Two-time Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer has officially detailed the setlist architecture for his massive global arena production, Hans Zimmer Live: The Next Level.
Spanning four decades of landmark cinema scoring, the production moves away from traditional concert hall seating to deliver a continuous, high-octane suite format. The setlist merges heavy synth rock, industrial percussion, and full orchestral arrangements into a continuous audiovisual experience.
Four Decades of Blockbuster Score Architecture
Designed alongside long-time musical collaborators, vocalists, and a 19-piece live band, the tour's running order groups his most iconic Hollywood scores into dedicated thematic suites:
- The Modern Sci-Fi Blockbusters: The show heavily features expansive suites from Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and Dune: Part Two, alongside Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar—including high-intensity live renditions of "Day One," "Murph," and "S.T.A.Y."
- The Superhero & Action Epics: The setlist bridges gritty string arrangements and booming brass from Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy ("Like a Dog Chasing Cars," "Why So Serious?") with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel and the driving main theme from Brad Pitt's upcoming F1 racing film.
- Classic Hollywood Milestones: Legacy cinema forms a core pillar of the production, anchoring peak moments with vocalists performing suites from Gladiator ("Now We Are Free"), The Lion King ("Circle of Life" featuring long-time collaborator Lebo M), and the chaotic swashbuckling percussion of Pirates of the Caribbean ("The Kraken," "He's a Pirate").
- The Mind-Bending Finale: The show regularly builds toward its climax with Christopher Nolan’s Inception, closing on the soaring, emotional progression of "Time" as the ultimate encore piece.
Redefining Film Score Live Experiences
By reimagining cue-based film scores as extended arena-rock compositions, Zimmer continues to blur the line between classical film music and stadium-scale entertainment.
"My goal has always been to reinvent what a film music concert can be," Zimmer noted on the tour's vision. "We aren't just sitting back playing to film clips—we are tearing these scores apart and rebuilding them live on stage with full energy, light, and bass that you can physically feel."
With dates running across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America through 2027, The Next Level cements Zimmer’s catalog as one of the most commercially viable live-touring franchises in modern entertainment.
