Opeth announce 30th anniversary tour, and you get to choose the setlist

(Image credit: Nuclear Blast)

Swedish prog metal titans Opeth will celebrate their 30th anniversary next year with a tour. The run of eight shows will kick off in Berlin on October 13 2021, and climax in Lisbon on October 25.

Keen to make the celebrations a little more involving than they might otherwise be, Opeth are asking that fans vote for the songs they'd like to hear. They'll be able to do so at the band's website at 9am UK time on Monday, the same time that tickets go on sale.

”So, we’re planning to celebrate a belated band-birthday, also known as BBB," says frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt. "How do we celebrate a thing like this, you ask? Well, we go to work.

"We are planning a very few select shows around the world in 2021 where you basically have the collective choice of picking the songs for the setlist. Since we'll be celebrating 30 years we would love to play a song from each album we’ve done. All 13 of them.

"If you can help us and pick your choice of one song per album from the list, and then we’ll simply play the songs with the most votes. It’s been done before, but not by us. I am reluctant and nervous, but also excited to see what songs you will choose. I can’t really believe we’ve been around for 30 years, but there you go.

"So please help us. And be gentle. The final setlist will have 13 songs. One from each album. Your call…"

Back in May Opeth were confirmed as the first headline act for next year's ArcTangent Festival. The event returns on August 19 - 21 at Fernhill Farm, Compton Martin, near Bristol. Tickets are on sale now.

All tickets previously purchased for the 2020 festival will be automatically valid for the 2021 event.

Opeth: Evolution XXX 'By Request' tour

Oct 13: Berlin Admiralspalast, Germany
Oct 14: Wiesbaden Schlachthof, Germany
Oct 15: Paris Salle Pleyel, France
Oct 16: London Eventim Apollo, London
Oct 18: Wuppertal Historische Stadthalle, Germany
Oct 19: Utrecht TivoliVredenburg (Grote Zaal), Netherlands
Oct 20: Utrecht - TivoliVredenburg (Ronda), Netherlands
Oct 25: Lisbon - Colisue dos Recreios, Portugal

Opeth 2021 tour poster — (Image credit: Opeth)

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.