Phish Conclude Riviera Maya 2026 with Record-Breaking 40-Minute “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing”
Phish, photo by Dave Vann
On Saturday night, Phish stepped into the spotlight at Moon Palace Cancún for the final show in their 2026 Riviera Maya residency. The foundational jamband’s ninth annual destination event was distinguished even among its outstanding precedents, as each night brought a host of surprises that proved the group’s ambition has only intensified in their fourth decade of performance. After three nights of debuting original material and unearthing long-shelved deep cuts, the quartet capped off their run with a show focused on record-breaking improvisation.
Phish commenced their performance with “Mike’s Song,” then shook up the signature song’s canonical sequencing by weaving through “Hailey’s Comet” to “Weekapaug Groove” for the first time. Along the way, Trey Anastasio subtly paid his respects to the late actor Grady Demond Wilson with a tease of the Sanford & Son theme song. After a fiery blues-rocker of “Julius,” the group launched the evening’s first sprawling jam with “My Friend My Friend,” which eschewed the “Myfe” ending to embrace 25 minutes of looming, shadowy abstraction and triumphant peaks.
Mike Gordon helmed his solo original “Mull,” then a fluttering, tight “Vultures” let the band simmer down before the final passage of their first set: a 10-minute space-funk voyage to the stars with “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” punctuated by an expressive, reserved and rewarding 12-minute closer of “Drift While You’re Sleeping.” Phish wasted no time cutting to the high-flying jams in their second set, which began with their longest treatment to date of the Undermind classic “A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing,” clocking in at just over 40 minutes and narrowly securing its place among the band’s top 10 longest jams of all time.
From this brilliant and baffling introduction, Phish spiraled out into 19 radiant minutes of “Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1,” once again standing as the track’s longest iteration yet. The band switched gears for their transition into the fun-forward sing-along of “Meatstick,” which prowled into a 13-minute funky and propulsive cover of TV On The Radio’s “Golden Age” and finally a blissful 12-minute set-closer of “Slave to the Traffic Light.” To bid a fond farewell to thier fans and conclude an unforgettable weekend of music, the quartet returned to the stage for their encore with The Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup,” which rang out into the fan-favorite finale of “Harry Hood.”
Phish will return to the stage in April for their highly anticipated second residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere. Find tickets and more information on the band’s live itinerary at phish.com.
Phish
Moon Palace Cancún – Riviera Cancún, Mexico
Riviera Maya
1/31/26
Set I: Mike’s Song > Halley’s Comet -> Weekapaug Groove, Julius, My Friend, My Friend[1], Mull, Vultures, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Drift While You’re Sleeping
Set II: A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing -> Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1 > Meatstick > Golden Age > Slave to the Traffic Light
Encore: Loving Cup > Harry Hood
Notes:
Trey teased the Theme from Sanford and Son during Weekapaug Groove, as Demond Wilson (Lamont from the show) had passed away the day before. My Friend, My Friend did not contain the “Myfe” ending and included Walk This Way and Weekapaug Groove teases from Trey. A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing contained The Final Hurrah singing as well as P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up) teases from Trey. Trey teased We’re Off to See the Wizard in Beneath a Sea of Stars Part 1.
