Nightwish was certainly one of the big audience pulls for Copenhell this year, so having them come on in full daylight no later than seven p.m. felt a bit odd. Then again, Copenhell likes putting big names on quite early in the day, possibly to try and get people to show up for the whole day. Whether or not this was the case here, I can only speculate, but judging from the size of the crowd, it worked.

“Will we hear you sing?!”
- Floor Jansen (vocals)

Nightwish's show was counted down to, by a huge countdown clock (go figure) displayed on the backdrop, so that everyone could follow along to exactly when the show would begin. A bit superfluous, as Copenhell has its own countdown going as well, but since it's part of the band's current gimmick, well…
Off the show went, beginning with End Of All Hope, an interesting title to open with, and while the music and vocals were coming through crisp and clear, the performance felt a bit stiff, as if the band hadn't really warmed up or otherwise prepared. I'm sure they had, being nothing but professional, but it didn't come through at this point.
Overall actually, the performance was quite calm, even when the band members began opening up a bit more further down the road. It helped that Jansen tentatively began using the catwalk, but she didn't spend much time on it.

Also in the crowd, things were going along at a calm and well-mannered pace. The size of the crowd was apparently not an indication of how wild things would get. Sure, this isn't exactly a moshing type of band, but still. We did see some arms raised, and there was of course a good deal of singing going on. Cheers got louder when Jansen got closer, using the aforementioned catwalk, and overall, there was a positive, if not ecstatic vibe.

“Mange tak!”
- Jansen (vocals)

Jansen also scored some extra points when trying her luck in thanking the Danish audience for their participation in their native language. Overall, there was nothing objectionable about Nightwish's Copenhell debut, but there was nothing truly memorable about it either. This was a show where fans would be smiling, and no one else would be converted.

Setlist:

End Of All Hope
Wish I Had An Angel
Come Cover Me
Gethsemane
Élan
Amaranth
I Want My Tears Back
Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean
Nemo
Slaying The Dreamer
The Greatest Show On Earth (Chapter II: Life, Chapter III: The Toolmaker)
Ghost Love Score