The evening opened with Eye of Melian, an international collective hailing from the United States, the Netherlands, and Finland. Their stage setup was minimal with just a handful of lanterns and a spacey projection on a LED screen as the backdrop, but their appearance and presence added some magic and class to the performance. The two female vocalists strode on stage in black gowns and even a hooded cape on Johanna Kurkela, who was doing double duty tonight, and three sharply dressed men gave off gothic romance fairytale. A good chunk of BookTok would have loved it…

The focus was clearly on the vocals, and what vocals they were: soaring, ethereal, and carried on a bed of soft, atmospheric music that felt like a cinematic soundtrack. Between songs, there was no chatter, only graceful bows in response to the enthusiastic applause that grew louder with each song. Only before their final song did they break the spell with a short, heartfelt speech, thanking the crowd for joining them in this shared dreamscape and Auri for inviting them along. This was also their very first time performing in Finland, with a promise to return in spring. They closed with a song in Finnish, leaving the stage as they had begun: in quiet enchantment, the whole band bowing together to a warm reception.

After a short break, a bell rang twice, signaling that it was time. Darkness fell inside the tent, and dozens of lanterns suddenly came alive, their warm glow breathing life into an otherwise understated stage setup with an almost frantic flicker.

When Johanna Kurkela glided onto the stage in a flowing white dress, her long red hair illuminated like fire in the candlelight, the crowd erupted in joyous cheers. She sat down at the edge of the stage, as if inviting us into her world. The spell deepened when Tuomas Holopainen and Troy Donockley joined her, and the noise grew again when finally Kai Hahto and the rest of the musicians filled out the picture.

The opening stretch was kept deliberately intimate with just lanterns and candlelight framing Johanna’s crystalline vocals and the delicate weave of traditional flutes, acoustic guitar, keys, and restrained percussion. It wasn’t until the third song that the atmosphere began to bloom outward, as spotlights from the back painted curly shapes onto the tent’s ceiling. When Johanna picked up her violin, the world expanded once more, and the show began its gradual ascent.

The pacing of the night was masterful. Colors shifted with the mood of each song, from hushed reverie to surging vitality. “Blakey Ridge” in particular marked a turning point: a bright, upbeat moment that sent the crowd into a frenzy. From there, the band moved seamlessly into the intimate and mesmerizing “Kiss the Mountain” and then the sweeping “Aphrodite Rising”, according to Troy the very first song they recorded as Auri. A track that seemed to me to embody everything Auri has since become from already early on. Johanna danced lightly across the stage, a fairy lost in her own dream, while the audience clapped along, fully immersed in the enchantment.

One of the night’s most emotional moments came with “Desert Flower”, where Troy’s vocals took the spotlight alongside Johanna’s. Their voices blended with such fragile beauty that it was impossible not to feel it in the heart. If there was one element occasionally threatening to break the spell, I would say that it was the drums, which at times were pushed a little too forward in the mix. Still, the overall atmosphere remained unbroken, with the magic of Auri being far stronger than any minor imbalance.

The show culminated with “Them Thar Chanterelles”, an infectious celebration that lifted the entire tent to its feet. The rhythm of Irish folk reels reminded me of my youth where I played (Irish) folk music hours at end, and Johanna’s vocal playfulness elevated it even further. One by one, she pointed to each musician, with the crowd shouting their praises louder each time, until the tent nearly shook when she got to the Nightwish musicians Troy, Kai, and Tuomas received their share of cheers. Johanna twirled around the stage in pure joy, and once the track was done, with a united bow the band left to deafening applause.

Of course, the crowd wasn’t ready to let them go. The roar, the stamping feet, the insistent call for more, it brought them back for a pair of encores. While everyone probably would have been happy where the show had left off, “Pearl Diving” extended the journey a little longer, and “Fireside Bard” offered a fittingly warm and magical farewell that was both touching and cleverly planned by the band. Ending with just the core members Johanna, Tuomas, and Troy thanking and bowing to the audience once more, it felt less like a goodbye and more like a quiet promise that this might be only the beginning.