Sabaton Conquer Co-op Live with a Two-Hour Fire-Forged Spectacle
- Matt Oliver
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Co-op Live, Manchester – Friday 5th December 2025
WORDS / IMAGES MATT OLIVER
Sabaton’s first headline appearance at the UK’s largest indoor arena on Friday night was a two-hour spectacle of fire, history and unrelenting power metal. With a gigantic castle dominating the main stage, a suspended bridge stretching two thirds of the full length of the floor, towering flame columns, dragon-shaped fire effects and relentless pyro, the production was built on a scale that I’ve never seen before.
The Legendary Orchestra opened proceedings with a 25-minute symphonic set, instantly transforming the arena into a concert hall and priming the crowd for what was to come.
A theatrical prologue followed on the B-stage: actors dressed as Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Julius Caesar delivered a short, humorous performance before Sabaton themselves kicked off, surrounded on all sides by the crowd, they launched into “Templars March” and “The Last Stand” before they marched across the suspension bridge to the main stage. It was one of the most effective arena entrances in recent memory.
From there the pace never dipped. The first half of the set was pure power metal; from “Christmas Truce” the orchestra and a ten-voice choir rejoined, adding sweeping strings and brass to the remainder of the performance. Hannes van Dahl’s drum solo saw his riser elevate high above the castle battlements, while flame columns threw waves of heat across the front rows throughout the night.
The undisputed peak came during “Attack of the Dead Men”. The band crossed back over the bridge, Joakim Brodén donning a gas mask and backpack sprayer, and proceeded to march straight through the crowd releasing theatrical gas clouds while the rest of the band played on the B-stage – a chaotic, immersive moment that had the entire arena roaring.
New material (“I, Emperor”, “Crossing the Rubicon”, “A Tiger Among Dragons”) sat comfortably alongside staples “Carolus Rex”, “Night Witches” and “Primo Victoria”. The main set closed with a colossal “Masters of the World”.
Two decades in, Sabaton have refined their craft into something that feels both monumental and deeply personal. The sound in Co-op Live was flawless – heavy yet crystal-clear, every orchestral swell and guitar riff landing exactly where it should, even in the upper tiers. From cult favourites to arena conquerors, they’ve completed the journey without ever losing the spark that made people care about their songs in the first place. Friday night wasn’t just a gig; it was proof that Sabaton now belong on the biggest stages the UK has to offer.
SET LIST
1. Templars March
2. The Last Stand
3. Hordes of Khan
4. I, Emperor
5. Crossing the Rubicon
6. Carolus Rex
7. The Red Baron
8. Stormtroopers
9. Drum Solo
10. A Tiger Among Dragons
11. Christmas Truce (orchestra returns)
12. Soldier of Heaven
13. Attack of the Dead Men
14. Night Witches
15. Primo Victoria
16. Steel Commanders
17. The Art of War
18. To Hell and Back
19. Masters of the World
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