Ice Queen Tarja & Marko in Zlín: The Postponed Concert of Two Nightwish Legends Was Worth the Wait

On February 8, 2026, a concert by Tarja Turunen and Marko Hietala, took place at the Datart Hall in Zlín. They are known as former and highly popular members of the legendary Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. The concert was originally scheduled for March 7, 2025, but was postponed to the mentioned date due to Tarja Turunen's health reasons. For fifteen fans who purchased the VIP package, a meet-and-greet and photo session with Tarja were arranged, with early entry to the hall included in the package.

Around 2:00 PM, the first fans began to gather at the hall, creating a very friendly atmosphere. However, this was later replaced by chaos when fans, who had been waiting for hours at the gate that had served as the entrance the previous year, learned at the last minute that this year the entrance was on the side of the building, where the VIP entrance was also located. There were no signs, and nobody informed the fans about this change. This led to arguments between fans and security staff. Visitors also criticized the security guards for seeing them queue at the wrong gate but failing to inform them of the change. Fans who were being moved and pushed were then scolded by security to behave politely and not to crowd.

When the hall opened at 6:00 PM for general admission, fans with standing tickets immediately rushed to claim the best spots in the front row. The most advantageous positions in the center were already occupied by VIP fans, but a few free spots remained on the sides, where I positioned myself. From that moment on, everything proceeded according to plan, which, however, had been changed at the last minute — according to the original schedule, Marko Hietala was supposed to perform first, followed by Tarja Turunen. Due to Tarja's health and vocal issues, her concert was held first.

The evening opened with the American band Rok Ali, active on the scene since 2022 when they released their debut album. The band plays classic rock with elements of hard rock and alternative rock. Their roughly thirty-minute set prepared the stage for the following performers.

After a very short, approximately ten-minute break, the band Symphonity performed. This symphonic power metal band from Brno delivered a very lively and impressive show. Their songs are relatively long, and during the half-hour set, they performed a total of five songs. Symphonity was the only Czech band performing that evening, though their vocalist was not the only one to use Czech on stage.

The next singer to address the audience in Czech was Tarja herself. After a twenty-minute break and opening with the song Demons in You, she greeted the fans saying:  "Dobrý večer, Zlín. Já jsem superráda, že tady… děkuji velmi moc. "(Good evening, Zlín. I'm so happy to be here… thank you very much.). She then switched to English, which was easier for her when communicating with the Czech audience. She thanked the audience for their support and love, especially over the past few days, and stated that performing in Zlín felt like returning home, as she had played there many times and had always received a warm welcome. According to her, Zlín could not be missing from her tour — and that is exactly why we were there, together. Later in the evening, she returned to Czech in a few phrases as well, such as 'you are amazing' or 'I love you.'

Her concert was the highlight of the evening, held earlier than originally planned for the reasons mentioned. During the ninety-minute set, thirteen songs were performed, five of which Tarja sang with guest Marko Hietala, who concluded by saying they would see each other again later. Despite her health and vocal limitations, Tarja delivered an absolutely phenomenal performance, with no difficulties noticeable. The show was full of the energy fans expect from the "Ice Queen." Songs included hits from her solo career, such as 500 Letters, Victim of Ritual, and I Walk Alone, as well as legendary hits from the Nightwish era in duets with Marko, including Feel for you, Higher than hope, Slaying the dreamer of course, the iconic Wish I Had an Angel. Before the final song, Until My Last Breath, Tarja invited a boy from the front row onto the stage.

After this spectacular performance, there was an approximately thirty-minute break before the final concert of the equally impressive Marko Hietala. Marko has been active on the music scene as an outstanding bassist and vocalist for over forty years. In addition to his long-standing work with Nightwish, which he left in 2021, he is a co-founder of the band Tarot, where he continues to perform intermittently. He has also performed with the band Sinergy and participated in various other projects, such as Northern Kings and Sapattivuosi, which focused on cover versions of Black Sabbath songs in Finnish. In 2021, Marko shocked fans by announcing his departure from Nightwish and retirement from music due to disillusionment with the music industry, psychological issues, and overall exhaustion. However, during 2022, he returned to music and soon began performing again with Tarja.

In Zlín, Marko prepared a one-hour set for fans, consisting of nine songs, all but one from his solo work. The ninth song was a cover of Black Sabbath's famous hit War Pigs, which closed the performance. One song was performed in his native Finnish, the highly rhythmic Juoksen rautateitä, which could be translated as "I Run on the Rails." His energetic performance completely captivated the audience, and just like during Tarja's concert, fans enjoyed every note from start to finish.

After leaving the hall, some fans were treated to an additional surprise — although not officially part of the program, Marko was standing outside the hall, offering fans who were "in the right place at the right time" the chance to take photos with him, get his autograph, or briefly thank him and exchange small talk.

If I were to summarize the evening, it was truly an unforgettable experience, full of hits, incredible energy, and strong emotions and nostalgia, evoking memories of Nightwish's legendary era. A particularly powerful moment was seeing Tarja and Marko together on one stage again, even though it is not the first year these two legends have reunited after a long time. Their duets still carry a strong emotional and nostalgic atmosphere that cannot be fully described in words — it simply must be experienced!

Finally, I would like to thank not only all the performing bands but also the organizers and everyone involved in ensuring the smooth running of the evening. With the exception of the initial chaos outside the hall, which in my opinion could have been better organized, it was a truly phenomenal and unforgettable evening, leaving a mark on the hearts of many fans. Thanks also go to the attendees for selling out the hall, their incredible camaraderie, and for creating the atmosphere that is so essential to metal concerts.