Photostory: Sabaton / Savatage / Epica

The final day of Release Athens 2026 at Plateia Nerou was one that will be remembered for a long time to come.

Epica opened the evening, with the Dutch pioneers of symphonic metal delivering an outstanding set to the devoted following they have built in Greece. “Cry for the Moon” and “Beyond the Matrix”, which brought their performance to a close, stood out among the many highlights of their show.

Few words can truly capture what the return of Savatage to Athens, after so many years, meant to the thousands of fans who gathered at Plateia Nerou. The day’s co-headliners delivered a set that celebrated every era of their remarkable career, but if one moment had to stand above the rest -despite classics such as “Sirens”, “Gutter Ballet”, “Edge of Thorns” and “Hall of the Mountain King”- it was undoubtedly the haunting performance of “Believe”, accompanied by footage of Jon Oliva, adding even greater emotional weight to one of metal’s most iconic ballads.

The honour of bringing the festival to a close belonged to Sabaton, whose spectacular performance provided a fitting finale to Release Athens 2026. The Swedish leaders of power metal returned to the festival full of energy and, from the early arrival of “The Red Baron” in the setlist to the frenzy sparked by the closing run of “Primo Victoria”, “Swedish Pagans”, “Coat of Arms” and “To Hell and Back”, showed once again why they have remained at the very top of the scene for so many years.