Z7 SUMMER NIGHTS OPEN AIR

TOBI TOTAL: A Z7 SUMMER NIGHT WITH AVANTASIA

Avantasia are back! Tobias Sammet brings his acclaimed all-star metal opera project to Pratteln. The Here Be Dragons Tour stops at the Z7 Summer Nights Open Airs in 2026, inviting us on a fantastic musical journey between reality and dreams, exuberance and melancholy.

Here Be Dragons is the tenth studio album by the metal opera project Avantasia – and it made a massive impact. Number 1 in Germany and Austria, number 3 in the Swiss charts. Tobias Sammet’s all-star parade remains a guaranteed success even a quarter of a century after its debut. Released in spring 2025, the album delivers all the essential Avantasia trademarks: grand choirs and bombastic symphonic metal elements, while also surprising long-time and new fans alike with fascinating new soundscapes. Here Be Dragons expands the globally celebrated Avantasia sound – continuously evolving for over 25 years – with powerful and exciting new facets. The result is the most consistent and focused album in the band’s history. All ten tracks on Here Be Dragons were written and composed by Tobias Sammet himself. In classic Avantasia fashion, the album creates cinematic atmospheres and brings epic stories to life – crafted by extraordinary musical talents. Guest vocalists on the album include Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), Bob Catley (Magnum), Tommy Karevik (Kamelot), Michael Kiske (Helloween, Unisonic), Geoff Tate (Operation: Mindcrime, ex-Queensrÿche) and Kenny Leckremo (H.E.A.T), among others. Some of these incredible voices will also be joining us in Pratteln for the grand Avantasia Summer Nights Open Air. And Tobias Sammet promises: “The shows on our Here Be Dragons tour offer a journey into a world full of wonders, where people can forget everything about their real lives and join us on the other side. It’s an immersive experience with special effects and a huge production – bigger and better than anything we’ve ever done. There are anthemic, epic songs that fit seamlessly alongside our classics, as well as some almost forgotten tracks that have made it back into the live setlist. I can’t wait to bring Here Be Dragons to the world again in 2026 and take this stage spectacle back on the road.” Yes, indeed: Avantasia are back!