AVATAR brought their Don’t Go in the Forest Tour — supporting their 2025 album of the same name — to Palladium Times Square last night (Fri, May 15, 2026) and completely owned the stage. Their cult-hardcore fanbase packed the venue, singing every lyric while crowd surfers floated overhead from start to finish. It was a kind of controlled chaos — equal parts celebration and appreciation for Sweden’s own rock stars.
And rock stars they are.
From the moment they hit the stage, AVATAR delivered a spectacle that felt like old-school shock rock injected with pure adrenaline. The theatrics, costumes, stage design, and production were all larger than life. Frontman Johannes Eckerströmcommanded the room with a grin as massive as the stage itself, his signature black-and-white face paint making every expression even more striking.
Each member of the band brought their own distinct presence, matching the uniqueness of the elaborate stage setup. The opening introduction, “Captain Goat,” was especially mesmerizing — a spellbinding start that immediately pulled the crowd into AVATAR’s twisted and theatrical world.
AVATAR IS:
Johannes Eckerström – Vox
Tim Öhrström – Guitar
Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby – Guitar
John Alfredsson – Drums
Henrik Sandelin – Bass
Setlist:
CAPTAIN GOAT
SILENCE IN THE AGE OF APES
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED
IN THE AIRWAVES
BLOODY ANGEL
DEATH AND GLITZ
GET IN LINE
THE DIRT I’M BURIED IN
COLOSSUS
TORN APART
HOWLING AT THE WAVES
LEGEND OF THE KING
LET IT BURN
TONIGHT WE MUST BE WARRIORS
Encore:
DON’T GO INTO THE FOREST
SMELLS LIKE A FREAKSHOW
HAIL THE APOCALYPSE
The kings of power metal.
They are a group of exceptional musicians who are as captivating to watch for their sheer talent as they are for the larger-than-life visual spectacle they create on stage.
ALL 
© Dalila Kriheli / #rockstarpix ALL RiGHTS RESERVED
© Dalila Kriheli / #rockstarpix ALL RiGHTS RESERVED