Phish delivers yet another breakthrough New Year’s run at the world’s most famous arena, with four nights of jams and a revolutionary light show, culminating in an “it’s ice cream”- inspired spectacle where Phish “steps into the freezer” and leaves fans glowing.
Phish fans take over midtown Manhattan every year, and the atmosphere is electric, with pre- and post-show music and activities surrounding the culture. The restaurants, the subway, the clubs, and the entire atmosphere are filled with Phish lore – a true testament to their influence in music and rock. Few bands have an entire culture that follows their every move like Phish, where the magic happens in real time, on stage, while the band rides the wave of the moment with deep improvisations in each song and set.
Night 1 Set the Tone
As writer, podcast host, and jamband connoisseur Ryan Storm stated, “Anticipation was high as fans descended on New York City for the annual pilgrimage, and lots of chatter around the first night being a Sunday took place – because, of course, you should never miss a Sunday show. Phish stepped up and delivered a solid opening night, setting the table for what’s to come with two impressive sets, highlighted by the longest-ever “Theme From the Bottom” and lots of adventurous jamming.”
Other show highlights included “Punch You in the Eye,” “Sigma Oasis” into “Taste,” and “Sleep,” a tune they have not played since November 2019. “Run Like an Antelope” was also featured, a true banger for a night one performance. The encore featuring “Slave to the Traffic Light” “wrapped night one of YEMSG on a high note – as it always does so well,” according to Storm. The vibe was set for the run.
Night 2 Energy was Palpable
Having attended night two, from entry into MSG, the energy was kinetic, and I could feel the anticipation building with each passing moment. The first set highlight outside of the “Carini” opener, followed by “Quadrophonic Toppling” (last played in 2022), was the “Bathtub Gin” jam, which made it clear that we were in for something special to come. “Fluffhead” closed set one, with bright lights, the crowd hanging on every lyric and note, leaving on a high note into the quick set break, and was a tease for the jam-heavy second set that was loading.
Set two was a jam-heavy dance party that opened with “Mike’s Song.” As Megan Glionna, podcast host, writer, and avid Phish fan stated, “This unusual ‘Mike’s Groove’ preceded the first lengthy improvisational outing of the night with the 2021 song, “A Wave Of Hope.” Played for the 38th time, this version will no doubt make the Phish “jam charts” for Anastasio’s dark, repetitive rock riff that the band echoed and built on, leading to a tremendous crescendo and a satisfying return to the chorus. At just over 20 minutes, this jam was the peak of the evening and had fists pumping with its muscular tone and driving energy.”
The encore of “Lizards” and “Possum” were a perfect ending to a solid set two, and many bangers were left for nights three and four. As Glionna stated, “Phish heads into two of their most hallowed nights with big songs and big jamming potential on the table.”
Night 3 Continues the High-Flying Vibes at the Garden
This show marks the band’s 90th MSG show, a historic milestone. Having attended the night before New Year’s Eve in past years, this has often been a big night of epic jams as momentum builds for the big night.
Set one featured some Phish classics, including “Chalk Dust Torture” to open, followed by “The Moma Dance,” then returning to “Chalk Dust Torture.” Other highlights included “Divided Sky” with the pronounced and extended pause, “Reba,” and “Split Open and Melt” to close the set.
Set two opened with “Ghost,” then followed by “Ruby Waves” into “Light,” two feel-good songs with floaty jams to ride high. The flywheel kept gaining velocity in set two, heading into “Crosseyed and Painless,” the Talking Heads cover, into “Twist.” “Cavern” led into “First Tube,” where Trey was vibing throughout. The encore featured “Drift While You’re Sleeping,” bringing the night to a close and leading into the main event.
The Stage was Set for an Epic Finish with the Bonus New Year’s Set
Phish took the stage just before 8 o’clock, and quickly set the tone with “Free,” “Birds of a Feather,” and “Bouncing Around the Room.”
The set featured deep jams, along with highlights including “My Friend My Friend,” “Monsters,” “Kill Devil Falls,” and “Life Saving Gun.” The highlight of set one was “Stash,” in which the band was in the pocket, with some extended improvisation.
The second set picked up where set one left off, with “Sand” and “Fuego.” The highlight of the second set was clearly “You Enjoy Myself,” which represented the energy that was yet to come in the New Year’s set. The “It’s Ice” was a tease to what was to come.
The spectacle began when a dairyman, resembling Harry Hood, entered the stage with a uniform that said “It’s Ice Cream,” which was exactly what was to come, when Phish played the Prince cover “Cream.” Once this ended, the set was over, and the anticipation was at a peak.
When the set break ended, the dairy man came back to the stage, accompanied by cows all throughout the arena, and a stage filled with human-sized milk cartons. As Phish busted out “Harry Hood,” a larger milk carton appeared with the message “MISSING: Spock’s brain.”
Dairy seems to be the night’s ongoing theme, and outside of “Hood,” “2001” was a highlight, featuring Trey on drums, followed by the firecracker-themed countdown to midnight. After “Auld Lang Syne,” it was on with “Tweezer,” “Piper”, and “Say it to me S.A.N.T.O.S.”
The bonus set is much more than the music; it’s the plethora of people and props catching, making it a fully expansive experience – a climactic way to ring in 2026.
The encore featured three songs, ending with the fantastic “Tweezer Reprise,” which blew the roof off the garden.
Trey Anastasio (guitar, vocals), Jon Fishman (drums, vocals), Mike Gordon (bass, vocals), and Page McConnell (keyboards, vocals) have certainly earned one of music’s most dedicated fan bases for their blend of “idiosyncratic songcraft,” extended jams, and immersive live shows. Catching the New Year’s run is on the 2026 bucket list.
See Phish’s tour schedule here, including a residency at the Sphere.
