Helloween’s 2025 **40 Years Anniversary Tour** dawns like a golden sunrise across the European rock landscape, a monumental celebration honoring four decades of unyielding power metal grandeur. As the mighty Helloween — Michael “Der Keeper” Kiske (vocals), Kai Hansen (guitar, vocals), Michael Weikath (guitar), Markus Grosskopf (bass), and the thunderous rhythm section of Daniel Löble (drums) and Sascha Gerstner (guitar) — set forth, they are flanked by the soaring, electrifying force of Beast in Black as their special guests. Together, they promise an evening that will resonate through history.
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### ✨ The Stage Setup: A Triumphant Return
From the first shimmering chord to the hum of the encore, the 40 Years Anniversary Tour is a spectacle of epic proportions. The stage, shaped like a gargantuan pumpkin crest, is rimmed with silver and violet LED lights, casting an otherworldly glow. Gigantic screens display kaleidoscopic visuals: spacecraft launching from Ingo Schwichtenberg’s drum kit (a nod to past brilliance), swirling portraits of band members across eras, and animated pumpkins rolling through distant galaxies. Behind them, a massive, rotating light halo echoes the time-travel motif — forty years of unbroken metal energy.
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### 📅 Tour Kicks Off in Berlin
On a balmy summer evening in Berlin (July 3, 2025), the venue pulse-thumps with anticipation. Beast In Black take the opening act with swagger — Yannis Papadopoulos belts out vocals that pierce through the crowd while Anton Kabanen slashes riffs with ruthless precision. Their setlist, a perfect blend of aggressive “Blind and Frozen” and epic “Beast in Black,” ignites the crowd, paving the way for Helloween’s grand entrance.
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### 🎵 Setlist: A Perfect Blend of Past and Present
Helloween’s setlist reads like the Great Book of Power Metal, a chronicle of shining anthems:
1. **Eagle Fly Free** – A soaring opener, Kiske’s voice riding triumphant above ferocious guitars.
2. **Dr. Stein** – The audience sings every single line, empowered by nostalgia.
3. **Future World** – An ode to tomorrow and the promise of the band’s continued ascent.
4. **Power** – A mid-set explosion, relaunching the roar of the original “Pumpkin” era.
5. **If I Could Fly** – A reflective melodic moment, acoustic and emotionally pure.
6. **Rise Without Chains** – A glimpse of unreleased material from the new album, a fresh composition teeming with youthful energy.
7. **Forever and One (Neverland)** – A tear-jerker ballad, delivering goosebumps.
8. **Pumpkins United** – The emblematic anthem, with Kiske and Hansen harmonizing in timeless unity.
9. **I Want Out** – A final sing-along powerhouse, every fist raised high.
10. **Encore: Halloween** – Closing with a flourish, the legendary track lights up the night.
Amid these selections, “Rise Without Chains” stands out: a hint of the upcoming album — relentless double-kick drums, harmonic choruses, and a blistering guitar solo that promises a fearless new era.
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### 🌟 Backstage Moments
Between the bursts of riffs and thunderous applause, intimate moments stitch the fabric of this anniversary tapestry.
* **Kai Hansen**, pioneer of the Hamburg sensation, teases fans backstage with a mischievous grin: “Wait until you hear the new riffs… Helloween ain’t done yet!” His youthful spark remains unextinguished.
* **Michael Kiske**, reflective and warm, revisits stage memories with fans backstage. He shares that songwriting for the new album was “a voyage through our legacy — pushing forward but rooted in what makes Helloween who we are.”
* **Markus Grosskopf** reminisces in the dressing room: “Forty years, mate. We’ve been through it all — madness, joy, tears. And every moment brought us here.”
* **Daniel Löble** records on-the-road video clips for a special anniversary documentary, capturing candid tourside laughter and guitar-tightening rituals.
Meanwhile, **Beast In Black**, fueled by the electric reception, build camaraderie with the headliners — exchanging solo licks, mid-tour beers, and shared backstage meals. The chemistry spikes a few viral tour videos, delighting social media fans — an unstoppable bond of European heavy metal.
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### 🌍 Across Europe: Unforgettable Nights
* **Paris** (July 10): The Eiffel Tower shimmers as an impromptu rooftop acoustic performance of “Forever and One” ignites fans—
* **Madrid** (July 17): A pyro-heavy “Pumpkins United” sends stage sparks twelve meters skyward.
* **Prague** (July 24): A mid-concert surprise — guest appearance by former drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg’s brother, offering a heartfelt tribute during “Keeper of the Seven Keys.”
* **London** (July 31): A double whistle in “I Want Out” reaches Astoria-echo proportions, and confetti balloons shaped like pumpkins fall in waves.
* **Milan** (August 7): Lights simulate northern lights as the closing “Halloween” fills the night with macabre celebration.
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### 🎸 New Album Teasers
Between tracks, the band tests snippets of the forthcoming album:
* A soaring ballad, “Beyond the Shades,” featuring orchestral keys and dual vocals echoing era-crossed harmonies.
* A power-packed anthem, “Forge the Flame,” rife with blistering solos and call-and-response choruses.
* A darker, more introspective cut, “Shadows Within,” exploring maturity through lyrical depth and melodic tension.
The live reactions? Unanimous — headbanging aplenty, chants of awe, and crowd calls for immediate release.
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### 🎉 Fan Experience
Meet-and-greets promise pumpkin-shaped guitar picks, limited-edition anniversary vinyl, and a commemorative tour program — featuring behind-the-scenes photos and personal notes from each band member. Fans clad in retro 1980s Helloween T-shirts, painted leather jackets, and DIY MK heads (Michael Kiske stuffed-head masks) create a carnival of fandom energy.
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### 🏁 Finale in Berlin
The tour crescendos in Berlin on August 21 — the spiritual homegrown stage. A fireworks display synchronized with “Keeper of the Seven Keys” crescendos. Beast in Black join again, mashing-up a cover of “Holy Diver,” and the stage becomes a furnace of metal unity. The last sound? A thunderous drum roll, followed by silence… and then one final chord that echoes into history.
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### 📝 Epilogue
At the grand after-party, band members and crew toast with pumpkins carved in the band’s insignia. Kiske lifts his glass:
> “To forty years of power — and to the next forty. May the metal never die.”
In the coming year, Helloween’s triumphant tour will be immortalized — a deluxe live album, concert film, and the celebration of a band still forging their legend. While the 2025 European tour may end, the journey is far from over. With a new album on the horizon, Helloween proves once again that they are the eternal **guardians of the se
Helloween is embarking on a 40 Years Anniversary Tour in 2025, celebrating their 40th anniversary with a European tour. The tour will feature special guests, Beast In Black. The band is also working on a new album, the successor to their 2021 self-titled release. ven keys**, and that the fire that ignited in 1985 still burns brighter than ever today.
