Live Review: Laibach - Leipzig 2026

Täubchenthal, Leipzig, Germany
2nd June 2026
Laibach - “Musick Tour 2026”

The Slovenian art collective LAIBACH returned to Leipzig as part of their current “Musick Tour 2026”, presenting a performance that differed noticeably from their previous appearances.

Founded in 1980 in Trbovlje, LAIBACH are known for their work with totalitarian symbolism, Industrial aesthetics and conceptual stage productions. With their new album ‘Musick’, released in May 2026, the band introduces a surprisingly bright, Pop‑infused surface without abandoning their fundamental artistic approach. As Ivan Novak emphasised in recent interviews, LAIBACH use the language of Pop not as a retreat, but as a strategy to expose the mechanisms that shape contemporary culture. https://www.laibach.org



Music & Performance
LAIBACH opened the evening with several tracks from their new album ‘Musick’, which sounded even clearer, more electronic and more rhythm‑driven live than on the studio recording. The band delivered a controlled and precise performance, focusing on structured beats, distinct melodies and a noticeably bright visual aesthetic. The pop‑leaning surface was not a break with their past, but rather a deliberate extension of LAIBACH’s established artistic vocabulary.



A central element of the concert was the digital integration of the guest musicians featured on the album. The large LED screen displayed Wiyaala (‘Musick’, ‘Allgorhythm’), Donna Marina Mårtensson (‘Singularity’, ‘Yes Maybe No’), Senidah (‘Love Machine’) and Manca Trampuš (‘Keep It Reel’). Their vocals and video sequences were synchronised with the live performance, giving the concert a hybrid character somewhere between traditional show and multimedia installation.



In the middle part of the evening, the band combined new material with selected cover versions and pieces from their earlier repertoire. These older songs were not performed in their original Industrial or Martial style, but adapted to the clear, electronic sound of the new album. The LAIBACH medley stood out in particular, as it referenced familiar motifs from the band’s history while presenting them in a modern, pop‑electronic form. This created an audible bridge between past and present without breaking the aesthetic framework of the evening.



The final section of the concert shifted into a calmer, more atmospheric direction. Tracks such as ‘Yes Maybe No’, ‘Singularity’ and ‘Das göttliche Kind’ felt introspective and highlighted the band’s new, controlled sonic language. The visuals were colourful, at times surreal, echoing recent interview statements in which LAIBACH describe their current approach as less about “celebrating the groove” and more about “interrogating the mechanism behind it”.



The audience at Täubchenthal responded with focused attention. LAIBACH concerts are rarely straightforward celebrations; they function more like audiovisual works that invite observation and reflection. The sound was clear and powerful, the visuals precisely coordinated, and the band once again demonstrated that every tour is built on a completely new concept. Anyone attending a LAIBACH show knows: expectations are best left at the door - because it will always be different from the last time.

Setlist
01. Intro
02. Musick
03. Musick Pt.2
04. Fluid Emancipation
05. Love Machine
06. Love on the Beat
07. Resistencia
08. Keep it Reel
09. #Us
10. Allgorhythm
11. Laibach Medley
12. Yes Maybe No
13. Singularity
14. Das göttliche Kind
15. Make your own Kind of Music

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All Pictures by Silvio Pfeifer