Linkin Park crash Kai Cenat’s marathon stream with unexpected live performance
Linkin Park have sent shockwaves through both the music and streaming worlds after appearing unannounced on Kai Cenat’s record-breaking Mafiathon 3. The Twitch star, who boasts nearly 20 million followers, has been livestreaming for over three weeks in what he has billed as his final Mafiathon, raising funds for a new school in Nigeria while breaking subscriber records.
The nu metal giants joined the marathon broadcast on Friday morning, performing a short but high-energy set that immediately lit up social media. Their setlist included fan favourites What I’ve Done and In the End alongside newer singles The Emptiness Machine and Heavy Is the Crown from last year’s comeback album From Zero. The band left Cenat’s house as suddenly as they arrived, leaving fans stunned by the fleeting but powerful moment.
Linkin Park playing In The End (and jumping on beds) on Kai Cenat stream❤️ pic.twitter.com/oHzARJSZcL
Cenat’s Mafiathon 3 has already drawn a parade of celebrity guests, including Kim Kardashian, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Mariah Carey, but Linkin Park’s live set stood out as one of the most talked-about appearances of the entire stream. Fans immediately flooded X with clips, reactions and disbelief, with one post declaring it “the crossover we never knew we needed.”
The livestream itself has become historic, with Cenat smashing the all-time Twitch record for paid subscribers this week, surpassing 728,600. Beyond the viral buzz, the project has a philanthropic mission, with proceeds going toward building a school in Nigeria.
For Linkin Park, the surprise cameo comes amid their From Zero world tour, which continues through South America next month before moving on to Asia, Australia and Europe in 2026. No UK date has been confirmed yet, but the viral appearance on Cenat’s stream proves the band is still full of surprises.