Nightwish’s new album Yesterwynde to receive symphonic world premiere by the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra at Tampere Hall

Nightwish, Finland’s most internationally successful metal band, released their tenth studio album, Yesterwynde, in September 2024. Having received widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike, the album will now be performed as an orchestral version for a live audience. The world premiere of Yesterwynde Orchestral will take place on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Tampere Hall, Finland, followed by a second concert on Friday, August 29, 2025, at 7:00 PM.

The grand symphonic spectacle, composed by Nightwish’s founder and leader Tuomas Holopainen, will be performed in the Main Auditorium of Tampere Hall by the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra with 97 musicians, the Tampere Opera Choir with 80 singers, and a specially assembled children’s choir. The conductor will be announced later. The Tampere Opera Choir is coached by choral conductor Heikki Liimola. Tickets for the concerts will be available starting Tuesday, December 10, at 9:00 AM via Tampere Hall and Lippu.fi ticket sales.

"Yesterwynde combines the epic and dramatic tones familiar for Nightwish with the depth and sensitivity of a symphony orchestra. It opens new horizons in symphonic metal and highlights the multi-faceted vision of composer Tuomas Holopainen. The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra is delighted to premiere this work and to launch the orchestra’s 95th anniversary autumn season with it," says Eija Oravuo, General Manager of Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra.

Yesterwynde takes the audience through time and space

Originally from Kitee, Finland, but having spent a year of his childhood in Tampere, Tuomas Holopainen is celebrated both in Finland and internationally as a versatile musician, composer, lyricist, and producer. Yesterwynde, with its cinematic scope, paints expansive soundscapes. Holopainen’s musical inspirations include renowned film composers such as Vangelis and Hans Zimmer.

The music takes the listener on a journey through contrasting moods, from tranquil and melancholic moments to explosive, monumental climaxes. The choral voices add a mystical, almost spiritual dimension to the music. Holopainen describes the album as a meditation on humanism, emphasizing its fundamentally optimistic tone. Key themes include time, history, and the resilience of humanity, the ability to come together and endure hardships.

"Yesterwynde is a journey through the landscapes of memories, dreams, and longing. The album is full of stories about time – both elusive and ever-present. It is the most personal and multi-layered creation of my career so far, and I am profoundly grateful that it will receive such a special world premiere with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and a massive choir. In the studio, you can polish things endlessly, but live performance is always something unique," says Holopainen.

The biggest album in Nightwish's history

Creating the Yesterwynde album was a three-year process for Tuomas Holopainen, who has described it as an almost obsessive endeavor. Yesterwynde stands as the biggest album in Nightwish’s history to date. In addition to the tracks performed by the band, the album features orchestral versions recorded at the renowned Abbey Road Studios in London with local musicians and vocalists. The orchestrations for the album were arranged by English conductor, orchestrator, and composer James Shearman, best known for his work in film music.

“Nightwish is one of the most renowned and successful metal bands in the world. Currently on a hiatus from touring, the band has announced that they will not tour for the Yesterwynde album. Therefore, the symphonic orchestra concerts in Tampere are the only opportunity to experience the band’s music live in the coming years. Tickets for the concerts are limited. We’re expecting fans from around the world traveling to Tampere”, says Marko Salo, Program Manager of Tampere Hall.

Nightwish Yesterwynde Orchestral

Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Tampere Opera Choir, and a children’s choir
N.N., conductor
Main Auditorium, Tampere Hall, Finland

Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 7:00 PM (World Premiere)
Friday, August 29, 2025, at 7:00 PM

Tickets €69.90 / €64.90 / €59.90
Discounted tickets for seniors, children under 16, students, and the unemployed: €67.40 / €62.40 / €57.40

Concert duration is approximately 1 hour (no intermission).

Production: Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Tampere Hall, and All Things Live, in collaboration with Radio City

Written about Yesterwynde

“Nightwish's Yesterwynde offers the kind of grandiose maximalism that puts most Hollywood blockbuster soundtracks to shame. - - - Even by Nightwish's standards, the album is sonically huge.” – Dave Everley, Louder

“The universe is infinite, and so it seems is the creative mind of band leader Tuomas Holopainen. --- Tuomas' central message is that our very existence is a fabulously unlikely miracle, a thing to revel in.” – Steve Beebee, Kerrang!

"When Finland's most internationally successful band releases an album four years after its predecessor, it is naturally an event. And because this band is Nightwish, the album is an event in itself: predictably epic, a roaring giant with the inevitability of a big-budget adventure film." – Heikki Romppainen, Helsingin Sanomat