Nightwish will celebrate their 20th anniversary with a new compilation album titled Decades and an accompanying tour of North America and Europe in 2018.
The 2CD album will launch on March 9 via Nuclear Blast and they’ll then embark on a nine-month tour, kicking off with 34 shows in North America in March and April, followed by dozens of headline shows and festival dates in Europe.
Nightwish’s set will feature rare material from their early days.
Nightwish leader Tuomas Holopainen says: “July 6, 1996, was the exact date marked on my family’s summer cabin guestbook. On that date, by a campfire, a decision was made to form a band of three members, playing atmospheric acoustic music led by a female voice.
“Fifteen months later, this group would release its debut album, and more than two decades later, it would release a compilation including songs from eight studio albums and from the very first demo which gave the band its name.”
He continues: “The infinite freedom and potential I found from songwriting back in the day took me right back home, offering a place to feel free and meaningful. So the roller coaster ride begun, adventures from all sides of the spectrum ahead, making a pit stop at this place and age from where we’re greeting you now. Looking back, the voyage has been nothing short of spectacular.”
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Holopainen says the best part of being in the band “are the people,” and adds: “The fellowship of the band, past and present, the crew and the management. The relationships created, whether it’s the fans in the front row, guest musicians, other bands, promoters, media, record label staff, or even your own heroes you never thought you’d meet.
“I’ve met my best friends through music, as well as faced the most unfortunate ordeals, but it’s all been for the love of life and adventure, for learning, and for a meaning.
“The sense of privilege I feel looking into the past, the present, and future is immeasurable by words. It’s something that can only be expressed through poetry and music.
“In a few months, we’ll celebrate the journey so far in the form of a nine-month nostalgia tour, including material from all of our eight studio albums. We shall meet you all soon, and it will be wondrous as never before!”
Further album details will be revealed in due course. Find a full list of Nightwish’s Decades tour dates below.
Nightwish 2018 Decades tour dates
North America
Mar 09: Atlanta Tabernable, GA
Mar 10: Charlotte The Filmore, NC
Mar 12: Norfolk The Norva, VA
Mar 13: Baltimore Lyric Theater
Mar 14: New York PlayStation Theater, NY
Mar 16: Philadelphia Electric Factory, PA
Mar 17: Worcester The Palladium, MA
Mar 18: Albany The Egg, NY
Mar 20: Montreal Metropolis, QC
Mar 21: Toronto Massey Hall, ON
Mar 23: Niagara Falls Rapids Theatre, NY
Mar 24: Cleveland Agora Theater, OH
Mar 25: Pittsburgh Stage AE, PA
Mar 26: Covington Madison Theater, KY
Mar 28: Kalamazoo State Theatre, MI
Mar 29: St. Louis Touhill Performing Arts Center, MO
Mar 30: Minneapolis The Myth, MN
Mar 31: Chicago Aragon Ballroom, IL
Apr 02: Omaha Sokol Auditorium, NB
Apr 03: Denver Paramount Theatre, CO
Apr 05: Edmonton Northern Alberta Jubilee Aud, AB
Apr 06: Spokane Knitting Factory, WA
Apr 07: Vancouver Queen Elizabeth Theatre, BC
Apr 08: Portland Roseland Theater, OR
Apr 10: Las Vegas Brooklyn Bowl, NV
Apr 12: Ventura The Majestic Ventura Theatre, CA
Apr 13: San Jose City National Civic, CA
Apr 14: Anaheim City National Grove, CA
Apr 15: Tempe Marquee Theatre, AZ
Apr 17: Dallas The Bomb Factory, TX
Apr 18: Memphis Minglewood Hall, TN
Apr 19: Mobile Saenger Theater, AL
Apr 21: St. Petersburg Jannus Landing, FL
Apr 22: Miami Olympia Theater, FL
Europe
May 18: Tallinn Saku Suurhall, Estonia
Jun 01: Pilsen Metalfest Open Air, Czech Republic
Jun 02: Nijmegen FortaRock, Netherlands
Jun 21: Copenhagen Copenhell, Denmark
Jun 24: Clisson Hellfest, France
Jul 06: Kvinesdal Norway Rock Festival, Norway
Jul 13: Joensuu Ilosaarirock, Finland
Jul 21: Lahti Mukkulan Tapahtumapuisto, Finland
Aug 03: Wacken Open Air, Germany
Aug 07: Schaffhausen Stars In Town, Switzerland
Aug 09: Villena Leyendas Del Rock, Spain
Aug 12: Derby Bloodstock Open Air, UK
Nov 02: Gothenburg Partille Arena, Sweden
Nov 05: Berlin Max-Schmeling-Halle, Germany
Nov 06: Hamburg Barclaycard Arena, Germany
Nov 07: Antwerp Lotto Arena, Belgium
Nov 09: Oberhausen König-Pilsener-Arena, Germany
Nov 10: Paris AccorHotels Arena, France
Nov 11: Geneva Arena, Switzerland
Nov 13: Bratislava Incheba Expo Arena, Slovakia
Nov 14: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
Nov 16: Leipzig Arena, Germany
Nov 17: Krakow Tauron Arena, Poland
Nov 20: Budapest Arena, Hungary
Nov 22: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
Nov 23: Nuremberg Arena, Germany
Nov 24: Stuttgart Schleyer-Halle, Germany
Nov 27: Saarbrücken Saarlandhalle, Germany
Dec 04: Milan Medionalum Forum, Italy
Dec 05: Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany
