Evanescence at The O2: Sanctuary Live

Evanescence — Sanctuary — 15 September 2026. At London’s O2 the band threaded the entirety of their new album through a set that also leaned on the hits that made them a household name, and the night’s guest turns turned a routine arena show into something more eventful.

Support came in two flavours along the tour; tonight Poppy delivered a 50-minute opening set that traded her former pop-artifice for arena-ready metal-pop. She kicked off with the mammoth-sounding "Have You Had Enough" and followed with "The Cost of Giving Up," mixing songs from her two recent albums with flashes of her more experimental past — an early "Scary Mask" signalled shifts from bubblegum pop to searing metal to electronica. A first pit formed during "VAN," and by finale "New Way Out" the crowd had matched her onstage energy.

Sanctuary gets centre stage

Thirty years into their career and still carrying the shadow of 2003’s debut Fallen, Evanescence showed little appetite for nostalgia-only programming. They opened with the title track from Sanctuary and slotted "Tell Me When You’ve Had Enough" early, giving the new material plenty of room alongside older favourites.

Amy Lee remains the focal point: an instantly recognisable voice that carried both the album cuts and the classics with finesse. The crowd sang back through "Going Under," and "Call Me When You’re Sober" combined venom with a lavish light show. A hush fell for the torchlike "My Immortal," phones up and torches out, creating one of the evening’s most affecting moments.

Guests and highlights

• K.Flay joined Evanescence onstage for the rebellious "Fight Like A Girl," adding grit to a feminist-leaning anthem.
• "End Of You" brought pyro and the night’s standout spectacle: Poppy and Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante appearing alongside Amy Lee, a surprise trio moment that triggered sustained screams from the floor.

While a few left during the closing "Wide Open Heart," the show read as a win — Sanctuary given a full airing, Amy Lee in commanding form, and the tour’s rotating guest strategy delivering genuine moments of excitement. For fans who wanted new songs presented beside the anthems that defined the band, this O2 date delivered both.