On Friday, October 3, Billy Strings arrived in Oslo, Norway, for the first stop on his European Fall Tour 2025. The musician and his band’s latest stint in the region followed previous runs, including late-year appearances in 2022 and 2023, which once again validated the bluegrass troupes’ international appeal. Their initial stage time coincided with the bandleader’s birthday, which was celebrated during the onset of the evening, preluding the night’s extensive roster of returns–songs that had not been played in a year or longer. 

In recognition of the maestro’s 33rd birthday, the crowd welcomed him to the stage by singing “Happy Birthday,” which was followed by an ensuing response–a cover of The Delmore Brothers’ “Midnight Train.” The band submitted “Bronzeback” next, before pulling out Gordon Lightfoot’s “Cold on the Shoulder,” for the first time since May 11, 2023, ending a 198-show gap. Set one included a two-song segment where Strings chose the clawhammer banjo over his trusty guitar. He also covered “Brown’s Ferry Blues” solo, before an ensuing instrumental exchange with Billy Failing, “Dos Banjos.”

The second half of Friday night’s performance involved the full band assembling around a single mic for traditional, “East Virginia Blues” and a take on the Don Robertson-scribed, “Born to Be With You.” Later in the show, the ensemble segued their take on “Old Man at the Mill” into the first “Clinch Mountain Backstep” to land this calendar year. “Living Like an Animal” and “The Cuckoo” followed. In recognition of the location, Strings propped “You see it Norway” during “On The Line,” the track pressed into “Train 45” and The Osborne Brothers and Red Allen released “Ruby” to cap the frame.

Strings, Failing, Alex Hargraves, Jarrod Walker and Royal Masat took Saturday off before the onset of their second concert during this regional stint, which occurred on Sunday, October 5, at the Poolen in Copenhagen. Like the previous performance, the band delivered a two-set offering that leaned into originals at the start, before performing Bill Monroe’s “On and On” for the first time since September 19, 2020, ending a 445-show gap. 

Later on, during the second frame, Strings turned up solo for a sequence of songs, beginning with the Doc Watson released “Georgia Buck,” traditionals “Give the Fiddler a Dram,” “Whistling Rufus,” and “Ragtime Annie.” A hefty section of originals ensued, before a return to the Bobby Hicks released “Maiden’s Prayer.” Before turning in their time in Copenhagen, Strings highlighted more expected offerings, a mix of self-penned numbers and seasoned covers, including the evening’s encore, a take on Arlie Duff’s “Y’all Come.” 

After submitting the initial performances of their European Tour, Strings and company will take Monday evening off, and resume their live performance schedule tomorrow, October 7, during the first of two nights in the Netherlands. Tickets are sold out. 

Billy Strings 

Sentrum Scene – Oslo, Norway 

Oct. 3, 2025 

Set I: Midnight Train1,2, Bronzeback, Cold On The Shoulder3, While I’m Waiting Here, In Case You Ever Change Your Mind, Fire Line, Gild the Lily, Reuben’s Train4, Ol’ Rickard4,5, Reuben’s Train, Brown’s Ferry Blues6, Dos Banjos7, Northern White Clouds8, Red Rocking Chair

Set II: East Virginia Blues9, Born to be With You9,10, Thirst Mutilator, Running, Show Me The Door, Old Man At The Mill, Clinch Mountain Backstep11, Living Like An Animal, The Cuckoo, Hellbender, Big Spike Hammer, Love and Regret, On The Line12, Train 45, Ruby

Enc.: The Letter Edged In Black, Unwanted Love

Note: 

  1. Billy was welcomed to the stage by the crowd singing “Happy Birthday” for his 33rd birthday today.
  2. Last Time Played 2024-12-07 | 73 show gap
  3. Last Time Played 2023-05-11 | 198 show gap
  4. Billy Strings solo on clawhammer banjo
  5. Last Time Played 2024-08-17 | 89 show gap
  6. Billy Strings solo
  7. Dos Billys (Billy Strings on clawhammer banjo and Billy Failing on banjo)
  8. Last Time Played 2024-08-03 | 91 show gap
  9. Full band around single mic
  10. Last Time Played 2024-07-30 | 94 show gap
  11. Last Time Played 2024-10-19 | 78 show gap
  12. “You see it Norway” lyric change

Billy Strings

Poolen – Copenhagen 

Oct. 5, 2025 

Set I: I’m One Of Those, Turmoil & Tinfoil, Running The Route, On and On1, Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You, In the Clear, All Fall Down, Cattle In The Cane, My Alice, The Fire On My Tongue

Set II: Georgia Buck3, Give The Fiddler A Dram4, Whistling Rufus4, Ragtime Annie4, Feast Here Tonight (Rabbit In A Log)5, Slow Train, Nothing’s Working, Malfunction Junction, Must Be Seven, Pyramid Country, Hide and Seek, Maiden’s Prayer6, This Old World, Black Mountain Rag, Lonely At The Top, Gone A Long Time, Dark Hollow, Dust In A Baggie

Enc.: Y’all Come

Notes: 

  1. Last Time Played 2020-09-19 | 445 show gap
  2. Billy Strings on a Martin Grand J-28E, Royal Masat on a Nord Stage 3 88-Key Keyboard & Billy Failing on Masterton ML-1: Missing Link Béla Fleck Baritone Banjo
  3. Billy Strings solo on clawhammer banjo
  4. Billy Strings solo
  5. Duet w/ Billy Strings and Jarrod Walker around single mic
  6. Last Time Played 2025-04-03 | 52 show gap

Setlist and notes via billybase.net.