Scorpions and Friends live at Heinz von Heiden Arena Hannover – Concert Review
- L7
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
Expectations
A big celebration with a legendary lineup. This wasn’t just another Scorpions show—it was their 60th anniversary, in their hometown, at the Heinz von Heiden Arena, with Judas Priest and Alice Cooper as co-headliners. The day also included Rosy Vista and Bülent Ceylan to kick off the event.
Surprisingly, I had never seen any of these bands live before. Despite them playing near my city many times—or appearing on festival lineups—somehow it never worked out. So this was the perfect chance to cross off some long-open items on my list. Expectations? Sky high.
Arrival, Merch & Beer
My hotel was a bit outside the city, so I grabbed a taxi—about a 20-minute ride. But the stadium itself is centrally located and would’ve been a nice walk if I had been closer. On the way there, it looked like it might rain, but luckily the weather held up perfectly.
Outside the venue, there was a large Scorpions merch stand with a big selection of shirts, flags, hoodies, and more. One shirt had all the current tour dates, while another was a special edition just for this event, with the date and names of all the bands. I had a tough time choosing but ended up going for the tour version because I liked the front design better. Price: 40 euros.
There was also a really cool Deutsche Post booth with special anniversary postcards and exclusive stamps for the day, including a commemorative stamp with the stadium and the date printed on it. Great collector piece for fans.
Inside the stadium, more merch was available—not just Scorpions, but also from the other bands. I spotted a “Rock You Like a Hurricane” shirt and grabbed it too. That one wasn’t event-specific, but I liked the design. It cost 35 euros. The tent with merch from the other bands was super crowded, and since I knew I wouldn’t buy anything else, I skipped the line.
Beer was from Gilde, and in some areas, they had the special Scorpions Edition of the Gilde beer. I only had the regular Pils, which I already know and like. Sadly, the lines were slow and long. Not sure what the issue was, but it definitely took time. On the plus side, there were Scorpions collector cups—and not just one or two designs. I think there were six or seven different versions. All looked great. I picked the event-day version with the Hannover design and the date—same design as the shirt.
Alice Cooper
We came for Alice Cooper, and honestly, it wasn’t just his show—it was the whole band’s performance that made it amazing. Special shout-out to Nita Strauss, one of the best electric guitarists around. The energy on stage was incredible.
The show included all the fan favorites, and the staging was top-notch. Alice’s wife appeared on stage in various roles, which added to the theatrical feel. If you’ve seen Alice live before, you probably know about some of the show elements—like the famous decapitation scene—but it’s one of those things that never gets old. People love it.
And considering he’s 77 years old, it’s honestly impressive how much he still moves around and how strong his voice is. It was a real pleasure to finally experience his show live.
Judas Priest
Legends, plain and simple. Their stage presence was powerful from the first moment. The outfits, the lights, the sound—everything was on point. Rob Halford’s vocals were spot-on and sent the crowd into a frenzy. I saw a lot of Judas Priest shirts in the crowd.
They played all the essentials: “Breaking the Law,” “Living After Midnight,” “Painkiller”, and more. One of the highlights for me was the guitar solo during “Painkiller”—just incredible. Rob doesn’t move much these days, but the way he stands and commands the stage still demands respect. Oh, and yes, there was a moment where he rode a motorcycle onto the stage. Epic.
Scorpions
Time to celebrate with the hometown heroes. The band took the stage about 30 minutes late—not sure why, maybe technical issues—but the wait was worth it. They opened with “Coming Home,” also the name of the current tour. Right when the tempo kicked in after the intro, I was already blown away by the stage visuals.
The screen effects were some of the best I’ve seen—interactive visuals that responded to the movements of the band members. There were also great video clips used in a few songs, and plenty of fire effects during key moments.
Everyone got LED wristbands that lit up and changed color automatically during certain songs. The most beautiful moment was during “Winds of Change”—the lights, the slow rhythm, and the emotional atmosphere all worked together perfectly.
Klaus Meine gave a strong performance. He’s also 77 years old, and even though you could see that he has a bit less energy than someone like Alice Cooper, he performed with passion and clearly enjoyed every moment on stage.
The rest of the band was absolutely top-level. There were three instrumental pieces—one drum and bass jam, and two more guitar-led sections with the full band. Klaus even joined in for the first one.
After the short break before the encore, they revealed a giant scorpion puppet—stage-sized, and seriously cool-looking. Then came “Blackout,” and finally, they closed the night with “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” complete with fire and fireworks. A perfect ending.
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t just a concert—it was a full-blown celebration. I go to a lot of shows, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of saying, “yeah, that was great.” But this was more than that. A hometown anniversary show, legendary bands, top production, and a crowd full of die-hard fans.
I enjoyed every single moment.
A day to remember.
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