Are Fucking Dead’
‘Elektra’
‘Worms Of The Senses / Faculties Of The Skull’
Encore:
‘Burn It’
‘Everlasting’
‘Pump The Brakes’
‘New Noise’
While Refused may be finished, the story doesn’t end there.
Lyxzén, bassist Magnus Flagge, and drummer David Sandström have already launched a new project called Backengrillen, joined by saxophonist Mats Gustafsson. Their self-titled debut album arrives January 23, 2026 via Svart Records.
The band describes the project as pure abrasion. “Backengrillen’s music is a paean to chaos and destruction,” they said. “The basic idea is to take a death or doom metal or noise rock riff and play it until it loses meaning, then break it apart like a ravenous cat would a tiny forest mouse.”
Refused is done, but the noise remains!
