SABATON // MOTORPOINT ARENA, NOTTINGHAM
SABATON BRING WAR, ORCHESTRA AND ONE OF THE HOTTEST PYRO SHOWS NOTTINGHAM HAS EVER SEEN!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
SABATON PERFORMING AT MOTORPOINT ARENA, NOTTINGHAM
PHOTOCREDIT: ABBI DRAPER-SCOTT
Walking into Motorpoint Arena Nottingham felt like stepping into mission control before a major offensive. The second the lights dropped, Sabaton executed with military precision — a full orchestra adding cinematic weight, immaculate lighting design slicing through haze, and pyro so clean and controlled it might as well have been choreographed by engineers. The floor shook. The crowd erupted. And from behind my camera, every moment felt like a perfectly timed strike.
This was Sabaton’s Legendary Tour — a run they proudly call “bigger and better than anything we’ve ever embarked on,” enhanced by The Legendary Orchestra to elevate their storytelling into pure spectacle.
The setlist was a well-oiled assault. Recent European dates on this tour have showcased I, Emperor, The Last Stand, The Red Baron, and more — a balance of fan-favourites and fresh war epics — and Nottingham’s show stayed loyal to that format.
I, Emperor launched with cannons firing in crisp unison. Stormtroopers ignited the arena with ceiling pyro that felt timed to the millisecond — the whole crowd shouting “as fast as lightning” like a single drilled unit. And To Hell and Back? Pure kinetic energy. The arena moved as one, every body up, down, up again — controlled chaos delivered with the accuracy of a metronome.
Masters of the World closed the show like a coronation. Confetti exploded into the air — each piece a tiny Sabaton album cover drifting perfectly through beams of light. A closer that’s been consistently used across the tour, and clearly for good reason.
Then came a standout manoeuvre: the intro to The Art of War. The band advanced into the pit in gas masks, silhouettes cutting through smoke — a meticulously staged descent into tension. This entire tour leans into polished theatrical execution: military imagery, orchestral force, and deliberate pacing shaping every second of the performance.
From a photographer’s lens, it was a clinic in show design. Spotlights hitting exactly where they needed to. Flames rising in perfect symmetry. Crowd reactions captured in sharp pulses. Sabaton don’t just put on a show — they operate one.
If there’s a critique, it’s that they rarely lift their foot off the accelerator. Breathless pacing. Zero downtime. But maybe that’s intentional — the narrative of war isn’t gentle, and Sabaton never pretend it is.
When the final spark died and the house lights returned, the arena felt less like it had been destroyed and more like it had been efficiently conquered. For a few hours, we weren’t spectators — we were part of the mission.
And I left with a memory card full of evidence.
REVIEW + PHOTOS BY : ABBI DRAPER-SCOTT
