The Ritual of Heilung in London Brixton Academy, 2025

At a sold-out Brixton Academy on April 15, 2025, you could feel anticipation in the air before one of Heilung’s last shows even began. Fans crowded the entrance in furs, with braided hair, dreadlocks, and tribal makeup.

Eivør

Eivør took the stage first in a soft, otherworldly glow. She opened with “Jarðartrá,” her voice clear and haunting as if it were echoing off the Faroese cliffs. She moved through a few of her songs before pausing to deliver the theme where some of her fans first heard her: on the series The Last Kingdom. Hearing those notes live charged the room. You felt her depth and control in every phrase. By the time she closed with “Upp Úr Øskuni,” the crowd was quiet, eyes wide, fully primed for what came next, as the curtain with Heilung’s logo was set in front of the stage.

Heilung’s Opening Ceremony

Then came the much-anticipated ritual to kick off HEILUNG’s set. Kai Uwe Faust stepped forward barefoot, carrying a bowl of incense. He sprinkled smoke across the drums and around the stage. Maria Franz joined him, her presence calm and commanding and the dancers and “warriors” in tribal paint moved in slow circles, shields in hand. The smoke curled around them, and the lights shifted just enough to make you feel you’d slipped through time. When the ritual settled, they launched into “In Maidjan,” and the hall went still again, that first drumbeat echoing like a heartbeat.

The band moved seamlessly from one highlight to the next. “Hamrer Hippyer” hit with fierce percussion and guttural chants that shook the floor. You saw heads nodding in unison, hands beating chests, bodies responding to each pulse. Through it all, Maria Franz’s clear vocals and Kai Faust’s deep-throated singing balanced each other perfectly, while Christopher Juul’s drums and Anieke’s pipes shaped the journey.

The visuals stayed true to the ritual vibe. Spotlights created shadows that danced across the fog. Drum stands looked like tree trunks, and low mist hid the performers’ feet. Dancers drifted through the smoke, their movements slow and deliberate. There were no fireworks —everything felt organic. It was a simple setup that let the music and ceremony shine. You never felt distracted; every element pulled you deeper into the world they’d built on that stage

Most of the audience matched the band’s intensity. You saw people close their eyes, sway gently, or shout wordless chants back at the band. A few at the back got overly drunk and pushy, but wasn’t enough to disrupt such a great show. The music’s power kept the ritual intact. When “Hamrer Hippyer” faded, the silence that followed felt sacred.

Walking back into the London night, you carry the memory of every beat and breath from the stage. The smoke, the voices, and those ancient melodies settle inside you long after the lights go down. You know you’ve been part of something rare. Although the band announced a hiatus, we’re expecting their return!