Live report EVANESCENCE, POPPY & NOVA TWINS, Barclays Arena, Hamburg – September 23rd, 2026

Tonight, the road takes me to Hamburg’s Barclays Arena, where Amy Lee and Evanescence are set to take the stage. The band is currently touring across Europe and the UK, with a stop in the autumn city on the Elbe. Poppy is along for the ride as an additional special guest, while Nova Twins have drawn the opening slot.

Nova Twins

Nova Twins are an interesting band simply because their sound is not easy to put into a single box. The British duo blend rock, punk and rap with a healthy dose of electronic elements, creating something that feels just as raw as it does modern.

Tonight, Amy Love and Georgia South have 30 minutes to introduce their music to a much wider audience. And judging by the response, more than a handful of people in the arena are paying attention. The applause makes that pretty clear.

Naturally, the focus is on Love and South, but drummer Luke Campbell should not be overlooked. Still, the real driving force of the performance comes from South’s bass. That deep, rumbling low end is at the heart of the sound, while the guitar works more as a supporting element within a show that is loud, physical and full of energy.

There is an unmistakable anarchic vibe spreading through the Barclays Arena, and Nova Twins make good use of their short set. When the duo leaves the stage after 30 minutes, the atmosphere is already in pretty good shape.

Mission accomplished — and a few new fans picked up along the way.

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Poppy

Poppy from California is next and tonight she wants to be there only for the fans. Apparently, the music is supposed to do most of the talking, and the show is clearly built around its singer. While the backing band stays largely in the background, the spotlight remains firmly on Poppy, who wastes little time before launching into “have you had enough?”

Musically, Poppy moves between more emotional alternative rock and the heavier side of metalcore. It is a combination that clearly works for the audience, with plenty of movement in front of the stage from the very beginning. One thing that stands out, however, is the sheer volume. Even though the overall sound is reasonably well balanced, some of the finer details occasionally get swallowed up in the noise.

Things take a more restrained turn with “vital,” as Poppy picks up an acoustic guitar and brings the intensity down a notch. It does not last long, though. “Public Domain” turns the volume back up, followed by “V.A.N.”, the Bad Omens cover that adds another shade to the set.

Overall, Poppy delivers a solid live performance that clearly has its intended effect on their fans. Whether her musical journey will continue to grow from here is something time will tell. Tonight, at least, the front third of the arena is already fully on board and after “New Way Out,” Poppy leaves the stage to a healthy round of applause.

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Evanescence

The changeover takes a little longer than usual. Forty minutes after the last notes of Poppy have faded into the arena, the lights go down and we are ready for the start of an impressive production.

Around 11,000 fans are waiting for a band that reached Gold status in Germany with its debut album Fallen and, judging by tonight’s crowd, has lost none of its appeal over the years. Evanescence have released several albums since then, but their connection with the audience has never been based on numbers alone. There is an emotional component to their music that continues to pull people in — and tonight, that connection is impossible to miss.

Amy Lee and the band have had their new album Sanctuary in stores for a few weeks, making tonight a good opportunity to bring the new material to the stage. It is therefore no surprise that the title track opens the roughly 100-minute set of alternative rock and metal. The response is immediate. First the band takes the stage, followed by Amy Lee, with the entire setup surrounded by a thick layer of low-lying stage fog.

It quickly becomes clear that the music is only part of the experience. The stage itself is designed on a considerable scale, and the first four songs — all taken from the new album — make one thing obvious: both band and audience are fully ready for this evening.

Troy McLawhorn and Tim McCord handle the guitars with plenty of precision and some well-placed solo work, while Will Hunt attacks the drums with seemingly unlimited energy. Emma Anzai provides a solid groove and adds backing vocals where needed. Above it all stands Amy Lee’s voice. It fills the entire arena, and a quality that already comes across on record becomes even more pronounced live. Lee moves effortlessly between delicate passages and full-throttle vocal bursts, giving the songs plenty of dynamic range.

The music does most of the talking tonight, with stage banter kept to a minimum. When Lee does address the audience, though, the moments carry real emotional weight. At one point, the atmosphere becomes so personal that even the singer herself struggles to hold back a few tears.

As mentioned, this is more than simply a concert. Evanescence have put together a full-scale show where the visual side receives just as much attention as the music. The backdrop functions less like a traditional screen and more like a constantly changing multimedia canvas, adding another layer to the songs. At several points, the visuals create the impression of being surrounded by a three-dimensional world. Against that backdrop, even the occasional pyro effects and the confetti cannon during “Bring Me to Life” almost seem like minor details.

“End of You” brings another special moment when Poppy returns to the stage for a duet. From here, the evening gradually moves toward its final stretch.

There is, of course, one song that simply has to be part of an Evanescence show: “My Immortal.” Following an emotional introduction from Amy Lee, she takes her place at the grand piano, which rises from the stage at several points during the performance. With nothing but a huge white backdrop behind her, the song becomes one of the evening’s most intimate moments before “Wide Open Heart” then brings the show to its closing chapter.

Evanescence deliver a powerful performance, with Amy Lee’s vocals standing out as one of the strongest live vocal performances I have witnessed in recent years. But the impact of tonight goes beyond the voice alone. The combination of music, atmosphere, stage design and visuals creates a cohesive show that keeps the audience engaged from beginning to end.

For the roughly 11,000 people in the arena, it is an evening that delivers exactly what they came for — and then adds a few surprises along the way.