You Me At Six on the time they got The X Factor final moved from Wembley

In the new print issue of Kerrang!, we have a big chat with You Me At Six frontman Josh Franceschi in which we look back over the Surrey heroes’ career in gigs – from their 2005 debut at a youth centre in Guildford to headlining the likes of Gunnersbury Park and Slam Dunk Festival over the years.

And, with YMA6 having not one but two gigs at London’s OVO Arena Wembley penned in for their farewell Final Nights Of Six Tour, it seems only right to reflect on the first time the band headlined that iconic venue, back in 2012 for their sell-out Final Night Of Sin.

“I think we’ve always surpassed expectation, but sometimes it’s not that we’ve been the ‘best band in class’, but we’ve always been the most willing to dream big and work really hard towards it,” Josh explains of that momentous Wembley show.

“When it came to booking Wembley, our promoter at the time was very, very, very sure that we were absolutely wasting our time by even thinking about it. Our management wasn’t so deterred and said, ‘Book it if you want to play it.’

“We ended up having to challenge ITV and The X Factor, because they always had their finals at Wembley Arena. It was the first time in that show’s history where they’d moved from London to Manchester, and it was because of us!

“Bands always dream of saying, ‘Hello, Wembley!’ and we just felt that we made a real jump from being a band that is known and appreciated to being part of a really special club. It was a proper victory.”

Order your copy of the spring 2025 edition of Kerrang! here to read the full interview with Josh.

You Me At Six are touring throughout March and April. Get your tickets now.

Read this next:

• Josh Franceschi: “I’ve always hated it when my favourite bands have ended badly. This isn’t like that”
• Tracksuit bottoms, Nando’s and falling off the stage: Life on the road with Josh Franceschi
• You Me At Six: Josh Franceschi’s track-by-track guide to Sinners Never Sleep