Evanescence brought their Sanctuary Tour to Montreal’s Bell Centre on June 30, 2026, pairing a catalogue two decades deep with a stage production built for an arena. Openers Nova Twins and Spiritbox framed the night around modern heavy music, moving from the UK duo’s bass-driven, punk-leaning grooves to Spiritbox’s metalcore. Spiritbox fought a rough mix, with the kick drum swallowing much of the low end, but Courtney LaPlante still cut through it, swinging between clean melodies and full screams on Circle With Me, Holy Roller, and Soft Spine while Mike Stringer’s guitar filled the room.
When the lights dropped for Evanescence, the staging did a lot of the talking. Rather than a flat line across the front, the band spread across towering multi-level risers, with drummer Will Hunt elevated at the back and the guitarists working platforms overhead. The clear centrepiece came when a piano rose slowly from beneath the stage for My Immortal, Amy Lee taking her seat as the crowd sang the ballad back to her. From the opening Sanctuary through familiar hits like Bring Me to Life and Call Me When You’re Sober, Lee anchored the set, her voice moving easily from quiet piano passages to full-throated choruses.
These photos capture that mix of scale and intimacy, a headliner leaning on both spectacle and songs that have stuck with fans for more than twenty years.
Photos – Ryan Rumpel
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