🎸⚽🔥 Forget the football for a moment, butt! LINKIN PARK took over Munich’s Allianz Arena for the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final, unleashing an explosive performance featuring ‘The Emptiness Machine’, ‘In The End’, ‘Numb’ and ‘Heavy Is The Crown’. With spectacular stage production, explosive vocals and a worldwide audience watching, the reunited rock legends proved that their new era is ready for the biggest stages on the planet!
Well, bloody hell, Riff Report crew!
NOW THAT’S HOW YOU OPEN A FOOTBALL FINAL! 🤘🔥
On Saturday 31 May 2025, thousands of football supporters packed Munich’s magnificent Allianz Arena for one of the biggest sporting occasions of the year.
The occasion?
The 2025 UEFA Champions League Final, featuring French giants Paris Saint-Germain taking on Italian heavyweights Inter Milan.
But before a single ball was kicked, something rather special happened.
The stadium lights transformed.
The music kicked in.
The performers took their positions.
And one of the biggest rock bands of the 21st century unleashed an absolutely thunderous performance.
LINKIN PARK had arrived!
And they weren’t there to politely provide a bit of background music while everybody found their seats.
Oh no, mun!
They came armed with massive riffs, electronic soundscapes, pounding drums, spectacular visuals and a setlist that celebrated both their legendary past and their exciting new chapter.
With Emily Armstrong delivering powerful vocals alongside Mike Shinoda, the band tore through four songs in approximately six minutes.
Six minutes!
That’s barely enough time to get to the bar at your average music festival, never mind squeeze in two decades of rock anthems.
But somehow, they managed it.
And the result was a performance that perfectly demonstrated why LINKIN PARK remain such an important force in modern rock music.
🏟️ LINKIN PARK Turn Munich’s Allianz Arena Into A Rock Festival!
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The band’s performance took place during the UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi.
Held at Munich’s Allianz Arena, officially referred to as the Munich Football Arena during UEFA competitions, the event brought together two enormous worlds.
Football and rock music.
And if there’s one thing both communities understand, it’s the extraordinary energy created when thousands of people come together to celebrate something they love.
The stadium was packed with more than 64,000 spectators, while millions more had the opportunity to watch the performance through television and online broadcasts.
The production featured a specially designed performance stage, dancers, dramatic lighting, elaborate choreography and a soundtrack blending LINKIN PARK’s unmistakable music with elements inspired by football culture.
And what a sight it was!
The band stood at the centre of the enormous stadium while a carefully choreographed production unfolded around them.
Performers moved across the pitch.
The enormous arena became part of the visual spectacle.
And the whole thing felt more like the opening of a major international music festival than the introduction to a football match.
Honestly, butt, if UEFA keeps inviting bands like LINKIN PARK to perform, we might have to start covering the Champions League as a rock festival with a bit of football thrown in afterwards!
🎤 Emily Armstrong Comes Out Fighting!
One of the biggest talking points surrounding LINKIN PARK’s return has undoubtedly been the arrival of vocalist Emily Armstrong.
Following the devastating death of Chester Bennington in 2017, many fans wondered whether the band would ever perform together again.
Chester wasn’t simply another rock singer.
His extraordinary ability to move between melodic vulnerability and raw, emotional screaming helped define LINKIN PARK’s sound.
For millions of listeners, his voice became inseparable from songs that soundtracked their lives.
So when LINKIN PARK announced their return in September 2024 with Armstrong joining the line-up, the news naturally generated enormous discussion.
Could the band successfully begin a new chapter?
Would the classic material still connect?
And how would Armstrong approach songs that meant so much to longtime fans?
The Champions League performance offered another opportunity to see how the new line-up was developing.
And Armstrong certainly didn’t hold back.
Her performance combined powerful melodic singing with the raw intensity that has become an important part of the band’s renewed identity.
She didn’t approach the stage looking intimidated by the enormous occasion.
Instead, she threw herself into the performance alongside Shinoda.
There was energy.
There was attitude.
And there was an obvious determination to deliver something worthy of such a prestigious platform.
Importantly, Armstrong isn’t Chester Bennington.
And she shouldn’t have to be.
Chester’s contribution to LINKIN PARK will always remain an essential part of their history.
But the band’s current chapter is about creating something new while respecting the music that came before.
Judging by their Munich performance, Armstrong is continuing to establish her own identity within the group.
And that can only be a positive thing for their future.
🎸 LINKIN PARK’s Champions League Final Setlist – Four Songs, Six Minutes, Absolute Madness!
Right then, let’s get into the music!
The band had an incredibly limited amount of time to perform before kick-off.
Rather than attempting a conventional concert, they created a tightly arranged medley combining classic material with songs from their comeback album From Zero.
🎶 The Official Setlist
Song
Original album
1. The Emptiness Machine
From Zero (2024)
2. In The End
Hybrid Theory (2000)
3. Numb
Meteora (2003)
4. Heavy Is The Crown
From Zero (2024)
The shortened medley also incorporated elements of Numb/Encore and a brief snippet of Up From The Bottom.
These weren’t full-length performances of each song.
The arrangements had been specifically adapted to fit the approximately six-minute opening ceremony.
And while we’d happily have watched LINKIN PARK play for another two hours, the tight running time made every second count.
🔥 ‘The Emptiness Machine’ – The Perfect Opening Statement!
The performance opened with The Emptiness Machine, the lead single from From Zero.
And what a way to begin!
Shinoda and Armstrong initially appeared among a group of dancers before making their way towards the main stage.
It immediately established the theatrical nature of the performance.
Musically, The Emptiness Machine was an ideal choice.
It’s a song that represents the band’s new era while maintaining many of the ingredients that made LINKIN PARK so successful in the first place.
Melodic vocals.
Powerful guitar work.
Electronic textures.
Explosive choruses.
And that unmistakable contrast between restraint and intensity.
With Armstrong and Shinoda sharing the vocal spotlight, the performance made one thing clear.
This was the current LINKIN PARK showing the world what they can do.
Not simply a nostalgia act recreating old material.
A band moving forwards.
And that’s exactly the kind of confidence you want to see from a group returning to the biggest stages in the world.
🎤 ‘In The End’ – A Classic That Still Hits Hard!
Next came one of the most recognisable songs in LINKIN PARK’s entire catalogue.
In The End.
Originally released on the band’s groundbreaking debut album Hybrid Theory, the track became one of the defining songs of early-2000s alternative rock.
And more than two decades later, that instantly recognisable piano melody remains enough to send a wave of nostalgia through an entire generation.
The Munich arrangement was understandably shortened.
But hearing Shinoda deliver those familiar rap passages while the song transitioned into its enormous chorus was a reminder of just how influential LINKIN PARK’s early material remains.
For older fans, it was a trip back to the days of battered CD players, oversized hoodies and discovering a band that somehow managed to combine hip-hop, metal, electronic music and alternative rock into something completely distinctive.
For younger viewers, it offered a glimpse of the music that helped establish LINKIN PARK as international superstars.
And that’s the beauty of performing a classic on a platform as enormous as the Champions League.
Somebody watching for the football might discover a band they haven’t properly explored before.
One minute they’re waiting for Paris Saint-Germain to kick off, the next they’re adding Hybrid Theory to their Spotify library!
Tidy, mun!
🖤 ‘Numb’ – One Of Rock’s Most Emotional Anthems!
The performance then moved into another enormous LINKIN PARK favourite.
Numb.
Originally appearing on 2003’s Meteora, the track remains one of the band’s most emotionally powerful and commercially successful recordings.
It’s also a song forever associated with Chester Bennington’s remarkable voice.
And that makes any new performance particularly significant.
Armstrong approached the material with her own vocal character while preserving the melody and emotional intensity that made the original so memorable.
The transition included elements associated with the famous Numb/Encore collaboration with JAY-Z, providing another nod to LINKIN PARK’s genre-crossing history.
There was something fitting about hearing Numb in such an enormous setting.
The song began life as part of an album that connected deeply with young people experiencing isolation, frustration and personal struggles.
More than two decades later, it was being performed at one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
That’s a remarkable journey for any piece of music.
And a powerful reminder of the lasting reach of LINKIN PARK’s catalogue.
👑 ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ – The Perfect Grand Finale!
And then came the song that arguably made the most sense of all.
Heavy Is The Crown.
I mean, come on!
You’re performing before a football match that will determine the champions of Europe.
You’ve got enormous international attention.
Thousands of supporters are watching.
And you’re looking for a song to bring everything to a dramatic conclusion.
How could you NOT finish with Heavy Is The Crown?!
The track, taken from From Zero, already carries a dramatic, competitive energy.
Its explosive vocals and driving instrumentation make it ideally suited to a large sporting event.
The Munich arrangement went even further, incorporating football-inspired sounds and a short section of Up From The Bottom.
The production also featured coordinated dancers and a drumline-style visual presentation.
It gave the closing moments a sense of occasion.
Big.
Bold.
Theatrical.
And absolutely suited to the spectacle surrounding the Champions League Final.
When you’re performing inside an enormous football stadium, subtlety isn’t necessarily what the occasion demands.
Sometimes you need to make a serious amount of noise.
And LINKIN PARK certainly understood the assignment.
🥁 Who Was Performing With LINKIN PARK At The Champions League Final?
The Munich appearance showcased the band’s current live incarnation.
The musicians involved in LINKIN PARK’s 2025 touring line-up were:
- Mike Shinoda – Vocals, Guitar and Keyboards: Founding member and creative force behind much of the band’s distinctive sound.
- Emily Armstrong – Lead Vocals: Former DEAD SARA vocalist who joined LINKIN PARK in 2024.
- Dave ‘Phoenix’ Farrell – Bass Guitar: Longtime bassist providing the foundation for the band’s heavy sound.
- Joe Hahn – Turntables, Samples and Electronics: The musician responsible for much of LINKIN PARK’s electronic and turntable identity.
- Colin Brittain – Drums: Drummer, songwriter and producer who joined the band’s new line-up.
- Alex Feder – Touring Guitar: Performing live guitar duties in place of founding guitarist Brad Delson.
Delson remains a member of LINKIN PARK and continues contributing to the group’s creative and recording activities, despite stepping away from touring performances.
Together, the live musicians have helped establish a new chapter in the band’s history.
And watching their 2025 Champions League performance makes it clear how important that sense of collaboration has become.
LINKIN PARK have never been a band built around just one musical element.
Their identity comes from the combination of guitars, drums, electronic production, vocals, samples and songwriting.
And all those elements were represented in Munich.
🎧 The Special ‘Numb’ Remix Was Inspired By Football Itself!
Here’s something particularly interesting about the performance.
LINKIN PARK didn’t simply turn up, play a few tracks and collect their backstage passes.
The band also created a special remix inspired by the sounds of football.
Working with the Champions League organisers, they developed a version of Numb incorporating audio elements associated with the sport.
And we’re not just talking about sticking a referee’s whistle over a guitar riff.
The concept involved using sounds such as a foot striking a football, the ball hitting the net and supporters stamping their feet inside a stadium.
Those elements were incorporated into the remix to connect the music with the atmosphere of a major football match.
Speaking to UEFA before the event, Shinoda explained that the band wanted to approach the performance in a different way from a conventional concert.
For LINKIN PARK, it represented an opportunity to create something specifically designed for the occasion.
And that attention to detail helped make the production feel more connected to the sporting event.
Rather than simply placing a band on a stage before kick-off, the organisers attempted to create a shared experience between music and football.
Whether every football supporter wanted a concert before the match is another question entirely.
But from a musical and production perspective, LINKIN PARK’s contribution was certainly ambitious.
🖤 Chester Bennington’s Legacy Remains Part Of LINKIN PARK’s Story
It’s impossible to discuss LINKIN PARK’s current success without acknowledging the enormous influence of Chester Bennington.
The singer’s death in July 2017 devastated the music world.
His extraordinary vocal performances had helped establish LINKIN PARK as one of the defining bands of their generation.
Across albums including Hybrid Theory, Meteora, Minutes To Midnight, A Thousand Suns and Living Things, Chester helped deliver music that connected with millions of listeners.
For many fans, those songs weren’t simply entertainment.
They were part of their personal lives.
Soundtracks to difficult periods.
Memories of friendships.
Concert experiences.
And moments that remain important years later.
When the band announced its return with Emily Armstrong in 2024, reactions were understandably mixed.
Some fans welcomed the opportunity to hear new LINKIN PARK music.
Others found the idea of the band continuing without Chester emotionally difficult, while concerns were also raised about Armstrong’s past associations.
Those discussions remain part of the wider story surrounding the group’s return.
But the 2025 Champions League performance demonstrated something important.
LINKIN PARK’s music continues to reach new audiences.
The classic songs remain enormously influential.
And the current musicians are attempting to build a future while carrying an extraordinary musical legacy.
Chester Bennington will always be part of LINKIN PARK’s history.
That doesn’t change.
And neither does the impact of the music he helped create.
⚽ Paris Saint-Germain Make History After LINKIN PARK’s Performance!
Of course, there was also a rather important football match taking place afterwards.
And what a match it turned out to be!
Following LINKIN PARK’s opening performance, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan 5–0 to win the Champions League for the first time.
The result set a new record for the largest winning margin in a European Cup or Champions League final.
PSG’s goals came from Achraf Hakimi, Désiré Doué, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu, with Doué scoring twice.
It was a historic occasion for the French club.
And it made the entire evening particularly memorable.
Think about it.
You arrive at an enormous stadium.
LINKIN PARK perform an explosive opening show.
Then your team goes on to win Europe’s biggest club competition by five goals.
If you’re a PSG supporter who also happens to love rock music, that must have been a pretty spectacular night.
For Inter supporters?
Well…
At least they got to watch LINKIN PARK beforehand!
Sorry, butt. Had to be said! 😂
🐉 Rock Music And Football – A Combination That Just Works!
There’s something rather wonderful about seeing rock music take centre stage at an event normally dominated by football.
The two worlds might seem different on the surface.
But when you think about it, they’ve got an enormous amount in common.
Both bring people together.
Both create unforgettable memories.
Both inspire extraordinary levels of loyalty.
And both involve thousands of people shouting themselves hoarse while somebody on a stage or pitch attempts to deliver something special.
Here in Wales, we understand that connection particularly well.
Whether it’s standing inside the Principality Stadium singing along with thousands of supporters or watching a favourite band deliver a thunderous performance in Cardiff, the atmosphere can be electric.
And when music and sport come together properly, the results can be spectacular.
LINKIN PARK’s Champions League appearance is a perfect example.
For approximately six minutes, the biggest football event in Europe became an enormous rock concert.
And we absolutely bloody loved it.
Now imagine if UEFA decided to invite more rock and metal bands to future finals.
METALLICA?
SLIPKNOT?
IRON MAIDEN?
RAMMSTEIN?
Actually, perhaps not RAMMSTEIN.
By the time Till Lindemann finished with the flamethrowers, there might not be much of the pitch left for the footballers!
Imagine explaining that one to UEFA’s insurance company, mun! 😂🔥
🎸 Why The Champions League Performance Was Such A Big Moment For LINKIN PARK
When LINKIN PARK announced their return in September 2024, they were beginning a new and uncertain chapter.
The release of The Emptiness Machine introduced the band’s new sound.
Their album From Zero followed on 15 November 2024.
And their subsequent world tour brought the group back onto enormous international stages.
But a performance at the Champions League Final represented something slightly different.
This wasn’t an audience consisting entirely of existing LINKIN PARK fans.
There were football supporters from across Europe.
Television viewers who might not usually listen to alternative rock.
Families watching the occasion together.
And millions of people encountering the band in a completely different setting.
That kind of exposure is significant.
It demonstrates how rock music can still command enormous global platforms.
And it offered LINKIN PARK an opportunity to introduce their new line-up to people who might not have followed the band’s return.
Some viewers would have remembered In The End and Numb from the early 2000s.
Others might only recently have discovered The Emptiness Machine.
And some might never have listened to LINKIN PARK before.
For a band rebuilding its live identity, that’s an extraordinary opportunity.
The performance also came shortly before LINKIN PARK’s major headline appearance at London’s Wembley Stadium on 28 June 2025.
So the Munich show formed part of an especially high-profile period in the group’s return to international touring.
And judging by the confidence of their performance, the musicians were embracing those opportunities.
🔥 The Riff Report Verdict – Six Minutes Of Pure Adrenaline!
Let’s get one thing straight.
Six minutes is nowhere near enough LINKIN PARK.
We would have happily watched a full 90-minute set.
Give us Faint.
Give us Papercut.
Give us One Step Closer.
Give us Bleed It Out.
Turn the stadium into a massive rock festival and let the footballers warm up somewhere else!
But that wasn’t the assignment.
The band had a short window to entertain an enormous audience immediately before one of the biggest sporting fixtures in the world.
And within those constraints, they delivered a highly entertaining performance.
The setlist was cleverly chosen.
The Emptiness Machine introduced the new era.
In The End celebrated the band’s breakthrough years.
Numb connected the present with one of their most emotional classics.
And Heavy Is The Crown brought everything to a dramatic conclusion perfectly suited to the occasion.
Armstrong delivered the vocal intensity.
Shinoda provided the familiar presence and musical direction.
The rest of the band supplied the instrumental power.
And the production transformed the stadium into a spectacular visual event.
Was it a complete LINKIN PARK concert?
Of course not.
Would we have preferred full-length performances rather than shortened arrangements?
Absolutely.
But as a six-minute opening spectacle, it was an absolute belter!
And perhaps the most encouraging thing was seeing the band confidently performing on such an enormous international stage.
LINKIN PARK have experienced extraordinary success, terrible loss and enormous change throughout their career.
Their return was never going to be simple.
But performances like this demonstrate that their music continues to have a place on the world’s biggest stages.
And whether you’re a longtime fan who discovered Hybrid Theory back in 2000 or somebody who’s only just started listening to From Zero, there’s plenty to appreciate.
LINKIN PARK aren’t simply looking backwards. They’re building something new.
And at the 2025 Champions League Final, they gave the world another glimpse of that future.
So fair play, lads and lass!
You turned a football stadium into a rock concert.
You delivered four massive songs in six minutes.
And you reminded millions of viewers why heavy guitars, pounding drums and enormous choruses belong on the biggest stages in entertainment.
Absolutely cracking stuff, butt! 🐉🤘🔥
📺 Watch LINKIN PARK’s Full Champions League Final Performance!
Missed it when it first aired?
Or fancy watching the entire spectacle again?
The band’s official YouTube channel has published the complete approximately six-minute performance.
🎬 WATCH LINKIN PARK – 2025 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL KICK OFF SHOW
You can also watch the performance through the official UEFA website.
⚽ WATCH THE PERFORMANCE ON UEFA.COM
Turn the volume up, get comfortable and enjoy.
Just be careful if you’re watching on the living-room television.
One minute you’re enjoying a little LINKIN PARK.
The next you’re headbanging so enthusiastically that you’ve frightened the dog and knocked your cup of tea across the sofa!
💬 Have Your Say, Riff Report Crew!
Right then, butt, we want to hear from you!
Did you watch LINKIN PARK perform at the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final?
What did you think of Emily Armstrong’s vocals?
Did the combination of classic material and new songs work for you?
And should UEFA invite more rock and metal bands to perform at future Champions League finals?
Here’s an even better question.
If you could choose ANY rock or metal band to headline the next Champions League opening ceremony, who would you pick?
METALLICA?
IRON MAIDEN?
SLIPKNOT?
BRING ME THE HORIZON?
Or perhaps one of our own Welsh heavyweights like BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE or SKINDRED?
Get involved in the comments and let us know!
Because one thing’s for certain.
Football might bring home the trophies, but rock music brings the bloody noise! ⚽🔥🤘
Keep the riffs massive, the volume loud and those horns held high, butt! 🐉🎸
Fact-check: The date, venue, four-song medley and special football remix were verified against UEFA, LINKIN PARK’s official performance, Kerrang!, NME and Revolver. The 5–0 result was checked against UEFA’s official match report. UEFA.com +6
