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SABATON is planning to have two stages for upcoming tour

Photo credit: Ben Alexis

03-09-2025

In November 2025, Swedish metallers SABATON will embark on a 20-city European run dubbed “The Legendary Tour”. The band teased the trek as “a huge celebration of SABATON‘s music, storytelling and the incredible bond they share with their fans”, featuring “The Legendary Orchestra and other surprises,” resulting in “something unprecedented.” “The Legendary Tour” will be SABATON‘s first headlining tour in support of the band’s upcoming eleventh studio album, “Legends”, which will arrive on October 17 via Better Noise Music.

Speaking to “Coffee With Ola”, the YouTube program hosted by Ola EnglundSABATON bassist and manager Pär Sundström stated about the upcoming trek: “We’ve  got bigger stuff planned for the upcoming tour. And it’s a very special kind of thing, so we have to build it around the ‘Legends’ album. But I don’t wanna spoil too much. I think it will be exciting to see it. And we are also building a show that is a little bit more than just a rock show, so to say. So we have two stages and something that connects them.

“On the previous tour, ‘The Tour To End All Tours’, we used a couple of little acting things, and there was a little bit more theater than we did before,” he explained. “A lot of fans liked it, and it further strengthened the topics with the show. And we thought, ‘Okay, let’s continue down this road.’ So it’s a little bit more on the theater side. And then we got this little twist there, which is the opening band, which is ‘The Legendary Orchestra’, which we created specifically around — this was the time, this was the album, this is the tour. It’s not like SABATON and orchestra. There will be a full show with SABATON, but before that it’s a full show with The Legendary Orchestra, which is pretty much — you can see it as a cover band of SABATON, playing SABATON tunes that we won’t play during our set on the upcoming tour, but in orchestral arrangements, with lead instrumentalists, lead vocalists, choirs, and it’s very powerful, very emotional, and it sounds, of course, completely different — no electrical guitars, no drums, percussions… So a SABATON fan gets a lot of SABATON songs. And just that we can’t play all of them ourselves, because, yeah, that would be a very long night for us and we wouldn’t be able to do so many of them.”

Regarding SABATON‘s switch from longtime record label Nuclear Blast to Better Noise MusicSundström said:  ”It was something that we were negotiating with for over a very long period of time. It’s an important step because we had been with Nuclear Blast since 2010. So it’s 15 years working with Nuclear Blast. And to move away from them, it was a decision because we wanted to try, like what happens if we go somewhere else? What new networks, what new ideas, what comes out of it? And so it’s been an interesting thing, but it’s also so much people to talk to. And I found that we really needed also a label that has a strong presence in the United States. So, during this, like, one and a half year when we’ve been negotiating, it’s a lot of nighttime calls to various departments in America and interviewing them about how they do ideas, feeling, what do you think about this? (We) shared the album with a bunch of them and to get feedback, like, are they gonna like it? And this kind of things. It’s been a very interesting process to find a new record label. And then we kind of ended up where it all started, because Better Noise Music, they came to visit very early. They jumped on a flight to meet up with us and expressed that, like, they really would like to work with us. And in their roster, they don’t really have any band in the power metal genre. So it was also a challenge for them to try something that they haven’t really worked before, which I liked that they were not afraid of that challenge. They were, like, ‘We would like to do this, and we think that we can do a great job with it.’ So it’s been very exciting. And now we’re living it and we’re in the middle of it and seeing things unfold and we see the new networks, we see the new opportunities.”

Throughout the aptly titled “Legends”, which blends rock and history for fans of all ages, SABATON delves into some of history’s greatest and most loved characters such as Jeanne D’arc (also known as Joan Of Arc),Napoleon BonaparteJulius Caesar and the legendary swordmaster Miyamoto Musashi.

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for “Hordes Of Khan”SABATON said: “SABATON fans are always sharing topics they’d love to hear songs about, and Genghis Khan — one of history’s most legendary conquerors — has been a frequent request over the years. At the time, it didn’t quite fit within the scope of our World War I era, but once we decided to shift our direction, we revisited the idea.

“Before we fully commit to any song suggestion, we need to feel inspired by the story behind it. And that’s where the research begins…

“As we searched for topics for the new album, we were on the lookout for epic stories that deserved equally epic music. Genghis Khan instantly stood out as the perfect fit. His story checked all the boxes and proved to be very inspiring. He was a master of horseback warfare and united the Mongol tribes through diplomacy and military might. This man built the largest contiguous empire stretching far beyond Mongolia. It bridged East and West through the Silk Road and left a lasting impact on global history. How could we not write about Genghis Khan? And so, ‘Hordes Of Khan’ was born!

“The music for ‘Hordes Of Khan’ was composed by Joakim (BrodénSABATON singer) and the lyrics to the song were written by Pär (SundströmSABATON bassist). It carries a galloping rhythm that evokes images of a warrior charging on horseback. The song’s energy and movement make it an ideal fit for this topic, capturing the spirit of Genghis Khan and his legendary conquests.

“Born as Temujin, son of Yesugei, Genghis Khan was a brilliant strategist and a master of horseback warfare. He united the fiercely independent Mongol tribes through a mix of diplomacy and relentless military power. Khan forged the largest contiguous empire in history which stretched far beyond the steppes of Mongolia, bridging East and West via the Silk Road and leaving a profound and lasting impact on global history, culture and trade. He united civilizations, fostering commerce and sharing knowledge.”

A 33-minute documentary about the making of the yet-to-be-released official “Hordes Of Khan” music can video can be seen below.

This past April, SABATON released a video for the band’s latest single, “Templars”. The cinematic clip was filmed at two massive historical fortresses in Serbia (Belgrade Fortress within Kalemegdan Park and Smederevo Fortress), both of which provided a striking and authentic backdrop for the epic battle scenes.

Watch “Templars” below.

‘Templars’ is the first song we wrote for our forthcoming album and it truly brings out the theatrical side of SABATON,” says SABATON bassist and manager Pär Sundström. “From the moment we started working on it, we were overflowing with ideas on how to bring it to life on stage. We didn’t just want to

The video for “Templars” presents a fictionalized depiction of a possible last stand for the Knights Templar. The band members take on the roles of the last remaining Templars, sworn to protect the secrets of their order. The story unfolds as the Templars intercept a letter warning them of their impending arrest for heresy. Soon after, an enemy army arrives on their doorstep demanding their surrender on behalf of King Philip IV of France. Refusing to yield, the Templars choose to fight to the bitter end. One by one, they fall in battle until only a single warrior remains. In a final, desperate clash, he defeats the enemy commander before retreating to the keep. There, he makes the ultimate sacrifice, setting fire to the stronghold to ensure the secrets of the order are lost to history.

The video was filmed at two massive historical fortresses in Serbia (Belgrade Fortress within Kalemegdan Park and Smederevo Fortress),both of which provided a striking and authentic backdrop for the epic battle scenes. To ensure both realism and safety, the band enlisted a large group of experienced reenactors, many of whom had worked in film production before. Their expertise helped bring the fight sequences to life with remarkable accuracy. Shot over the course of two long, hot days, the production faced intense summer heat, adding to the challenges of filming, but also enhancing the raw energy of the battle scenes.

As Thobbe Englund had only just rejoined the band after his almost eight-year hiatus, his bandmates wanted to mark his return in a memorable way by making him the last Templar standing, tasked with one final, epic battle. Initially, the plan was for him to wear a helmet so that a stuntman could step in for the demanding fight scene. However, the stunt coordinator had a different idea. He decided to take on the fight alongside Thobbe himself. While the battle was carefully choreographed, moments of improvisation added to its intensity. Clad in 40 kilos of armor, the two clashed with such force that the impact rumbled like an earthquake. To make things even more challenging, the scene was filmed in the scorching summer heat, and Thobbe was battling a fever at the time. Yet, he powered through, delivering a performance that was nothing short of legendary — a fitting way to mark his triumphant return to SABATON.

Better Noise Music is known for its creative artist development, innovative cross-media strategies, and ability to build international success stories. It was named Billboard‘s No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Label and No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Imprint of 2024, after its history-making run of five consecutive years as the No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Imprint (2018-2022). In 2023 Allen Kovac moved up to chairman role and over the last two and a half years the company has been run by Dan Waite CEO, Steve Kline COO and president, Harris Masood CFO and Paul Cormack GM.

Since SABATON‘s 2005 debut LP, the band has released 10 studio albums (some of which have been certified as gold, platinum, and even quadruple platinum),seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5.

“We’re truly excited to begin this new chapter with Better Noise Music,” SABATON bassist and manager Pär Sundström comments. “After exploring various record labels worldwide, we found Better Noise to be the perfect fit. As an independent label, they haven’t traditionally focused on our style of heavy metal, making this collaboration particularly exciting. We’re excited to see how this partnership develops, confident that they’re ready to embrace the challenge of working with a band that brings a unique sound to their roster.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome SABATON to our roster,” says Lexie Viklund, the label’s director of A&R. “Their powerful music and storytelling have resonated with fans worldwide, and we’re eager to amplify their presence in the U.S. while continuing to grow their global impact.”

Last October, Brodén told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program “Wired In The Empire”, about the progress of the songwriting sessions for SABATON‘s follow-up to 2022’s “The War To End All Wars” album: “Yeah, we’re working on new material always, it feels like. I mean, if we’re done (with) an album, I feel like, ‘Screw that. I don’t wanna write music for a while now.’ But there I am three months later writing new music. Maybe I’ll sit with one of the guitarists on tour one day, and we’ll be bored on a day off because there wasn’t that much to do that day. It was Sunday. Everything’s closed. So let’s grab our gear and crank out a song because it’s better than doing nothing.”

He continued: “We already have some material. So it’s not like we are, after this, gonna take a break and then start writing. We’re in the works already.”

Elaborating on how he feels after an album is completed, Joakim said: “For me, when an album is ready, I — sorry to say — fucking hate it, because first process… And I’m not the only songwriter in the band, but I’m the one who writes most of the music. And I’m involved with lyrics or in most of the songs and almost all of the songs in a musical way. So I spend months in the studio writing, alone or with somebody, then getting all the pre-productions ready, which is me again cleaning up takes and what are we gonna do putting it all together, delivering it to everybody in the band so they can practice. Then we go into the studio. And then I’m the constant in the studio, keeping track of everything, making sure everything is (as it should be), with the producer. So I’m there for the whole recording. Then I take a little break, and then the audio engineer starts mixing. And then I come in again for the mixing. And then, at that point, I’m already tired of the songs. And then all you do from that point on is try to find problems and errors. What went wrong? What’s wrong here? Do we need to do a retake on something? Should we fix something? Oh, is that too loud? Do we need to EQ? So at that point I’ve programmed myself to only hear the problems with the album. So by the time like the master is done, I fucking hate it. I’m so tired of that music. So it’ll take me a year or two before I can even, in some objective way, listen to it again.”

play it — we wanted to show it!”

SABATON are conquering 20 European cities in 2025 with a groundbreaking tour that will be bigger and better than anything the band has ever embarked on before. Get ready for “The Legendary Tour”.

SABATON has put together a show unlike anything you’ve experienced. Throw traditional thinking out of the window and prepare yourself for more SABATON than ever.

This isn’t just another tour; it’s a huge celebration of SABATON‘s music, storytelling and the incredible bond they share with their fans.

SABATON is doing something they have never done before. Without revealing too much too soon, let’s just say that they are planning to make history with The Legendary Orchestra! Along with that and other surprises, fans will experience something unprecedented.

“The Legendary Tour” 2025 dates:

Nov. 14 – Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Nov. 15 – Berlin Mercedes-Benz Arena, Germany
Nov. 16 – Ostrava Ostravar Aréna, Czech Republic
Nov. 18 – Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
Nov. 20 – Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
Nov. 21 – Vienna Stadthalle, Austria
Nov. 22 – Krakow Tauron Arena, Poland
Nov. 24 – Stuttgart Schleyerhalle, Germany
Nov. 25 – Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany
Nov. 26 – Esch sur Alzette Rockhal, Luxembourg
Nov. 28 – Paris Accor Arena, France
Nov. 29 – Lyon LDLC Arena, France
Dec. 01 – Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Dec. 02 – Antwerp Sportpaleis, Belgium
Dec. 04 – London O2 Arena, UK
Dec. 05 – Manchester Co-Op Live, UK
Dec. 06 – Nottingham Motorpoint, UK
Dec. 08 – Hannover ZAG Arena, Germany
Dec. 09 – Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Dec. 11 – Oslo Telenor, Norway

Watch the tour trailer below.

In the more than two decades since their launch, SABATON has achieved quadruple-platinum sales, headlined major festivals, sold-out arena concerts across the globe, and earned a legion of loyal fans by being self-managed and carving out a reputation as one of the most innovative bands in rock. SABATON combines standout stage design and production with epic concept albums, linking real-life historical war events with classic kick-ass metal. To date, the band has released ten studio albums, amassed six gold, two platinum, and one four-times-platinum awards, seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5. They have amassed over three billion streams across all streaming platforms and over 1.5 billion views on YouTube.

When SABATON hit the 20-year mark, they headlined both stages at Wacken 2019 — the biggest metal festival in the world — simultaneously. Meanwhile, in 2023 as part of a charity initiative, SABATON donated their full-length animated movie to museums around the world in order to increase awareness and visitor numbers, and successfully encouraged people to support the preservation of history in these establishments. During SABATON‘s 25th-anniversary year, the band released the “Tour To End All Tours” concert film, and through independent distribution, it was screened in more than 1,200 cinemas spanning 28 territories.

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