Floor Jansen has left Nightwish. The Finnish symphonic metal band announced the split in a short statement, calling it a mutual decision reached “after careful consideration” and ending her 13 years as the band’s official singer. Nightwish will continue and plans to enter the studio in 2027 to record a new album, but has not named a new singer.
Why did Floor Jansen leave Nightwish?
Neither side gave a detailed reason. The statement says the decision is “necessary and important to us and our future ambitions,” and that both sides will now pursue those goals separately. There is no suggestion of a falling-out: “We wish each other nothing but the very best on our respective artistic journeys,” the band wrote.
The timing points to diverging paths. Jansen announced her second solo album, Hytress, in August 2026, along with a 2027 tour of Europe and South America, and that it will get her full attention.
What did Nightwish say about Floor Jansen leaving?
The band’s statement is brief and warm. It closes the Floor Jansen era with a line aimed straight at the fans:
“For you, dear listener, and indeed for us, this marks the end of a truly great voyage.”
It then turns to the future, framing the change as part of the band’s 30th anniversary: “Nightwish will continue. We will move forward and enter the studio in 2027 to record a new album. As we celebrate 30 years of Nightwish, we couldn’t be more excited about our music and our future.” The full statement is at the end of this article.
The announcement also overturns something Tuomas Holopainen once said. Back in 2022, Blabbermouth noted that he had said Nightwish would end if Jansen ever left. Instead, the band is carrying on.
Floor Jansen’s Nightwish legacy
Jansen first joined Nightwish as a touring vocalist in October 2012, stepping in for Anette Olzon partway through the Imaginaerum World Tour. The band named her its permanent singer on 9 October 2013. She went on to front three studio albums, and her ability to sing every era of the catalogue, from operatic Tarja-era songs to Anette’s rock material, made her the band’s longest-serving singer.
Her time in the band also included its hardest stretch. In October 2022 she went public with her breast cancer diagnosis, found during a routine mammogram. She had surgery the next day and announced she was cancer-free in November 2022, just as Nightwish’s European tour was getting under way.
She stayed busy outside the band, too. She teamed up with Tobias Sammet for an Avantasia single on A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society, released her debut solo album Paragon in 2023, and in 2025 sang “We’ll Never Know,” the emotional centrepiece of Arjen Lucassen’s solo album Songs No One Will Hear. Before Nightwish, she fronted After Forever and ReVamp.
What’s next for Nightwish: new album 2027 and tour plans
Nightwish plans to start recording its eleventh studio album, the follow-up to Yesterwynde, in May 2027. In August, Holopainen said he had already written seven songs and felt “more inspired than ever.”
No Nightwish tour dates for 2027 have been announced. Holopainen said he wants “to do another album before any live shows,” and called touring next year “too early,” which points to 2028 for a full tour. Troy Donockley has floated some live work around the 30th anniversary in 2027, with no firm plans. The band has not played a concert in more than three years.
Before then, fans get one more release from the Floor era. The 30th anniversary collection The Greatest 30 Years On Earth arrives on 11 December via Nuclear Blast. It includes live footage from the 2022 Amsterdam arena show and the 2023 Kitee homecoming, plus a documentary about Holopainen.
What’s next for Floor Jansen: Hytress album and tour
Jansen’s second solo album, Hytress, comes out on 15 January 2027 via REVAMP Music / Warner Music. The 12-track record is led by the single “Bring Me Silence.”
The Hytress tour runs from 14 January to 13 February 2027, with nine club shows in Antwerp, Paris, London, Pratteln, Prague, Warsaw, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Tilburg. South American dates are planned too.
Who will be the new Nightwish singer? Our predictions!
Nightwish has not announced a new vocalist, and nothing below is confirmed. These are Altnote’s predictions, based on who is already in the band’s orbit and what the people involved have said in public.
| Candidate | Connection to Nightwish | Altnote’s prediction |
|---|---|---|
| A new, lesser-known singer | The route the band took in 2007 | Most likely |
| Johanna Kurkela | Tuomas Holopainen’s wife, singer in Auri | Possible |
| Troy Donockley (more lead vocals) | Band member since 2013 | Possible, alongside a new singer |
| Anette Olzon | Nightwish singer 2007–2012 | Unlikely |
| Tarja Turunen | Original singer, 1996–2005 | Very unlikely |
Prediction: Nightwish Gets a New Voice
History favours a fresh face. After Tarja Turunen’s exit in October 2005, Nightwish took until May 2007 to introduce Anette Olzon. With studio work set for 2027, a new singer could be revealed during the recording cycle, well before any return to the road.
Prediction: Johanna Kurkela, Tuomas Holopainen’s wife
Johanna Kurkela is a Finnish singer and violinist who has been married to Tuomas Holopainen since 2015. She already fronts Auri, the band she shares with Holopainen and Nightwish’s Troy Donockley. Auri has released three albums, most recently III – Candles & Beginnings in August 2025, with Nightwish drummer Kai Hahto on drums. That means three of Nightwish’s five remaining members have already made records with her.
The case against: Kurkela’s voice is soft and folk-leaning. Nightwish’s live set demands Tarja’s operatic songs, Anette’s pop-rock material and Floor’s full range. She is a natural guest on a new album, but a full-time front-woman role would be a big stylistic shift.
Prediction: Anette Olzon returns
Anette Olzon sang on Dark Passion Play (2007) and Imaginaerum (2011). In summer 2026 she toured Europe with a 22-date run built around her Nightwish era, and she has said she holds no resentment towards the band. A return isn’t impossible, but going back to a former singer would cut against the band’s “move forward” message.
Prediction: a Tarja Turunen return to Nightwish?
Fans have been searching for a Tarja reunion for years. It is also the least likely outcome. Nightwish dismissed her in 2005 with an open letter. In September 2026, Holopainen told Metal Hammer: “It was a divorce, and an ugly one at that.” On a reunion with Tarja, he said: “That’s not gonna happen.” Tarja, for her part, said in 2022 that she “can’t really close any doors” but that a return “would be unlikely to happen.”
Nightwish singers in order
Nightwish has had three lead singers in 30 years. Floor Jansen was the longest-serving of them.
| Years | Singer | Studio albums with Nightwish |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 onward | To be announced | New album recording from 2027 |
| 2012–2026 | Floor Jansen (touring from 2012, official member from 2013) | Endless Forms Most Beautiful (2015), Human. :II: Nature.(2020), Yesterwynde (2024) |
| 2007–2012 | Anette Olzon | Dark Passion Play (2007), Imaginaerum (2011) |
| 1996–2005 | Tarja Turunen | Angels Fall First (1997) through Once (2004), five albums |
Source: Nightwish on Wikipedia.
Nightwish and Floor Jansen: FAQ
Is Floor Jansen still with Nightwish?
No. Nightwish and Floor Jansen announced on 15 October 2026 that they are parting ways by mutual agreement.
Who is the new Nightwish singer?
Nightwish has not announced a new singer. Altnote predicts a new, lesser-known vocalist, with Johanna Kurkela of Auri as an outside possibility. Neither is confirmed.
Why did Floor Jansen leave Nightwish?
The band called the split mutual and “necessary and important” for both sides’ future ambitions. Jansen is focusing on her solo album Hytress and its 2027 tour.
Is Tarja coming back to Nightwish?
Very unlikely. In September 2026, Tuomas Holopainen said a reunion with Tarja Turunen is “not gonna happen.”
Is Nightwish breaking up?
No. The band said “Nightwish will continue” and will record a new album in 2027.
When is the new Nightwish album coming out?
Recording starts in May 2027. No release date has been announced.
Is Nightwish touring in 2027?
No tour dates have been announced. Holopainen wants to finish the new album before playing live, which points to 2028.
Who are the Nightwish singers in order?
Tarja Turunen (1996–2005), Anette Olzon (2007–2012) and Floor Jansen (2012–2026). The next singer has not been announced.
Who is Johanna Kurkela?
A Finnish singer, married to Tuomas Holopainen since 2015. She fronts Auri with Holopainen and Troy Donockley.
When is Floor Jansen’s Hytress tour?
14 January to 13 February 2027, with nine European club shows. Hytress is released on 15 January 2027.
Nightwish’s full statement on Floor Jansen
After careful consideration, we have, in mutual agreement, decided to part ways. This decision is necessary and important to us and our future ambitions. Thus, we will now pursue those goals in our own separate ways. We wish each other nothing but the very best on our respective artistic journeys.
For you, dear listener, and indeed for us, this marks the end of a truly great voyage.
Nightwish will continue. We will move forward and enter the studio in 2027 to record a new album. As we celebrate 30 years of Nightwish, we couldn’t be more excited about our music and our future.
– Nightwish
