Multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen's beloved Ayreon metal opera outfit performed its first ever festival show on June 22nd at the Graspop Metal Meeting 2018 in Dessel, Belgium. Fan-filmed video from the performance is available below.

Lucassen has checked in with the following update:

"Thank you all so much for your amazing support at our Graspop performance, hope you enjoyed it as much as we clearly did! This was Ayreon’s very first festival show, so it was a bit scary. But what a warm welcome we got... a full house, 15.000 people showing us a whole lotta love. Thanks again from us all, you are the best crowd we could wish for! 

Thanks to all these amazing musicians! Left to right: Barry Hay, Tommy Karevik, Ferry Duijsens, Mike Mills, Tom Englund, Mark Jansen, Simone Simons, Robert Soeterboek, Ed Warby, Anneke van Giersbergen, Irene Jansen, Arjen Lucassen, Joost van den Broek, John Jaycee Cuijpers, Johan van Stratum, Marcela Bovio, Maggy Luyten, Jeroen Goossens, Maaike Peterse, Marcel Coenen, Lisette Marije, Ben Mathot and Damian Wilson."

The setlist was as follows:

"Age of Shadows" (with Mark Jansen, Tom Englund, John Jaycee Cuijpers, & Simone Simons)
"The Theory of Everything, Part 1"(with Marcela Bovio, Mike Mills)
"The Theory of Everything, Part 2" (with Marcela Bovio, Mike Mills)
"Intergalactic Space Crusaders" (Star One cover - with John JayCee Cuijpers, Damian Wilson)
"Dawn of a Million Souls" (with Magali Luyten)
"Into the Black Hole" (with Tommy Karevik)
"Valley of the Queens" (with Anneke van Giersbergen, Simone Simons & Marcela Bovio)
"Collision" (with Tommy Karevik, Tom Englund)
"Star of Sirrah" with Mike Mills, John Jaycee Cuijpers & Simone Simons)
"And the Druids Turn to Stone" (with Damian Wilson)
"Day Sixteen: Loser" (with Mike Mills, Ayreon Angels)
"Sail Away to Avalon" (with Barry Hay live debut; Golden Earring's '… more )
"Everybody Dies" (with Anneke van Giersbergen, Tommy Karevik & Mike Mills)
"The Castle Hall" (with Robert Soeterboek, Arjen Lucassen & Damian Wilson)
"Day Eleven: Love" (with Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Marcela Bovio, Robert Soeterboek, Ayreon Angels & Ed Warby on vocals)

Encore:
"The Eye of Ra" (Star One cover - with all singers)

Photo by Cristel Brouwer