Abbath has cancelled all remaining concerts scheduled for 2026. The decision comes just over a month after his performance at Finland’s SaariHelvetti festival was cut short due to health problems.
All of Abbath’s remaining concerts in 2026 have been cancelled. The announcement comes just over a month after a festival appearance in Finland was cut short after only a few minutes. Just one day earlier, Abbath had performed at Midgardsblot in Norway, delivering a strong anniversary show with the Norwegian supergroup I.
Bergen musician Olve Eikemo, better known by his stage name Abbath, is a founding member and former frontman of the legendary black metal band Immortal. With his distinctive vocals, iconic corpse paint, theatrical stage presence and characteristic sense of humour, he has become one of the most recognisable figures in Norwegian metal and one of the genre’s best-known personalities internationally.
Following his departure from Immortal, he launched his own band, ABBATH, while continuing to revisit material from the supergroup I and other parts of his extensive career. He has now decided to cancel all remaining live appearances scheduled for 2026.
The decision was announced in a brief statement published on Abbath’s official Facebook page:
“Abbath has made the decision to cancel all remaining shows in 2026. We sincerely apologise to the fans, festivals and everyone affected. Thank you for your understanding and support,” the band wrote.
No specific reason has been given for the cancellations.
The announcement follows an incident at the SaariHelvetti festival in Tampere, Finland, on 14 August, where Abbath’s performance came to an abrupt end only minutes after it had begun. The band had barely started the opening song, “To War!”, when Abbath put down his guitar and left the stage.
The concert was subsequently abandoned. Drummer Ukri Suvilehto apologised to the audience and explained that the vocalist was experiencing health problems. Festival organisers later confirmed that the performance had been stopped because Abbath was unable to continue due to his health.
The incident came just one day after Abbath had appeared at Midgardsblot in Borre, Norway, for a special anniversary performance with I.
However, neither Abbath nor his band has stated that the cancellation of the remaining 2026 shows is connected to the health problems reported in Finland.
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