German Power Metal juggernauts Powerwolf closed out their Wake Up The Wicked tour with their biggest UK show to date, turning OVO Arena Wembley into a cathedral of fire, theatrics and unholy celebration. The final night of the run carried that unmistakable end-of-tour looseness.
Powerwolf – HammerFall – Wind Rose
OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026
Words: Rhys Tagg
Photography: Robert Sutton
Fans in face paint and nuns’ habits, probably even a few wolf pelts and bits of armour, meant a crowd buzzing with anticipation, with bands feeding off the energy like it was communion.
Joining them for this full-force power metal pilgrimage were Italy’s Wind Rose and Sweden’s HammerFall, brothers in arms who set the tone long before Powerwolf’s first flame erupted.
Wind Rose
Wind Rose opened the evening with Dance Of The Axes, a perfect starter that had Wembley swinging and chanting from the first riff. Dwarven-themed Power Metal might sound niche on paper, but the songs felt built for an arena. Big hooks, big stomps, big voices.
Songs like The Great Feast Underground and Trollslayer kept the energy high, all booming choruses and fist-pumping rhythms. The band closed with Rock And Stone, a unifying roar that turned the arena into a mining crew celebrating a fresh vein of gold.
HammerFall
HammerFall hit the stage with the subtlety of a meteor strike. Blood red lights flooded the arena as Hearts On Fire ignited thousands of fists in the air.
Frontman Joacim Cans delivered the line of the night early. “Holy fucking shit, we are HammerFall from Sweden, but you crazy fuckers probably knew that already.”
The set stayed tight, loud and gloriously over the top, exactly what you want from HammerFall. Riffs felt like they were forged on an anvil backstage. By the time the last chorus rang out, Wembley stood well and truly hammered by HammerFall.
Powerwolf
Powerwolf’s cathedral of carnage hit straight from the get-go. The entrance came loaded with theatre, an epic lift raising Attila Dorn above the stage, the band tore into Bless’ Em With The Blade and Armata Strigoi.
Dorn paused only long enough to thank the crowd for being “perfect”, and Wembley roared back. Army Of The Night felt like an undead cavalry charge, galloping melodies painting the picture in full.
The step up to arena level suited Powerwolf completely. Every part of the show felt designed for a room this size. A burning piano smouldered at centre stage, an organ spat fire from its pipes, and handheld flamethrowers blasted arcs of heat across the set.
Angels appeared with wings on fire, a visual that looked ripped straight from a Metal opera. The band filled the space with confidence and spectacle, turning Wembley into a gothic battleground.
Production matched that ambition. Giant LED backdrops towered over the stage, gothic structures framed the musicians, and the drum riser climbed from a derelict cathedral façade. Purple and blue lights washed over the arena, creating a dark, visceral atmosphere. Fire cannons punched through choruses with ruthless timing.
Dancing With The Dead arrived with dancers setting the scene, while 1589, the tale of Peter Stumpp, transformed the stage into a witch hunt inferno, complete with the mock burning of keyboardist Falk Maria Schlegel at the stake.
When Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend landed, Attila had the entire arena singing the “ooooo ohhh” hook back at him, OVO Arena Wembley becoming a choir of sinners. New Joan Of Arc track slotted in seamlessly, and We Drink Your Blood drenched the room in red light and adrenaline.
After the encore, the band closed with Werewolves Of Armenia, a final howl from musicians who know exactly how to command a crowd of thousands.
Powerwolf stand apart through more than fire, costumes and gothic grandeur. Crowd control sits at the heart of the show. Every chant, every call and response, every raised hand felt intentional. Ethereal chanting swelled through the arena, guitars wailed and crushed in equal measure, and the night took on the feeling of a ritual shared between band and fans.
Powerwolf came to London to close this chapter of the tour and left with flames, fury and a whole lot of heart.
