On August 18th, Deftones brought their Berlin show to Parkbühne Wuhlheide, the city’s second-largest open-air amphitheater. Deftones sold out the 17,000-capacity venue, and wherever you looked, there were people. Every corner of the pit was packed, the seats were filled from top to bottom, and some fans even stood along the staircases.
With Ecca Vandal and Turnstile opening, the night was a perfect cooldown to the hot summer Germany had been experiencing. To ensure all attendees made it in time for the show, doors opened at four in the afternoon, leaving plenty of time for Ecca Vandal’s set to kick off at six in the evening.
Now, I did not just travel to Germany to attend this show, even though I had done that last year for a concert on my birthday. This show came onto my radar while I was planning my year abroad as an au pair in Hamburg. Seeing that Turnstile was one of the openers for Deftones, I knew I needed to see my Baltimore, MD neighbors. I told my host family I did not have to go if scheduling became an issue, but we made it work.
Ecca Vandal Opens the Night
Ecca Vandal opened the show with the perfect mix of her slow and fast tracks, making the start of the night feel like a rollercoaster. Her vocals carried the anticipation of climbing that first massive hill. Then, just as you reached the top, her screams sent you over the edge. The drums, bass and guitar came in like the sharp turns, sudden drops and bumps that send you flying down the other side.
In a genre that can still feel male-dominated, Ecca Vandal made sure the girls got their representation. Midway through her set she paused to ask the crowd where all the girls were at, and at first the response was a bit quiet. But once she asked again, all the girlies really jumped up and made sure their energy was known.
The crowd seemed to be saving some of its energy for Deftones, but by Ecca Vandal’s second song, a small mosh pit had formed next to me. Playing hits from her newest album, LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO UNFOLLOW, her fans were there to sing along. For the others who may not have known her, they likely left the show adding her songs to their playlists.
Honestly, I only knew her track, “Cruising to Self Soothe” thanks to some playlist recommendations. After hearing it live and seeing the rest of her set, I’ll definitely be adding more Ecca Vandal tracks to my rotation.
Turnstile Turns Up the Pit
After a quick 20 minute change over, it was time for Turnstile to kick the energy up a notch. Opening with the title track from their most recent album, Never Enough, it was clear that Turnstile had a huge pool of their fans at this show, all immediately singing along. At the end of the song, they lit up the screen behind them with their iconic multicolored block image.
As Turnstile moved into some older tracks, the moshing intensified. It got so crazy that you needed to keep your eyes on the sky for the endless crowd surfers flying across the crowd.
Turnstile had played Berlin just last fall, in November 2025, so plenty of returning fans were ready for another live set before the Deftones Berlin crowd took over. Their ability to blend songs from across their discography made the set work for longtime and newer fans alike.
Ending the night with “Blackout” from Glow On, singer Brendan Yates asked the crowd to lift their friends up and put them on their shoulders so he could really see all the ecstatic fans. That request then transitioned into more crowd surfing, with a few fans even ending up on stage for the closing song, “Birds,” from Never Enough. The set ended, and all of the sweaty fans from the pit made their way to concessions to recharge with water, beer, and a quick snack before it was time for Deftones to take the stage.
Deftones Take Over Berlin
Four and a half hours after the doors first opened, it was finally time for Deftones to play. As soon as the changeover was finished and the final line checks began, fans were already cheering for them to walk on stage.
The saxophones really could not get any louder as the viral musical cue from the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood blasted through the venue. This created quite the suspenseful entrance before starting their set with the hit classic song, “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away).” As one of my personal favorites from their discography, hearing it immediately hit me with another rush of energy
Deftones’ fanbase now spans generations, from OG fans who grew up with them in the ’90s to younger listeners who yearn for that era. The band even played their track “Risk” from the album Diamond Eyes for the first time since 2011.
For a moment, during the track “my mind is a mountain,” the lights flashed to bright green, showcasing clips of the famous white snake from their latest album release, Private Music, on the big screen. The band knew how to engage with all parts of the crowd. Lead vocalist, Chino Moreno, was running back and forth from each end of the stage engaging with both sides of the pit. He even had a staircase in the middle of the stage that allowed him to tower above the crowd.
With most of my energy spent during Turnstile’s set, I made my way into the seated area at the top of the amphitheater. Even at that distance, the sound surrounding the venue made it feel like I was still standing in the front row. And although it was a seated area, everyone was standing. From the front of the stage all the way to the back, people were still moving and moshing all night long. Everyone was headbanging—no one was still.
I think for most people it was quite an iconic show to attend. I mean how many can say that they’ve seen Deftones live unless you were a true follower during their rise to fame in the 1990/2000s? For most of the younger fans and even the original fans who never got the chance to see them during that rise, this show was truly a special experience.
Deftones playing both their new and classic hits for over an hour was something everyone in attendance will remember. And what better way to close out the summer than screaming along to arguably their biggest hit, “My Own Summer (Shove It)”?
With Deftones continuing their tour through Europe before hitting festivals back in the States this fall, we definitely recommend catching this lineup if you can. Music may live forever, but there is no guarantee your favorite bands will always be playing live. Getting to experience Deftones alongside 17,000 fans, from longtime listeners to a younger generation discovering them decades into their career, made the night feel especially significant. Some shows simply have to be experienced in person, and this was one of them.