Music

REVIEW: Linkin Park do Chester proud at record-breaking Spark Arena gig

A smiling performer in a camouflage jacket and baseball cap holds a microphone in one hand and points skyward with the other, on a dark stage with teal lights.

Published by Maia Williamson

19 Mar 2026

Last night, global rock legends Linkin Park returned to New Zealand and didn't just play a show - they smashed Spark Arena’s single-show attendance record right out of the water, with 12,736 tickets sold.

And while the history-making crowd was something else, I’ve come away with a brand-new, very intense girl crush on Emily Armstrong.

Being my first ever rock gig, I didn’t really know what to expect, but whatever I had in mind was exceeded tenfold by the sheer energy and versatility of the performance.

After heavy-metal Kiwi opener Vana lubricated the vocal chords of the loyal crowd, everyone anxiously awaited Linkin Park’s arrival.

The band hit the stage with a massive bang, opening with ‘Somewhere I Belong’.

It was the perfect choice to get 12,700 people on their feet and screaming. Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong’s stage presence was out-the-gate from the jump, sprinting across the stage and entertaining every single corner of the room.

‘Lying From You’ was up next, and ramped things up some more. Shinoda’s stage presence was exemplified here as he rapped, pointing at the crowd who screamed everything right back to him.

The lighting and production took it to another level - lasers blasting into the crowd, strobe lights hitting perfectly on beat, and massive on-screen visuals creating a truly otherworldly experience.

The first of the new music was ‘Up From The Bottom’, where Armstrong really stamped her mark and where I really started to feel a tingle in my toes toward her.

Her vocals were sharp, powerful, and somehow even better live, bouncing around the stage like she had unlimited energy.

When the band reformed after Chester Bennington's tragic death, many fans wondered whether it could even be done without him. While the classics like ‘One Step Closer’ and ‘Points of Authority’ resonated deeply with the crowd, it's clear that Emily Armstrong has opened a completely new chapter and direction with the band, and it was evident last night.

Shinoda took a moment for ‘Where’d You Go’, stripping things right back alongside Armstrong to start things off, and it felt as though everyone was silently paying tribute to Chester.

It was just the two of them, a spotlight, and a crowd hanging on every word. It felt like a quiet nod to the past, without ever needing to spell it out. It eventually exploded into high-level energy, which was fitting.

Just to flip the vibe again, Shinoda jumped into a rapid-fire medley, working the front row, handing his cap to a stunned young fan, and turning a massive arena into something weirdly personal and intimate.

That balance was the magic of the night. One minute, it was lights, noise, and movement. The next, it was stripped back and still.

Although I have been relentlessly praising Emily and Mike, touring guitarist Alex Feder, Joe Hahn, Dave Farrell, and Colain Brittain deserve their flowers too.

Both guitarist Alex Feder and bassist Dave Farrell brought energy relentlessly, working the crowd, constantly moving, and adding to the vibe.

Joe Hahn and Colin Brittain took over for a duo moment, Hahn going to work on the decks while Brittain absolutely tore into the drums. No lyrics, no singalong, just pure magic.

As they started to wrap up, they left nothing to the imagination.

Mike got everyone out of their seats, and let me tell you, there is nothing like being in Spark Arena with 12,700 other people all on their feet, belting their hearts out and clapping along to a phenomenal band like Linkin Park.

I can assure you there were no butts on ANY seat.

‘Numb’ was definitely one of the crowd favourites - with everyone belting the infamous chorus, Emily sprinting back and forth on the stage.

This was followed, and somehow beaten by, ‘In The End’, which was ballistic from the first strum of the guitar - I could feel the ground literally vibrating beneath me.

They pretended to wrap it up here, walking off the stage, but shortly after, they came back for a three-song encore that did not disappoint.

The band was clearly having as much fun as the crowd.

Armstrong dropped a casual “Oi mate” and called New Zealand a “beautiful, beautiful country”, which won us all over.

Both ‘Papercut’ and ‘Heavy is the Crown’ of the encore hit home, and then the night was rounded out with ‘Bleed It Out’.

As Armstrong screamed the final lines, the crowd gave it everything back.

The entire set was two hours of no lulls of filler, but pure musical greatness. I was engaged for every second - smiling, singing, and clapping (and falling in love).

Linkin Park reminded everyone why they are still one of the biggest bands in the world.

Not bad for a first rock gig.