Jansen will now focus on her solo career with a new album arriving next year
Finnish symphonic metal giants Nightwish have announced that they are parting ways with longtime vocalist Floor Jansen, bringing an end to one of the most successful and celebrated chapters in the band’s 30-year history. The shocking announcement came on Thursday, October 15, confirming that the Dutch singer and the band have mutually agreed to go their separate ways after nearly 14 years together. Jansen, who first joined Nightwish as a touring vocalist in 2012 before becoming an official member in 2013, helped usher in a new era for the Finnish metal powerhouse, recording three studio albums and performing for massive audiences around the world. Her departure marks another major transition for Nightwish, which has now parted ways with all three of their longtime female lead vocalists over the course of their career.
In a statement released through social media, Nightwish confirmed that the decision was reached after considerable thought and reflected the future artistic ambitions of both parties. The band described the separation as necessary for their respective futures and wished Jansen success in her musical endeavors. Addressing their fans, Nightwish characterized the split as the conclusion of an extraordinary journey, while emphasizing that the group has no intention of calling it quits. Instead, founding keyboardist and principal songwriter Tuomas Holopainen and his bandmates plan to return to the studio in 2027 to begin recording Nightwish’s eleventh studio album. The announcement arrives as the group celebrates its 30th anniversary, making Jansen’s departure particularly significant for fans who have come to associate her powerful voice and commanding stage presence with the band’s modern identity.
“After careful consideration, we have, in mutual agreement, decided to part ways. This decision is necessary and important to us and our future ambitions. Thus, we will now pursue those goals in our own separate ways. We wish each other nothing but the very best on our respective artistic journeys. For you, dear listener, and indeed for us, this marks the end of a truly great voyage. Nightwish will continue. We will move forward and enter the studio in 2027 to record a new album. As we celebrate 30 years of Nightwish, we couldn’t be more excited about our music and our future.”
Jansen also issued a personal statement acknowledging the emotional weight of the decision while expressing optimism about her future. Although she described the separation as difficult, she emphasized that the conclusion of her time with Nightwish would allow her to concentrate fully on her solo career. Her second solo album, Hytress, is scheduled for release in January 2027, with touring plans already taking shape. The album follows her 2023 solo debut, Paragon, which demonstrated her ability to reach audiences outside the symphonic metal world. Neither Jansen nor Nightwish has publicly detailed any specific disagreements behind the split, and both have presented the decision as mutual.
“Endings create new beginnings, and even though it was a hard decision to make, I believe there is a bright musical journey ahead of me. I invite you to follow along on this path, as you were with me in all the great years before. Thank you for your support through the rollercoasters of life. My solo career will now get all of my attention and gives my new upcoming album Hytress (out 2027) and the tour all space to grow. Hope to meet you on the road again in a near and happy future. With love and respect, Floor.”
Jansen’s history with Nightwish began under extraordinary circumstances in the fall of 2012. The band was in the middle of its world tour supporting the 2011 album Imaginaerum when it abruptly separated from then-vocalist Anette Olzon. Facing the possibility of canceling scheduled performances, Nightwish turned to Jansen, who had already established herself as one of symphonic metal’s most accomplished singers through her work with After Forever and ReVamp. With very little preparation time, she stepped into the role and made her Nightwish concert debut on October 1, 2012, at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle, Washington. Despite the difficult circumstances, Jansen immediately impressed audiences with her remarkable vocal range, ability to handle both operatic passages and aggressive metal vocals, and natural chemistry with the musicians. She completed the remaining touring commitments and was officially announced as Nightwish’s permanent lead vocalist in October 2013, alongside multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley. Her arrival provided much-needed stability following the band’s turbulent transitions from original vocalist Tarja Turunen in 2005 and Olzon in 2012.
One of the defining moments of Jansen’s early tenure came with Nightwish’s performance at the 2013 Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. Performing before an enormous festival audience, the band delivered a career-spanning set that demonstrated just how naturally Jansen had integrated into the group. The concert was documented on the live album and concert film Showtime, Storytime, released later that year. Her performances of Nightwish classics such as “Ghost Love Score,” “Ever Dream,” “Storytime,” and “Last Ride of the Day” quickly became fan favorites, with her rendition of the epic “Ghost Love Score” emerging as one of the most celebrated live performances in the band’s history. The concert helped establish Jansen as far more than a temporary replacement, proving that she could honor the band’s earlier material while bringing her own distinctive personality and power to the songs.
Nightwish entered an ambitious new creative period with the release of Endless Forms Most Beautiful in March 2015, Jansen’s first studio album with the band. Inspired heavily by evolutionary biology, science, and the natural world, the record showcased the group’s increasingly cinematic arrangements and expansive songwriting. Tracks such as “Élan,” “Shudder Before the Beautiful,” “My Walden,” and the sprawling, 24-minute “The Greatest Show on Earth” became defining moments of the Jansen era. The album was a major international success, reaching the Top 10 in numerous countries, including No. 1 in Finland and No. 2 in Germany. The accompanying world tour took Nightwish to major venues and festivals across Europe, North America, and beyond, further strengthening their reputation as one of symphonic metal’s premier live acts. Their sold-out December 2015 performance at London’s Wembley Arena became another milestone and was documented as part of the 2016 live release Vehicle of Spirit.
The band’s momentum continued throughout the second half of the decade. In 2018, Nightwish embarked on its ambitious Decades: World Tour, celebrating its extensive catalog by revisiting material from different periods of its career, including songs that had rarely been performed in years. Jansen’s versatility was particularly important to the success of the tour, as she effortlessly interpreted songs originally recorded by both Turunen and Olzon while maintaining her own distinctive vocal identity. The tour produced another live release, Decades: Live in Buenos Aires, documenting the band’s powerful performance in Argentina. That same year, Nightwish was honored with a place on Finland’s Walk of Fame, recognizing its enormous contributions to the country’s musical culture and its international success. By this point, Jansen had become an integral part of Nightwish’s identity, helping the group remain one of the most recognizable and influential names in symphonic metal.
In April 2020, Nightwish released Human. :II: Nature., their second studio album with Jansen and ninth overall. The ambitious double album continued Holopainen’s exploration of humanity, science, nature, and existence, combining progressive metal arrangements with orchestral compositions and elaborate vocal harmonies. Songs such as “Noise,” “Harvest,” “Shoemaker,” and “Pan” highlighted the band’s musical evolution, while Jansen delivered some of the most technically demanding performances of her Nightwish career. The album reached No. 1 in both Finland and Germany, reinforcing the band’s international commercial appeal. Although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted conventional touring plans, Nightwish eventually returned to the stage, continuing to perform for enthusiastic audiences across the globe. Jansen also helped the group navigate significant personnel changes, including the departure of longtime bassist and vocalist Marko Hietala in 2021.
Outside Nightwish, Jansen’s popularity continued to grow considerably. Her appearance on the Dutch television program Beste Zangers in 2019 introduced her extraordinary voice to a much wider mainstream audience, particularly through her performance of “The Phantom of the Opera” alongside singer Henk Poort. The collaboration became a sensation among fans and helped raise her profile beyond the metal community. In 2022, Nightwish revisited the song during a sold-out performance at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome, with Poort joining Jansen onstage for a special rendition. It marked the first time Nightwish had performed the song with Jansen, and the first time the band had played it live in 17 years. The moment was especially meaningful given the song’s longstanding association with Nightwish’s original vocalist, Tarja Turunen. Jansen’s growing recognition as a solo performer also culminated in the release of Paragon in 2023, demonstrating that she had established a substantial audience independent of Nightwish.
However, the final years of Jansen’s tenure were marked by a significant shift in Nightwish’s activities. In April 2023, the band announced that it would be taking an indefinite break from live performances following the conclusion of its existing touring commitments. Its final concert before the hiatus took place at Norway’s Tons of Rock festival in June 2023. The group subsequently confirmed that it would not tour in support of its next studio album, an unusual decision for a band that had built much of its international reputation through extensive touring. Nevertheless, Nightwish continued working on new music, eventually releasing Yesterwynde in September 2024. The album, the third and ultimately final studio recording featuring Jansen, included songs such as “Perfume of the Timeless,” “The Day of…,” “An Ocean of Strange Islands,” and “The Antikythera Mechanism.” Its intricate compositions, elaborate orchestration, and sweeping themes about time, memory, and human existence represented another ambitious artistic statement from Holopainen and his collaborators. With no accompanying tour, however, fans never had the opportunity to experience much of the material performed live by Jansen and the band.
Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of Jansen’s departure is that Holopainen had previously suggested Nightwish would not continue without her. In a 2021 interview with Metal Hammer, conducted following Hietala’s departure, the keyboardist indicated that losing Jansen would represent the end of the band. At the time, he emphasized how essential she had become to Nightwish’s future, even as the group had already survived several major lineup changes. Five years later, the band’s announcement makes it clear that Holopainen has reconsidered that position, with Nightwish now preparing to enter the studio in 2027 without the singer who had fronted the group for nearly half of its existence. No replacement vocalist has been announced, leaving fans to speculate about what direction the band will take next.
Ultimately, Floor Jansen’s nearly 14-year association with Nightwish stands as one of the most significant periods in the band’s history. Arriving during a time of uncertainty, she helped restore stability and confidence to a group that had already experienced two highly publicized vocalist departures. Over the course of three studio albums, multiple live releases, extensive world tours, and countless memorable performances, she became one of the defining voices of modern symphonic metal. Her remarkable vocal abilities allowed Nightwish to revisit its celebrated past while continuing to pursue increasingly ambitious musical ideas. Although her departure closes an important chapter for the Finnish metal veterans, the accomplishments of the Jansen era have secured her place in the band’s legacy. As Nightwish prepares to move forward with another chapter and Jansen turns her attention toward her solo career, both face uncertain but potentially exciting futures. For fans around the world, however, the music and performances they created together will remain a lasting testament to one of symphonic metal’s most successful partnerships.