When the Folkfest of the North Tour was announced back in October of last year, North American fans knew they were in for some fun. With Korpiklaani and Ensiferum, two of the most prominent names in folk metal, joining forces, the tour was already can’t miss. Adding Trollfest and NiNi to the lineup sweetened the deal even further. The tour kicked off in Boston, MA, in late February before running a lap around Canada and back through the States.
The tour found its finish line in New York at the Brooklyn Monarch on Sunday, March 30th, 2025 with energized fans gathered early in good spirits. The 5:30 PM door time finally arrived, and fans trickled into the venue. While they waited for the bands to take to the stage, many checked out the merch booths. The venue even had its own shop set up with a wide variety of patches, pins, shirts, and more, covering a wide variety of metal genres. Other fans grabbed a drink, some even bringing their own viking horns to drink from.
Opening act NiNi first won over crowds on the 19th season of America’s Got Talent. Judge Simon Cowell’s response said it all: “Anyone would be mad not to immediately put you on tour with them.” Now, in her first-ever tour, NiNi and her group proved Cowell’s praise by winning over the New York crowd with original tracks “Longma” and “Huyao.” Hailing from Taiwan, NiNi showed a true mastery of various Chinese folk instruments, wowing the crowd.
After a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Stop Falling In Love,” she showcased her newest single, “GĀN BĒI.” The song is the perfect entry point for people curious about what NiNi brings to the table and is definitely worth a lookup.
In what would become a theme throughout every set of the night, members of the other acts joined NiNi on stage to throw balloons into the crowd and sing along with her ensemble. It was clear from the opening performance that these four groups loved touring with one another, and these cameos added a fun dynamic throughout the night. While fans were already hooked, the artists took a fun approach to closing their set. They ended with “… Baby One More Time.”
The entire crowd was singing along by the end. After their set, the performers made their way down to their merch table and took photos with fans. A fun touch, the musicians even brought their own polaroid camera to shows while on tour and took photos with crowd members before autographing them for a unique keepsake.
NiNi
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
Fun fact: A group of flamingos is also known as a “flamboyance.” Fitting, as the flamboyantly dressed Trollfest were up next. While the Norwegian folk metal group had been building a following since debuting in 2003, their 2022 release Flamingo Overlord caught the attention of fans worldwide. The hit track, “Dance Like a Pink Flamingo,” got the ensemble all the way through to the Gold Duel round of Norway’s music competition Melodi Grand Prix 2022.
That track would act as the opener for their live show. Trollfest added some fan interaction with the “Kaos Wall of Death” during “Kaptein Kaos,” in which they had half the crowd sit down while the other half stood and cheered, occasionally saying “Switcheroo!” causing the two sides to swap roles.
Vocalist Jostein “Trollmannen” Austvik later informed fans they were on a mission to break the record for the world’s longest conga line. Bassist Böesse Basshöl Nybazist led the crowd throughout the venue, weaving his way through fans as the line grew while the act played “Pina Colada.” Word isn’t back yet if New York in fact broke the record, but the moment was an enjoyable one for sure. After closing with “Helvetes Hunden Garm,” the musicians promised fans they’d meet them by the merch area for photos before leaving the stage covered in pink feathers.
The merch booth also had some sweet deals, which included free autographed hats and other items thrown in with the purchase of every shirt and hoodie. Trollfest is a seriously great group that can’t be taken seriously. It’s easy to get caught up in their music—but even easier to get caught up in their crowd work.
Trollfest
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
Finnish folk metal warriors Ensiferum were the penultimate act of the night. Fans raised inflatable swords into the air, triumphantly welcoming the group to the stage. Probably the most straightforward metal outfit of the four, Ensiferum marched into battle with “Fatherland,” raising devil horns and igniting the crowd into a frenzy. It wasn’t long until the mosh pits opened up, and the first of many crowd surfers began catching waves. Fans banged along to top tracks like “In My Sword I Trust” and “From Afar,” while the newest track, “Victorious,” was a treat in the latter portion of a 14-song setlist.
One of the ensemble’s strongest assets is the way vocals are shared among all members except drummer Janne Parviainen. The remaining four rotate between clean, harsh, and melodic deliveries throughout each track, giving fans a dynamic vocal range across the performance. Ensiferum showcased even more versatility with their closing number, “Two Of Spades.”
As guitarist Petri Lindroos noted before kicking off the track, it mashes together punk, metal, funk, and even a little disco. The venue’s disco ball came into play during the final moments, casting a glittering light over the crowd as the musicians brought their set to a close. Members from the other acts joined in once more, adding to the celebratory vibe.
Ensiferum has more than earned its reputation over the years and continues to impress over three decades later. The group now has some off time before hitting the stage again at the Bangers Open Air festival in Brazil, followed by scattered dates across Europe.
Ensiferum
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
Last for the night would be Korpiklaani. Another group with over three decades of history, the folk-turned-folk metal act, came to the stage determined to close the show in style. Drummer Samuli Mikkonen was first on the stage, standing on his drum throne while raising his drumsticks into the air. The rest of the members soon filed out one by one, with Vocalist Jonne Järvelä taking center stage, beating a hand drum as the outfit opened with “Rankarumpu.”
Soon later, during “Happy Little Boozer,” members from Trollfest joined. Trollfest, now in street clothes and donning beer boxes as hats, sang along with Korpiklaani while proving themselves to be happy little boozers. Korpiklaani took back ownership of the stage as they treated fans to a wide variety of fan favorites and deeper cuts for a wonderfully long set.
Korpiklaani introduced their newest song, “Kalmisto,” halfway through the set. The Finnish metal legends also released a music video for the track just last month. The group also showed off their charisma by sharing tales and humoring the crowd between tracks. By the time they were winding down the setlist, they had the audience fully under their control. The crowd was buzzing when the musicians served up the songs “Tequila” and “Vodka” to close out the night in style. Capping off the night, all four bands flooded the stage to take a group photo with the crowd behind them.
The end of a tour usually sees acts in a celebratory mood as friendships were made and strengthened throughout the months-long journey. These performers looked like a close-knit family as they all saluted the crowd one last time. Korpiklaani is wasting little time before starting up a European tour that starts on April 10th in their homeland of Finland before heading into Germany and beyond.
For now, days after the tour has ended, some fans and members might still be getting over the hangover from what was one hell of a tour. This run was a raging party, plain and simple. A joyful, celebratory and at times very humorous party. It’s doubtful a single fan would balk at the thought of all four of these bands once again joining forces to run this tour all over again next year but for now fans of each will have to hope another US tour is announced sooner rather than later.
Korpiklaani
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
