Nightwish Concerts Setlist

Formed in 96 by Tuomas Holopainen, the band's keyboardist, Nightwish is an iconic symphonic heavy metal band from Finland. The band's first album was "Angles Fall First," released one year after the band's foundation. The band is known for having two vocalists, that even though the band's formation changed some times over the years, it is still recognized by mixing feminine and masculine vocals. Their 2004 album "Once" sold over a million copies and was a hit in the U.S., with the song "Wish I Had an Angel" getting MTV airplay and being featured in movies.

After playing keyboards in several heavy metal bands in the 90s, including Darkwoods My Betrothed, Tuomas Holopainen decided to create his own project while sitting around a campfire with friends in 96. He had a clear vision for the music: experimental acoustic tunes he had written during his time in the Finnish Army, inspired by campfire music but with a unique sound and atmosphere played on his keyboards.

In 98, the band released "Oceanborn," which marked a shift to a more technical and progressive sound, moving away from the ambient and folk elements of their debut album. The album featured guest growling vocals by Tapio Wilska, as Tuomas Holopainen did not want to sing again.

In the early 2000s, Nightwish released their first live album, "From Wishes to Eternity," available in VHS, DVD, and CD formats, recorded during a show in Tampere, Finland, in December 2000.

In 2005, something curious happened, the other four members of Nightwish decided it was best to continue the band without Tarja Turunen. The main reason given for her dismissal was that her husband, Marcelo Cabuli, and commercial interests had changed her attitude towards the band. Turunen responded during press conferences in Finland and Germany, saying she was shocked by the dismissal as she had not been informed beforehand. She felt the personal attacks on her husband were unfair and that making the issue public was unnecessarily cruel. She shared her feelings in an open letter on her personal website and through various interviews with TV, magazines, and newspapers.

After releasing more singles and a compilation album, and parting ways with Turunen in 2005. Anette Olzon joined as the new singer in 2007, and they released "Dark Passion Play," selling nearly 2 million copies with the hit "Amaranth."

In 2019, Nightwish announced that drummer Jukka Nevalainen, who had been inactive since 2014 due to severe insomnia, would not return to the band. Kai Hahto, who had been filling in for Nevalainen, became the official drummer.

In 2021, Tuomas Holopainen began drafting ideas for a new Nightwish album. In 2024, they announced the album "Yesterwynde," with the first single "Perfume of the Timeless" released in May 2024. However, Nightwish said they will not tour in support of the album and plans an indeterminate hiatus from touring, expected to last two to three years.