New songs, surprise setlist changes, rare classics and unforgettable moments marked the opening shows of the 2026 tour!
Before kicking off their huge, long-sold-out stadium tour across Germany on 13 June 2026, Die Toten Hosen treated their loyal fans to two intimate club shows in Prague and Milan on 26th and 28th May. Every Hosen fan knows exactly what that means. While the stadium concerts are spectacular in their own way, the smaller club gigs are something truly special. They are hotter, louder, rougher, and far more intense. There is little room for comfort and no place to hide as band and audience come together in a whirlwind of sweat, energy, and pure passion. For many fans, these rare club shows are the ultimate Die Toten Hosen experience – unforgettable nights that often become the highlights of an entire tour.
Two hundred and fifty-four days after the final show of the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ tour in Brussels, Die Toten Hosen finally returned to the stage. During their time away from touring, the band had been busy working on their new album, ‘Trink aus, wir müssen gehen!’ which was released on 29 May 2026. Anticipation was therefore running high as fans gathered for the opening two dates of the new tour in Prague and Milan.
The tour began on 26 May at the sold-out SaSaZu Club in Prague. With temperatures exceeding 30°C outside, the packed venue, filled with around 2,500 fans, quickly became a sweat-soaked celebration of punk rock energy. In a surprise move, the evening opened with ‘Die Show muss weitergehen’. Fans were also treated to six songs from the new album, offering an exciting first glimpse of what the coming months of touring would have in store.
There were memorable moments beyond the new material, too. Koljah from Antilopen Gang once again joined Campino on stage for ‘Freitag der 13’, continuing a collaboration that had already delighted audiences on the previous tour.
For the first third of the concert, I remained relatively relaxed at the right-hand side of the venue. Then came ‘Bonnie & Clyde’.
That song has always held a special place in my heart. The moment the opening notes rang out, any thoughts of standing still disappeared. I plunged straight into the crowd. From that point on, the evening became a whirlwind of emotions, memories, music, and pure magic.
One classic followed another: ‘Alles aus Liebe’, ‘Hier kommt Alex’, and ‘Wünsch dir was’ – songs I have heard countless times, yet somehow, they still manage to evoke the same powerful feelings every single time.
Further highlights came in the form of fan favourites such as ‘Verschwende deine Zeit’, ‘All die ganzen Jahre’, ‘Bis zum bitteren Ende’, and ‘Opel-Gang’, each of which was greeted with enormous enthusiasm.
Particularly impressive was the new song ‘Was ist mit uns los’. Not only did it stand out musically, but its lyrics also encouraged reflection. Another highly emotional moment arrived with ‘Trink aus, wir müssen gehen’. The song’s message is simple yet profound: enjoy the moment while it lasts, because eventually every chapter comes to an end. It reminds us that even the best nights, friendships, and periods of our lives are temporary. Precisely because of that, we should cherish them while we can. The atmosphere inside SaSaZu reflected this sentiment perfectly, and there were undoubtedly more than a few tears shed among the audience.
Just two days later, the tour moved on to the legendary Alcatraz Club in Milan. Temperatures climbed as high as 38°C, making it even hotter than Prague. Although the venue was not completely sold out, the slightly smaller crowd created a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. After the intensity of Prague, I initially chose to stay further back and take things a little easier.
That plan did not last long.
As soon as ‘Verschwende deine Zeit’ began, I found myself drawn to the front barrier again. For many fans, this song is far more than just another classic. It serves as a reminder that a fulfilling life is not measured solely by work, responsibilities, or achievements, but by friendships, adventures, travel, music, and all the moments that can never be repeated. For years, it has effectively become the unofficial touring anthem of Die Toten Hosen, and returning to the front rows felt almost inevitable.
Musically, the Milan show differed significantly from the tour opener. No fewer than eleven songs appeared on the setlist that had not been played in Prague. Among the new tracks performed were ‘Glück’, ‘Lass mal nicht machen’, and ‘Was früher einmal war’.
The latter proved especially powerful, as it continues the story first introduced in ‘Wort zum Sonntag’. In that earlier song, Campino sings, “I’m not yet sixty, and I’m not even close. Only then will I tell you what used to be.” In ‘Was früher einmal war’, that story is finally told. The connection between the two songs created goosebumps throughout the venue and instantly established the new track as one of the emotional highlights of the evening.
Several rarely performed songs from the 1980s also made welcome appearances. ‘Liebesspieler’ and ‘Reisefieber’ delighted longtime fans, while ‘Azzurro’ was, of course, an essential inclusion for an Italian audience. By now, the song feels just as much a part of a Hosen concert in Italy as pizza and pasta.
Overall, the band appeared even more relaxed and confident in Milan than they had two days earlier. The sound quality was noticeably better as well. Following what many assumed was the traditional conclusion with ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ – a song longtime fans know always closes a Hosen concert – the band surprised the audience with an additional three-song encore.
The extra set began with ‘Achterbahn’, a song that ranks among my all-time personal favourites and currently carries more meaning for me than ever before. Without pause, the band launched straight into ‘Liebesspieler’, before the unmistakable bassline of ‘Mehr davon’ echoed through the venue.
In that moment, everything came full circle.
‘Mehr davon’ had already been my personal highlight in Prague. For me, the song encapsulates much of what Die Toten Hosen, their concerts, and perhaps life itself are all about. The fact that this particular song brought the first two shows of the tour to a close could not have felt more fitting.
Two concerts. Two completely different evenings. Countless unforgettable moments. And a truly outstanding start to a summer concert tour that will still take the band across Germany and Argentina.
Nothing in life should ever be taken for granted. That is exactly why I am grateful for everything that has been, everything that is, and everything that is still to come.
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: FLORIAN REITH
Live Videos: MAXTI76
Prague, SaSaZu (26 May 2026)
Intro: ‘Sirtaki’
- ‘Die Show muss weitergehen’ (Live Debut)
- ‘Wir waren nie weg’ (Live Debut)
- ‘Auswärtsspiel’
- ‘Du lebst nur einmal (vorher)’
- ‘Nur nach vorn’ (Live Debut)
- ‘Liebeslied’
- ‘Altes Fieber’
- ‘Schlechte Nachbarn’ (Live Debut)
- ‘Paradies’
- ‘Was ist mit uns los’ (Live Debut)
- ‘Alle sagen das’
- ‘Alles wird vorübergehen’
- ‘Steh auf, wenn du am Boden bist’
- ‘Bonnie & Clyde’
- ‘Unter den Wolken’
- ‘Pushed Again’
- ‘Alles aus Liebe’
- ‘Wünsch DIR was’
- ‘Hier kommt Alex’
- ‘Verschwende deine Zeit’
- ‘Trink aus’ (Live Debut)
- ‘Freunde’
- ‘Bis zum bitteren Ende’
- ‘Freitag der 13.’ (with Koljah)
- ‘All die ganzen Jahre’
- ‘Freunde’
- ‘Mehr davon’
- ‘Opel-Gang’
- ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’
Milan, Alcatraz (28 May 2026)
Intro: ‘Kalinka’
- ‘Die Show muss weitergehen’
- ‘Wir waren nie weg’
- ‘Opel-Gang’
- ‘Urknall’
- ‘Auswärtsspiel’
- ‘Nur nach vorn’
- ‘Liebeslied’
- ‘Altes Fieber’
- ‘Schlechte Nachbarn’
- ‘Die Schöne und das Biest’
- ‘Was ist mit uns los’
- ‘Alle sagen das’
- ‘Glück’ (Live Debut)
- ‘Steh auf, wenn du am Boden bist’
- ‘Bonnie & Clyde’
- ‘Was früher einmal war’ (Live Debut)
- ‘Unter den Wolken’
- ‘Niemals einer Meinung’
- ‘Wünsch DIR was’
- ‘Hier kommt Alex’
- .‘Lass mal nicht machen’ (Live Debut)
- ‘Verschwende deine Zeit’
- ‘Freitag der 13.’ (with Koljah)
- Schönen Gruß, auf Wiederseh’n’
- ‘Azzurro’
- ‘Reisefieber’
- ‘Trink aus’
- ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’
- ‘Achterbahn’
- ‘Liebesspieler’
- ‘Mehr davon’
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I’m Florian “Flo” Reith, based in Düsseldorf, Germany. Since 2009, I’ve been living for live music – over 1000 shows, 200+ cities, 30+ countries. The camera was there from the very beginning: I tried to capture every gig I went to. Over time, things became more professional and more structured and somewhere along the way, I discovered writing too. I love supporting new and unknown bands. Whether it’s behind the merch stand, working as a roadie, helping organize shows, or sometimes co-promoting them myself – I’m always down to jump in where I’m needed. But let’s be honest: my favourite place will always be the pit – front row, dust, sweat, and pure mosh pit chaos!
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