Hans Zimmer Barclays Center concert review: Set list, tickets
Hans Zimmer is an unlikely rock star.
For those unfamiliar with his bona fides, the celebrated 67-year-old German composer made his name conducting sublime operatic scores for blockbusters like “The Dark Knight,” “Dune,” “James Bond” and literally hundreds of other films. His exemplary work has netted him a pair of Oscars, five Grammys and even led to an offer to update Saudi Arabia’s National Anthem.
So, when Zimmer announced he was embarking on a North American arena tour in March 2024, he took the world by surprise.
We all collectively wondered: what does a Hans Zimmer concert look or sound like?
He wasn’t giving us clues either. In tandem with the tour announcement, AP News reported “…there is no conductor, no sheet music in front of each musician, and not a single frame from any of the films he’s referencing.”
This exciting — if confounding — information served as a bit of intrigue. Shows sold out. In fact, due to overwhelming demand, Zimmer had to extend the run, which included a penultimate stop at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center that I attended on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Once I got there, I kicked myself for not arriving earlier. The line to enter wrapped all around the Nets’ home arena. Thousands of hip twenty and thirty-somethings with a love for cinematic scores — I’m still not sure whether or not we can log the filmic show on Letterboxd — braved the cold to see the cherubic maestro live. Clearly, the man’s fanbase is enormous.
Finally, after slowly snaking around the perimeter of the massive home for hoops, we were in. As I took my seat, a smile crept over my face. I was starting to understand Hans’ bold vision he mapped out nearly a year ago when announcing the tour.
An assortment of players flanked Zimmer on the spacious stage. In the foreground were a flutist and wild-haired electric guitarist. A pair of passionate female drummers held the center. Head-banging rock star cellists and violinists were at their side near the back. And, while there was a strict set list, this talented group was free to create epic, freewheeling music that was equal parts controlled opera and theatrical rock show.
For the next three hours — yes, you read that right; the show ended at 10:50 — the ensemble took the sold-out Barclays Center on a dramatic, heart-racing adventure. In fact, for the entire runtime, I felt like I was the main character in a movie Zimmer scored, a true movie geek dream fully realized.
Maybe there really was something to the “not a single frame from any of the films he’s referencing” idea the “Interstellar” composer dreamed up a year ago. Without the images onscreen to guide us, the shifts in tone and intensity are more visceral, more personal, more urgent.
But, like most good movies — excluding nonlinear Chris Nolan masterpieces of course — let’s start at the beginning.
Act One
The evening got underway with Zimmer’s quiet, cathartic “A Time of Quiet Between The Storms.” Rather than jumping into the festivities with a bang, the Oscar winner started small. This Middle Eastern-inspired composition from “Dune 2” takes its steady time and then gradually built to a bombastic crescendo.
Soon after, the Frankfurt native barreled full speed ahead with his pulsing, percussion-heavy “Mombasa” straight out of “Inception.” This is chase music personified and, for five minutes, it was impossible not to air-drum along.
With that, the crowd settled and Zimmer took the mic to vamp since fans were still trickling in.
“It’s not easy to get into this place, is it?” he joked. The crowd politely laughed. We weren’t here for gentle banter, though. Zimmer, who was stalling to make sure all of his fans got their money’s worth, finally dropped the act and delivered his three-part “Wonder Woman Suite.”
While not as iconic as some of his other works, the music is transformative. In this one, the jubilant epic starts with a plucky sense of optimism before picking up the pace and swelling into fist-pumping splendor ultimately leading to anxiety-inducing doom with shades of Led Zeppelin thrown in for good measure. As always, Hans lulls us into a false sense of security before taking us on a wild ride. This theme — each song is a hero’s journey — would recur throughout the night.
Sticking to the caped crusaders, Zimmer and his large scale production featuring every instrument imaginable slowed things down yet again with the mournful “Man of Steel” track “What Are You Going To Do When You’re Not Saving The World.” A sense of defeat permeated the cavernous room until the maestro’s booming drummers kicked in. Once again, we felt a sense of grand heroism. He was telling the story of everyone in the room. This was our hero’s journey. Finally, the track exploded. Ah, yes! This is what it feels like to fly. We’re there.
And we hadn’t even gotten to the hits yet.
Still, at this point, the crowd was eating from Zimmer’s palm and an unspoken agreement amongst the crowd emerged. This was a fully-packed house but we all thought it best to keep quiet. Sure, snippets of conversation would dip in and out but this was truly a show where no note was to be missed. Imagine a tennis match where you have to be on silent mode the whole time. That’s exactly what this show was like..except it was a rollicking rock concert.
Next up, Hans took us back to Ancient Rome with his four-pronged “Gladiator” score. As transportive as his music is, he also has a gift for creating soundscapes that evoke a time and place. The crowd obviously never lived in Italy 2,000 years ago yet Zimmer’s music is so right, so honest, that nothing else could serve as an equal substitute. The epic, unrelenting composition — where every instrumentalist shone while Hans roamed the stage with a grin covering nearly his entire face — was just as dynamic as any rollercoaster ride.
Per usual, Zimmer started small with “Gladiator.” This time, he began playing a foreboding and romantic piano tune. Then, swooning strings filled in the sound. Finally, the drums and shrieking, piercing rock ratcheted up the intensity to 11. The theatrical rock and roll washed over us as the bluesy prog opera hit a fever pitch. Once complete, he paid respects to his silver-haired guitarist — whom he called “maybe the finest on the planet” — and let us know his star axeman never played the same thing twice in 206 shows together. Aha. That explains the “no sheet music.” Zimmer really understands the value of live versus studio.
Then, it hit me. The music is more the star than Hans is. Whereas at other shows we go to see a Paul McCartney or Taylor Swift live, Zimmer’s work has hidden behind larger-than-life celluloid images his whole career. He jumps from intimate to universal. Lulls you into a sense of what the song will be before jolting you out of your expectations. He’ll make you well up then cheer within seconds. It’s a sleight of hand that never fails.
This was never more true with his swashbuckling first-act closer “Jack Sparrow” accompanied by parts two and three of “The Pirates of Caribbean Suite” where he captures the sound of the sea. The back-and-forth of the accordion and smashing in-your-face violin mixes noise rock with traditional strings and gorgeous intermittent vocals to create a magnificent triumph of spirit teeming with life that pleases wholesome movie fans and metalheads alike.
Just as we clamored for more, Zimmer told us “The good pieces come after intermission” and the band took 20.
Act II
Following the brief respite — which felt like 20 hours — the band returned to much fanfare.
Zimmer, now sporting a leather jacket, took little time to hop into his evocative, rough-around-the-edges and raw “House of Atreides” straight from “Dune.” Rather than display images of Chalamet and Walken on projectors, characters from the film stalked the floor seats and undulated over primal screams creating an immersive quality that once again heightened the timeless, cinematic nature of the evening.
Soon after, he zipped into a throbbing, heavy remix of his five-part “Dark Knight Theme.” For my money, the live version isn’t quite as nimble as the studio track that made the final cut the but the live version soars higher, shaking and thundering the building.
Throughout the night, Zimmer made sure each band member had their moment in the sun like the aforementioned guitartist. Each heartfelt tribute was sweet but none was better than the long nights’ best gag when the sound guy lowered Hans’ voice so he sounded like Bane from “Dark Knight Rises” after the maestro effusively praised him. I roared. Hans really is a showman dropping goofy bits in between the most dramatic songs you’ve ever heard.
Gearing up for the grand finale, Hans trotted out his “Last Samurai” score, which took a minute to settle in. For a moment, he captures a sense of sinking that is both ethereal and metal. Once again, this easily could have been the closer. It was that satisfying.
Then, Zimmer actually really did peak early.
His peaceful, serene “Interstellar” score made me feel as if I was floating among the stars. Not to pit the greats against each other but John Williams’ presence permeated the room. A disco ball shone and sprayed bright light on us. I was seated but felt like I’d ascended to the heavens. For five minutes, any nonbeliever might think “maybe there really is more out there.”
A daring surprise Cirque du Soleil aerial acrobatic show paired with the music led us to a rocking yet moving “Lion King” medley that transported me right back to my first viewing of the Disney classic. The orchestra rightly earned their second standing ovation here.
As a cherry on top, Zimmer bailed on the encore charade and sprinkled bossa nova into a playful rendition of the Bond theme — the man really is blockbusters’ key ingredient, a master craftsman of grandeur fine-tuning every movement — and closed the evening with “Time” from “Inception” that was every bit as majestic as a stirring Sigur Ros song.
Yes, the concert was a true marathon but now, having seen the maestro strut his stuff, along with a 50-piece band, we’re happy to report his live show is as unpredictable and freewheeling as a gorgeously-arranged rock opera can be.
This truly is the fully-realized vision he hinted at so long ago.
Final verdict: Zimmer sticks to the “hits” aka the scores you know and love like the primal “Paul’s Dream” from “Dune,” fan-favorite “Circle Of Life” out of “Lion King” and surprisingly head-banging “Pirates of the Caribbean Theme” (it’s truly amazing all these varied compositions came from one mind). However, it was the gleeful joy or “a sense of playfulness” as Zimmer called it during the show, that makes his cinematic symphony that celebrates his earnest love of the movies essential.
He truly has a gift for starting small with his 50 instrumentalists and vocalists and reaching for the biggest crescendo possible to create a singular sound that leaves the rapt audience in a trance-like state.
Ever wanted to be the main character in a blockbuster? See Hans Zimmer live.
Hans Zimmer tour schedule 2025
Unfortunately, Zimmer does not have any more concerts in North America lined up as of now. All of his remaining shows are overseas.
However, he did share that there will be another tour and said “it will be a completely new production, setlist, and arrangements,” so keep an eye out.
In the meantime, here’s where you can see Zimmer live in Europe in 2025.
Hans Zimmer set list
A complete rundown of all the tracks Zimmer played at the Barclays Center on Feb. 6 can be found below, courtesy of Set List FM.
Set I
01.) “A Time of Quiet Between the Storms”
02.) “Mombasa”
03.) “Wonder Woman Suite: Part I”
04.) “Wonder Woman Suite: Part II”
05.) “Wonder Woman Suite: Part III”
06.) “What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?”
07.) “Dark Phoenix Suite”
08.) “Man of Steel Suite: Part II”
09.) “Gladiator Suite: Part I”
10.) “Gladiator Suite: Part II”
11.) “Gladiator Suite: Part III”
12.) “Gladiator Suite: Part IV”
13.) “Jack Sparrow”
14.) “Pirates of the Caribbean Suite: Part II”
15.) “Pirates of the Caribbean Suite: Part III”
Set II
16.) “House Atreides”
17.) “The Dark Knight Suite: Part I”
18.) “The Dark Knight Suite: Part II”
19.) “The Last Samurai Suite: Part I”
20.) “The Last Samurai Suite: Part II”
21.) “The Last Samurai Suite: Part III”
22.) “X-MDP”
23.) “Paul’s Dream”
24.) “Interstellar Suite: Part I”
25.) “Interstellar Suite: Part II”
26.) “The Lion King Suite: Part I” (with Lebo M)
27.) “The Lion King Suite: Part II”
28.) “The Lion King Suite: Part III” (with Lebo M)
Encore
29.) “No Time to Die Suite”
30.) “Inception: Time”
Note: Zimmer didn’t actually leave the stage for his encore; the band played on after “Lion King” straight into the “No Time to Die Suite.”
Huge composers on tour in 2025
A surprising number of iconic composers and classical musicians are bringing their evocative tunes to the people this year.
Here are just five shows featuring the music of otherworldly talents you won’t want to miss these next few months.
• Yo-Yo Ma
• “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” in concert
• “Avatar: The Last Airbender” in concert
Also, “The Music of Hans Zimmer” — the maestro’s songs performed without him — is also on tour if you’re hankering for a Hans fix.
Prefer a more standard show? Check out our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2025 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
