Amy Lee told fans to expect “the biggest show we’ve ever had” when Evanescence opens the Sanctuary tour on Thursday in West Palm Beach, Florida, pledging a night built around the new album and a set list that will push the band harder than usual.
Lee framed the tour as both an artistic stretch and an offering. Sanctuary is out now, and the singer said, “We’re playing pretty much the whole new album, along with lots of other songs.” That, she added bluntly, means “we have a lot of new songs to learn.”
The announcement tightens into immediate detail: Spiritbox will open the U.S. leg and Poppy will open the European dates, and Lee expects the run to be expansive enough to be “probably our longest set.” Sanctuary includes the singles “Who Will You Follow” and “Afterlife,” and Lee said marrying nearly the entire record with an extended selection of older material is central to what she wants the tour to do for people.
“Give people a place of release, to fill up, to charge up, spiritually, emotionally, and feel empowered when they walk away,” Lee said, describing the show’s aim. “My main goal is to make people happy. I wanna bring some good to this time.”
That promise carries a practical cost. Lee acknowledged the work required with an equal part relish and realism: “It’s a lot of fun, it’s a lot of work.” Preparing a set that covers almost every new track while also threading in fan favorites turns the performance into a heavier rehearsal lift and a more physically demanding night onstage.
Part of the spectacle Lee teased will come from collaborations. In 2025 Lee, Courtney LaPlante and Poppy recorded the song “End of You,” and Lee said she has imagined an “epic ‘End of You’ moment” with both guest singers onstage. “I wish I had Courtney and Poppy on the same show so we could do, like, an epic ‘End of You’ moment,” she said. “That hasn’t quite worked out, but we’ll definitely be doing something together.”
The friction is clear: Lee wants big, communal moments but the logistics of two high-profile openers and a sprawling set mean specifics remain flexible. She promised collaboration without naming which songs will be shared or at which dates those moments will land, leaving fans to wonder which nights will yield the surprises she teases.
Still, Lee sounded confident the band is up to the task. “We’re just trying to make something really good,” she said. “I think we are. I’m very excited.” For audiences, that translates into a show that aims to be both exhaustive and cathartic — nearly a full listen of Sanctuary live, augmented with the hits and special guest turns.
The tour opens Thursday in West Palm Beach; beyond that first night, the clearest takeaway is plain: expect an unusually long Evanescence set and at least some onstage collaborations with Spiritbox’s touring presence in the U.S. and Poppy on the European dates. The single most consequential unanswered detail is now sharpened and practical — which specific shows will host the collaborative moments Lee promises. For fans booking tickets, the answer will arrive onstage, not on the schedule.
