On December 28, 2025, Trans-Siberian Orchestra didn’t just play Hamilton’s newly renovated TD Coliseum—they baptized it in fire, light, and symphonic thunder. Coming just weeks after Paul McCartney became the first artist to take the stage in the reimagined venue, TSO’s arrival felt like a declaration: this building is ready for spectacle.
From the opening notes of “Night Enchanted” into “Winter Palace,” the Coliseum transformed into a living, breathing cinematic space. TSO doesn’t ease audiences into its world; it pulls them headlong into it. The band’s long-form storytelling returned in full force with The Lost Christmas Eve, weaving narration, orchestration, and rock muscle into a seamless emotional arc that felt tailor-made for the Coliseum’s upgraded acoustics and sightlines.
TSO’s brilliance has always lived in its ability to balance intimacy and excess, and Hamilton got the full spectrum. “Christmas Bells, Carousels & Time” and “Christmas Dreams” leaned into nostalgia and wonder, while “O Come All Ye Faithful / O Holy Night” and “Good King Joy” swelled with reverence, lifted by towering vocal performances and a string section that seemed to breathe as one.
The crowd erupted when the opening riff of “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)”—the iconic Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24 originally recorded under the Savatage banner—cut through the room. It remains TSO’s mission statement: classical themes fused with hard-rock urgency, executed with absolute conviction.
Mid-set curveballs elevated the night beyond holiday tradition. A haunting take on “Changes” by Black Sabbath slowed the tempo and deepened the emotional weight, while “Moonlight Sonata” and “Requiem (The Fifth)” showcased the band’s symphonic precision, reminding everyone that this isn’t rock borrowing from classical—it’s a true conversation between the two.
The Beethoven’s Last Night suite landed like a theatrical centerpiece, followed by the affirming surge of “This Is Who You Are.” From there, TSO shifted into full apocalyptic grandeur with “A Last Illusion” and a thunderous “O Fortuna”—the immortal work of Carl Orff—turning the Coliseum into a cathedral of controlled chaos.
Closing with “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) (Reprise),” TSO brought the night full circle, sending Hamilton back into the cold with ringing ears and full hearts.
For a venue still writing its first chapter, Trans-Siberian Orchestra delivered a defining moment. If Paul McCartney opened the doors, TSO showed just how far this new stage can go—proving once again that no band blends bombast, emotion, and storytelling quite like them.
Live review and photos by Dylan Garlow