That’s how it was at EIVØR

October 02, 2025, Hamburg Market Hall

With their steep cliffs, green hills and many waterfalls, the Faroe Islands are a place of longing for quite a few people. In addition to the dramatic landscape, the 18 islands are also home to an ancient Nordic language, Faroese, along with ancient stories and myths. Eivør Pálsdóttir, better known as Eivør, grew up in a small village on one of these islands, idyllically situated between deep cliffs and grassy hills, and was influenced throughout her life by this unique landscape and a lively, old and very traditional folk music. Singing together, no matter what the occasion, always expressive and untamed like the Faroese, is an important part of Faroese culture. It is precisely this way of singing, mixed with their guttural and beatbox-like vocal technique, a heavy metal growl and their incomparable throat singing, that conveys their untamed expressiveness.

She released her first album at the age of 17 and it wasn’t long before she was celebrating international success with her music, her unique spherical Viking electro/ethnopop and her mystically powerful voice. Her big breakthrough came with the British television series “The Last Kingdom”. This was followed by the highly successful album “Segl” and a major tour in 2022, as well as appearances at the Wacken Open-Air 2023 and Hellfest 2024. Eivør is now touring Europe and the world again. One of their first stops was the sold-out Hamburg Markthalle – and we were there.

She had brought Sylvaine, a Norwegian metal multi-instrumentalist and musician, with her as support. Her setlist consisted mainly of a mix of melancholic vocals combined with atmospheric metal and spherical soundscapes, as a kind of prelude to a mystical evening. The stage design and lighting were minimalist and without any major effects. The music came from tape. This meant that the focus was clearly on Sylvaine’s voice and her guitar playing. The Hamburg audience was curious and open and rewarded Sylvaine with loud applause. This was the perfect start to a very mystical and atmospheric Nordic journey.

At 21:00 sharp, Eivør entered the stage. Again, a minimalist stage set with just such lighting effects. She was supported on stage by drums and keyboard. But Eivør doesn’t need any more. Because she immediately captivates the audience with her powerful, but also sometimes fragile, balanced voice. A voice that is sometimes gentle and sometimes whispering, then again very powerful, but always in combination with the deep and atmospheric sounds of her music, transported the Hamburg audience into another world. The journey – no, it was an abduction into their own mystical world – began with four new songs: “Ein Klóta”, “Jarðartrá”, “Hugsi Bert Um Teg” and “Purpurhjarta” from their latest album “Enn”. This was followed by tracks from their successful albums “Seg”, “Room” and “Slør”. Of course, hits such as “Trøllabundin”, “True Love” and “Í Tokuni” were not to be missed and invited the Hamburg audience to dream. The evening was rounded off with four more new songs. ( We spoke to the artist about them in detail in our summer edition).

On this evening, Eivør showed how enchanting her voice and music are, always touching the audience, who melted away dreamily with their eyes closed almost without interruption. As a finale and encore, she delighted the audience with the melancholy and bombastic “Falling Free”. A song to let go and for so much musical beauty, the experience ended with tears in the eyes. The evening with Eivør was not only Nordic and mystical, but pure magic.

Text & Photos: Thomas Friedel Fuhrmann

Setlist:
– “Ein klóta” – “Jarðartrá” – “Hugsi bert um teg” – “Purpurhjarta” – “Let It Come” – “Skyscrapers” – “Trøllabundin” – “True Love” – “Enn” – “Lívsandin” – “Upp Úr Øskuni” – “Gaia” – “Salt” – “Í Tokuni” – “Gullspunnin” – “Falling Free”