The DEATH STRANDING Strands of Harmony World Tour kicked off in Australia on November 8, 2025, and has since concluded after 21 shows in 19 regions.

Joining us are Gaetano Fazio, CEO of SOHO Live, the team behind the tour and Ludvig Forssell, composer of the DEATH STRANDING series who appeared on stage and helped shape the concert itself. The two delve into various aspects of the tour—including some behind-the-scenes insights into how it all began.

Q. When did the idea of a concert tour first get floated around? 

Gaetano: I first pitched the tour to KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS about two years before the first concert, in the fall of 2023. I believe Ludvig joined the project shortly after. 

Ludvig: That’s right. At the time, bookings for venues were already well underway but we still hadn’t decided on what sort of concert this was going to be. We got help from Chad Seiter, our arranger, to start working on exploring the concert’s direction and potential tracks we could include. But there are so many non-orchestral tracks in DEATH STRANDING which meant some of it needed to be completely rethought, and that was an entire series of new challenges. Fortunately, thanks to the fact that we were able to exchange opinions early on, we were able to produce great new and original arrangements.

Q. What was it that made you propose an orchestral concert? Was there anything in particular you felt would mesh well? 

Gaetano: We always look for game titles that have the potential to be transformed into orchestral concerts, and we typically evaluate them based on three things. First, there needs to be a large enough fanbase. Second, the soundtrack needs to be memorable. And third, there needs to be a very passionate fan community. If we’re missing any one of these elements, a live concert tour simply won’t work. I believe I pitched the idea right when the announcement trailer for DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH (DS2) first dropped. I was immediately drawn to the trailer’s music with its choral elements; which had a different range of sounds from the first game. We knew the DEATH STRANDING fanbase is also an incredibly passionate one, so in that moment we realized all three of those conditions were met.

Ludvig: I do agree that those three conditions are most likely met with DEATH STRANDING. But beyond that, I also felt it would be very important to utilize the vocal tracks, such those of LOW ROAR, since I see those as the “soul” present at the very root of DEATH STRANDING’s music. For the tour, SOHO managed to gather some amazing vocalists, and thanks to their participation, I feel like Strands of Harmony—as a concept—was made whole, having a unique strength not often present in other game concerts. 

Q. Of the tracks that received orchestral arrangements, which ones were your favorite? Which ones were especially memorable?

Ludvig: So this is kind of embarrassing, but “BB’s Theme” is a no-brainer for me. So many people were part of the creation process and it’s a very special piece for me. Also, I am very happy to finally have had the opportunity to perform at the concert with Jenny (Plant), the song’s original singer.

We were actually scheduled to perform together at the BAFTA game awards venue in March 2020, but the event got canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so that was always in the back of my mind. But after 4 or 5 years of waiting, we were finally able to perform together. I’ll definitely treasure that memory.

Gaetano: As a fan myself, “BB’s Theme” performed by Ludvig and Jenny was absolutely incredible. It’s an important track, not just in DS1 but in DS2 as well, and we put a lot of care into preparing the video that played on screen  along with it. All in all I think it came together very nicely, especially by looking at the emotional reaction of fans after the song was over.

Gaetano: It’s difficult to choose though, because there are so many other great tracks, but one I couldn’t wait to hear every night was “Car Go Fast”. The other tracks in the show had cutscenes and story bits shown on-screen, but the video for this track consisted only of high-energy gameplay footage. We also had Ludvig perform live on guitar at many of the shows, so I think fans particularly enjoyed it as well.

Ludvig: I have one more. The first song of the concert’s second act: WOODKID’s “Minus Sixty One”. The original track has a part that was recorded but previously left unused. When the orchestral arrangement was being worked on—under WOODKID’s supervision—that part was put back in. Now, the notable thing about this part is that it features a very impactful “long tone.” Tony (Flaherty), the vocalist who worked with us on the North American leg of the tour, kept extending this note, one measure at the time, until we starting getting cheers going off in the middle of the song! I had goosebumps. I think the last one lasted for about 30 seconds!

Gaetano: In the Milan show, when Jenny was singing “BB’s Theme,” Matt (Kent) and Daisy (Chute) joined in on the chorus and harmony. It was very special to see all of our singers joining in on the music in a creative way.

Ludvig: I think it was after the Paris show, when we were practicing at our hotel and backstage. We had them appear as Jenny was singing, making it more of a special version of the song. That was a lot of fun.

Q. So there were different quirks and playful elements added to different shows, proposed by the vocalists? 

Gaetano: It’s all a balancing act; we have the original score from the game, but making too many changes to it can make it feel inauthentic. That’s why at each show we kept an eye on the reactions of our fans, gauged how much off-piste we could go, and from there we would make adjustments and push the limits at future shows. 

Ludvig: Since I was also a part of the show, I tried to continuously change stuff like what I would talk about during the show. I started running out of jokes by the second half of the tour, so eventually I resorted to asking Troy (Baker) if he could record and send over a video message for us. (laughs)

Q. Do you have any standout moments with the fans during the world tour? 

Gaetano: Every anime or game has its own culture and its own fan community. But one thing they have in common is that 90 percent of people who come out to the concerts have never experienced a live orchestra. Going out to a classical venue to hear an orchestra play for the first time can feel a daunting experience and outside of many fans’ comfort zone, so many fans may get discouraged. But from the fans of DEATH STRANDING or Hideo Kojima, we would instead hear “We’ve never been, so we’re excited to go,” like it was normal for them to be jumping into an unknown world and connecting with people with similar emotions. Many of the fans showed up in formal attire while others appeared in cosplay or brought items that appeared in-game, so it was great to see this wide range of people all accepting the concert experience. 

Ludvig: The meet and greets* really energized me. Moving around and prepping for 21 shows can be really tough, but getting heartfelt comments about the orchestra and DEATH STRANDING directly from the fans made it all worth it. When we had two consecutive days of playing that support was especially palpable. I think it was after the Milan show where a fan gave me a handmade Higgs mask, which I then used for the consecutive shows. It became a part of the track where Higgs plays music in-game, so I think it helped in solidifying that connection. I also started doing DS-related make up and since I have a friendly relationship with Troy, I feel like I’ve formed a deeper connection with Higgs through the concerts. (laughs)

*Meet and greets happened at select shows due to different rules at each venue. 

Q. Was the guitar performance planned beforehand? How did it feel doing it? 

Ludvig: As a composer for media, going up on stage is a rare opportunity. I didn’t want to miss that chance so I made sure my schedule was compatible with the tour. Although I was not able to perform at every venue in the end, I knew from the start that if I’m going to be part of it, I wanted to play alongside the orchestra. The first show was nerve-racking though. I mean, we were playing at the Sydney Opera House! It’s a world famous venue. So to have that stage be our first was incredible. 

Gaetano: Even amongst the fans, many people are nervous because they’re not sure what they’re supposed to do at orchestral concerts. What are they supposed to wear? Are they supposed to applaud? Are they allowed to shout? So I think the presence of an electric guitar was something nice and flashy that they could easily connect with and get hyped up about. That was an important element that allowed fans to get more comfortable and loosen up, so Ludvig was instrumental in all of that. 

Q. Was the merchandise on sale something that was pitched by SOHO Live? Were there any particular pieces that stood out to you? 

Gaetano: SOHO Live first proposed the line-up, which we tweaked together with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS. In the case of the harmonica, we first talked to multiple instrument manufacturers. Eventually we decided to collaborate with Suzuki Musical Instruments, a harmonica manufacturer with a long history behind them. We went through more than ten design proposals, and we received input from Hideo Kojima as well. We worked hard on that design and I love what we ultimately came up with. 

Also, this isn’t exactly merch-related, but we also had Ludvig’s music sheet with a new piano arrangement of “BB’s Theme.” That is one incredibly complicated arrangement, by the way. 

Ludvig: (laughs) Oh right. I made that one a little challenging on purpose, just for the fans who participated in our meet and greet. Speaking of “BB’s Theme,” there’s also the music box that plays a different arrangement I wrote. It’s even designed to look like a BB pod. 

Gaetano: A lot of the merch items are based on DEATH STRANDING’s monochrome black-and white theme. So the music box with its splash of color really stood out. That might explain why it was so popular, we even had to put purchase limits on it! But since this is a concert, ultimately our goal was to create merchandise that was directly connected to music. I’m just glad we didn’t have any harmonicas or music boxes randomly go off while the musicians were playing though. (laughs)

Q. Were there any challenges you faced during the concerts? What would you like to improve on if there’s a next time? 

Gaetano: The most difficult thing was figuring out how to showcase the full story of each game in under one hour, since we only have one hour for the first half for DS1 and another hour for the second half for DS2. We tried to prioritize the tracks the fans wanted to hear the most, but I really wish we had more time to add even more songs.  

Ludvig: But I think SOHO Live managed to make something great out of it; DS2 came out just five months before the tour was to start. Before release, there was little to no information to work off of. 

Gaetano: Yeah, our playthrough turned into a bit of a speed run. We wrote out every single detail in a spreadsheet, like which tracks were good in-game, which story elements were memorable, etc., so that we could create a one hour set list of DS2. 

The people attending the concert were fans of the game, so it was important to understand what emotions prevailed at specific scenes, how that emotion played out and so on. But we only had a limited amount of time, so we also created a few medleys using different songs to consolidate multiple scenes. I jotted down notes primarily while playing the main story, but I personally wish I had more time to do sub-quests and include them in the concert. Maybe we would be able to cover it all in, say...three hours? 

Ludvig: Agreed. Three hours would be the sweet spot!

Q. Last question. How was performing at 19 venues like? Any messages for the “Sams” who came to listen to the music? 

Ludvig: To me, meeting DEATH STRANDING fans in person really drove home how much of an impact the game I worked on has had on people. It was a truly unforgettable experience and it was all thanks to the voices of our fans across the globe. To those who stopped by, and to those who came to say hello - thank you! 

As a composer, it really is rare to have the chance to go up on stage and join these concerts. But if enough people were to ask for it, that opportunity could come around again, so hey, please make your voices heard! (laughs) 

Gaetano: All I have is feelings of appreciation for the fans who came to the concerts. It was a long journey, but fans of DEATH STRANDING were able to create this amazing connected journey, starting from Sydney and all the way to Toronto 

For many of you, I hope you enjoyed your first orchestral concert experience! If this turned out to be a first step for DS fans in discovering something new, then we couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all of your support.

DEATH STRANDING Strands of Harmony
Thank You Message

• YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/CPK1zSBNIuo
• Message by: 
  • CONDUCTOR：Thanapol Setabrahmana / Kurita Hirofumi
  • VOCALIST：Jenny Plant / Nan Sathida / Tony Flaherty / Yosh (Survive Said The Prophet)

👍👍👍

The songs that once supported the player — Sam — set out across the world once more, reborn through the orchestra.

Countless Strands of memory woven together by those melodies continue to quietly, yet surely, connect "Sams" around the world. 

Official Website: https://www.deathstrandingconcert.com/