Benedetta

Hello Anneke and welcome on FemMetal! How are you doing? 


Anneke van Giersbergen

Very good, thank you!

Benedetta

On November 13th, you will perform your intimate solo set at Santeria Toscana 31 in Milan, but in May 2026, you completely fired up the Live Club in Trezzo for the 30th anniversary of “Mandylion”. How does it feel to offer Italian fans two completely different, yet equally intense, sides of your artistry in the same year?


Anneke van Giersbergen

This November, I’ll be on stage with eight musicians, so it won’t exactly be a solo set, although the overall setting will be much more intimate. I enjoy having variety in my life anyway, so I absolutely love the contrast between the reunion shows with The Gathering and my concerts as a solo artist.


Benedetta

What is your very first memory of performing in Italy, and how has your relationship with the fans there evolved over the decades? 


Anneke van Giersbergen

I can’t remember the exact moment, but it was probably during the many tours we did in the 1990s. It felt like we were constantly on the road back then. I still remember performing on stage in Rome while I was pregnant in 2005. That was a very special experience. Italian fans have always been among the most passionate in Europe. I absolutely love being in Italy. I feel that my connection with Italian fans has always remained strong, right up to the present day. 


Benedetta

If you could travel back in time, what is the most important piece of advice you would give to the young Anneke of the early 1990s?


Anneke van Giersbergen

Take better care of your health! I’ve toured so much and pushed myself beyond my physical limits so many times. Sometimes you feel like you have to accept an impossible (traveling) schedule because everything seems important, but your health should always come first. A successful career is a marathon, not a sprint.


Benedetta

With 2026 being such a demanding and relentless year, how do you recharge your mental and vocal energy between your solo commitments and major shows with The Gathering?


Anneke van Giersbergen

Mainly by living a very boring life, haha. Eating healthy and getting as much sleep as possible. That’s not always easy when you’re on tour. I’m lucky that my voice is naturally quite stable, but touring can still be challenging. Air conditioning in particular is really bad for my voice. It’s also about not worrying about it too much. Just living as healthily as possible and, well… just sing!
 I allow myself one night on every tour to loosen the reins a little, but apart from that, I usually go to bed while the rest of the band is still heading out into town. That’s the fate of a singer.


Benedetta

Once this autumn tour wraps up, what lies on the horizon? Will you be diving straight into writing a new solo album, or do you have other parallel projects cooking? 


Anneke van Giersbergen

In January, we’ll wrap up The Gathering tour with a show at one of the largest and most prestigious concert venues in the Netherlands. Not long afterwards, I’ll embark on a series of around 40 seated concerts across the Netherlands, with Irish music taking center stage. In the meantime, we’re working hard on the third installment of my Trilogy “La Vie, La Mort, L’Amour”, which is due for release towards the end of 2027.



Benedetta

To wrap things up, is there a special message you would like to send to your European readers who are counting down the days to see you back on stage? 


Anneke van Giersbergen

I can’t wait to hit the road this autumn with my 8-piece solo band. It’s been around 10 years since I last did a proper tour with my own band, so it was definitely time. I’m really looking forward to seeing and meeting many of you at the shows. Thank you!