Linkin Park returns to Rock am Ring after 12 years

Twelve years after their last appearance at Rock am Ring, in the end, Linkin Park finally returned to the Nürburgring on Friday night (5 June) with a set that balanced nostalgia, tribute and renewal. Headlining one of Europe's largest rock festivals once again, the band revisited key moments from its history while introducing fans to its latest chapter.

Before taking the stage, Linkin Park premiered a trailer for 'Unshatter', an upcoming documentary project announced on the band's social media channels shortly afterwards.

The performance opened with "With You," marking the song's first live appearance since 2014 and its first time opening a show since 2012. The band also paid tribute to its long association with the festival by using the intro from its Rock am Ring 2001 performance. Vocalist Emily Armstrong appeared in a colour scheme reminiscent of Chester Bennington's look from that show before launching into the opening track with a "come on" scream.

The setlist featured a mix of classics and newer material, including fan favourites such as "Somewhere I Belong," "Lying From You," "A Place for My Head," and "IGYEIH." During the introduction to "A Place for My Head," Mike Shinoda briefly paused the performance to ensure concertgoers in the crowd were safe before resuming the show.

The appearance also marked one of the band's most notable festival performances since returning with a new lineup following Bennington's death in 2017. Alongside co-founder Shinoda, the current lineup includes Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, with the band continuing to perform songs spanning multiple eras of its catalogue.

Later in the set, Shinoda performed the first verse of "Reading My Eyes" over "Bleed It Out," referencing one of the band's earliest songs and bringing another nod to its history into a performance that connected past and present at one of rock music's most prominent festivals.