The tour began at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on October 16, 2018, and concluded at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois on December 13, 2019.

As he sits down at the drums, Tyler Joseph rises from below the stage onto a burning car and begins singing "Jumpsuit" followed by "Levitate".

[9] During "Fairly Local", Joseph seemingly falls on stage, only to appear a few seconds later in the upper bowl before removing his ski mask.

[11] The duo then plays "We Don't Believe What's on TV" and "The Judge", Joseph dressed in a floral kimono, before performing "Lane Boy" during which two masked men run on stage to shower the crowd with smoke.

During "Holding On to You", Joseph raps the first verse held up by the front row of the crowd before Dun performs his trademark backflip off the piano.

"[16] Stuff's Melanie Earley was similarly positive and said "Twenty One Pilots have helped to bring hope to an entire room full of people, and within there lies the real magic.

[19] Elizabeth Aubrey gave the show the same score in her review for the Evening Standard, writing that "while occasionally the aesthetics could detract from the band's lyrical message, the ambition of their striking Bandito Tour impressed and was clearly adored by fans.

"[20] Anna Smith of Gigwise praised the show, stating that "Tyler's voice exceeds expectations the whole show through, and Josh's seemingly inhuman ability to smash drums for 120 minutes straight allays any doubt that these guys have tricked their way to the top", and added that the band is "A truly phenomenal act deserving of such a committed, devoted fanbase.

"[21] James Hall of The Daily Telegraph was more critical of the show, giving it three stars, stating that "anything goes in this streaming world" as "an evening that starts with a burning car can actually turn out to be a night of wholesome, fun and unthreatening entertainment.

He stated that "balaclavas still speak loudly in Northern Ireland of the evils of terrorism, with many still struggling to cope with the devastation and murder wrought by balaclava-clad killers," and added that "we also have to bear in mind the age profile of probably an impressionable audience – that's another reason why this imagery was inappropriate.

"[23] This prompted numerous fans of Twenty One Pilots to defend the band as "they should not compromise one stage of the tour to cater to Northern Ireland sensitivities.

"[24] According to Pollstar, in 2018, the first North American leg of the tour grossed $10.2 million in total, averaging 12,597 tickets sold and $929,070 per show.