Linkin Park – Target Center – Minneapolis MN – August 27th 2025

Live Nation presents Linkin Park on August 27th 2025

Review and photos by Kyle Hansen

Linkin Park’s return to the Target Center wasn’t just a concert — it felt like a collective exhale. The band, now fronted by Emily Armstrong alongside longtime co-vocalist Mike Shinoda, delivered a tightly crafted, emotionally raw performance that honored their past while pushing fearlessly into new territory.

The show opened with “Somewhere I Belong,” a poignant throwback that instantly connected with the crowd, followed by “Points of Authority” and “Crawling,” with Armstrong adding a fresh intensity to the vocals. Her performance didn’t try to replace Chester Bennington — instead, she reinterpreted the classics with reverence and fire.

The band’s new material, especially “The Emptiness Machine” and “Up From the Bottom,” showcased a darker, more industrial tone — but it still carried the signature Linkin Park emotional punch. Shinoda took center stage often, rapping with renewed urgency, especially on “When They Come for Me” and “Bleed It Out.”

Fans welcomed the new tracks but responded with thunderous energy to staples like “In the End,” “Numb,” and “What I’ve Done.” Armstrong’s harmonies with Shinoda added a new dimension to these classics — familiar, yet reimagined.

Though still relatively new to the band, Emily Armstrong now feels like an integral part of the lineup. She commanded the stage with presence, range, and emotion, especially during “Faint” and the haunting “Let You Fade,” a new track that felt like a tribute to Chester. She didn’t mimic — she transformed, bringing her own grit and grace to the legacy while blending seamlessly into the band’s sonic DNA.

The stage production was sharp but not excessive: a minimalist industrial setup with massive LED panels that pulsed in sync with the beat. Emotional visual montages during songs like “Castle of Glass” and “One More Light” left many in the crowd visibly moved.

The energy in the arena was electric, but there was also an undertone of healing. Whether it was intentional or not, the night felt like a journey from grief to renewal.

Final Verdict

Rating: 9.5/10
Linkin Park’s Target Center show was a triumph — not just of music, but of resilience. The band is not only still relevant; they’re reinventing themselves with purpose. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, this was more than a concert. It was a chapter in a story that continues to grow, evolve, and inspire.