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Helsinki Ice Hall (January 30th, 2026)

Helsingin sanomat is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland. One of its music journalists, Aleksi Kinnunen wrote a wild prediction in his somewhat negative review of the second-to-last Jonas Bjerre live show: “Mew reunion is to be expected within the following six years as a headliner at Roskilde Festival.”

Comebacks are common in music world, sure, but should the inevitable replacement singer at least have a chance first? The remaining Mew members (Johan Wolhlert and Silas Graae, naturally) are certainly cooking up something and if I was to predict, Mew will release their 8th album sometime next year. We already know two songs, the ready-for-studio track Gliding and the Denmark-exclusive Slixxin which should appear on Untitled Mew 8 in some form. How about playing Slixxin in London? I mean, the setlists have been 19 or 20 songs each after the considerably longer Danish shows in the Summer.

Helsinki had 20 songs. The rare addition was Snow Brigade and it was very fitting. There was plenty of snow in Finland. Some autograph-hunters wanted to wait after show, but it would have been nearly two hours in minus 15-20 degrees Celsius. Commendable if you tried. Many frengers were from abroad anyway. What it comes to audiences, these farewell shows have been quite international. The very last one, 3000+ capacity Roundhouse venue in London, will surely be as “foreign” as can be.

On stage, Jonas mentioned that their first ever show in Finland was when they supported Kent back in 2002. That is a fact. It is also a fact that Johan had a good feeling about the total number. Last Summer he was asked how many shows Mew have played in Finland. He said it has to be something like thirty. Yes, correct. This Helsinki concert was Mew’s 31st in Finland, but that number also includes all the times that they supported other bands.

Finns have a reputation of supporting bands by buying their merchandise in huge numbers. The queue was exceptionally long and some of the most in-demand were the older t-shirts that they had recently discovered and brought to Oslo last year and now Helsinki. London will most likely not have them for sale at all, so maybe from a webshop sometime later? ‘Mew 30’ merchandise is – of course – available in the UK too.

In Helsinki hoodies must have sold well, because the temperature INSIDE the venue was only like +10. Pretty cold, but it is an ICE hall after all. Mew have played at this particular venue once before and back in 2009 the concert was completely sold out. This time there were still hundreds of tickets available, but a few thousand fans attended nevertheless. Having your most recent album put out nine years ago definitely is a factor. Ice hall in 2026 was filled with the same frengers than in 2009, but now they were in their forties and fifties. Mew got you addicted in your twenties and you are still here. Devotion and nostalgia… and absolutely understandable.

Compared to that previous ice hall concert – in general – the sound was better this time around. There was a funny technical issue during the show though. Jonas’ microphone could not be heard when he was trying to tell people that during their whole career only three concerts (excluding COVID) have ever been postponed due to illness and two of those just happened to be in Helsinki. Nothing personal, just destiny. As you may know, the third rescheduled one is London (February 5th, 2026). You can see that moment in this video where they play Ay Ay Ay – a fan favourite. During this farewell tour it has been either that or The Wake of Your Life on the setlist.

By the way, there is a pre-show frengers meet-up in London. Starting from 2pm until Mew’s concert venue doors open, at the Camden Club, right across the Roundhouse venue. It’s not a private MewX event this time, but at least we can greet each other there, right?

The elephant in the room…

If I wanna go without you
All this time
We had time to let things crystalize

There’s so much to say about the lyrics of Rows, but surely Ally Winford will talk about that after London show. It will be emotional, for sure.

Text: Tero Heikkinen
Photos: Kimmo Nurminen
More photos here

Setlist: Helsinki Ice Hall
Reprise / Satellites / Special / The Zookeeper’s Boy / Circuitry of the Wolf / Chinaberry Tree / Then I Run / Gliding / Ay Ay Ay / Snow Brigade / Symmetry / 156 / Apocalypso / Saviours of Jazz Ballet / She Spider / Rows / —– / Introducing Palace Players / I Should Have Been a Tsin-Tsi (For You) / Am I Wry? No / Comforting Sounds