Sting 3.0

Sting played in Gliwice. This musician is like wine...

Poland loves Sting, and he reciprocates the feeling. This has been known for a very long time. The legendary musician comes to our country regularly. This is hardly surprising, after all, he enjoys cult status in Poland. At the concert in Gliwice, he proved that he still has that magic.

You could say that a year without a Sting concert in Poland is a year wasted. The musician loves coming to our country. He's slowly approaching thirty performances. Looking at his form – both vocally and strictly physically – this countdown won't stop anytime soon. It's truly hard to believe that Sting celebrated... his 74th birthday at the beginning of October.

The legendary artist continues his 3.0 tour in 2025, with only two musicians joining him on stage: guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas. Last year, Sting visited Gdańsk and Łódź, and this year he opted for Kraków and Gliwice (for the first time ever!). When his performances were announced, many people probably wondered whether choosing two southern arenas, just over 100 km apart, made sense from a sales perspective. Anyone who thought it was a bad idea was mistaken. Sting has enjoyed legendary status in Poland for years, much like Depeche Mode and Scorpions. He doesn't have to record new albums, doesn't have to juggle his set extensively, and his fans will still come from all corners of the globe. Both arenas were packed, which wasn't a major surprise.

Sting and his band began the concert a few minutes before their scheduled entrance. The opening act was one of The Police's greatest classics, "Message in a Bottle." The evening featured a number of songs from the famous trio's discography. I must admit, it was a magnet for me to go to Gliwice. Although I had the pleasure of seeing the Police live in Chorzów in 2008, memories are fleeting. After almost two decades, it was nice to sing songs like "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "Wrapped Around Your Finer," and "Walking on the Moon" again.

When it came to his solo compositions, Sting didn't want to force anything. "Englishman in New York," "Fields of Gold," and "Shape of My Heart" drew the biggest applause from the audience. While the latter two songs enchanted with their atmosphere, in Englishman... Maas's drums resounded powerfully. The entire Gliwice arena shook at one point. Since I brought up the acoustics, it's been a really long time since I've been to such a well-amplified concert. Every detail was audible. The softer songs gave me the biggest chills. It was simply magical. As I mentioned, there were just three musicians on stage, enjoying playing together. There were no fancy pyrotechnics. Of course, they're impressive, but they often distract from the main point. Sting opted for simplicity, and kudos to him for that!

Let's get back to the setlist. Sting, who hasn't been particularly active with releases in recent years, focused primarily on tracks from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The 21st century was represented only by "Never Coming Home" (2003) and the brand-new "I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart)" from 2024, which was created to promote the 3.0 tour. This didn't seem to bother anyone, however. Following engineer Mamoń's golden rule, we like the melodies we've already heard. It's also worth mentioning that the musicians readily delved into improvisations (extended "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," "Walking on the Moon," and "Roxanne"). Sting, however, didn't stray into digressions. He eagerly thanked the audience (also in Polish) and introduced his band.

The concert lasted almost two hours, without any long breaks. It was certainly hard to leave the Gliwice arena feeling unsatisfied, as the trio performed everything they had to offer. The main set consisted of nineteen songs, culminating in the immortal "Every Breath You Take," which practically everyone wanted to record as a souvenir. The encore began with Roxanne, and at the very end, Sting picked up an acoustic guitar to perform a wonderfully austere version of "Fragile." Interestingly, the concerts in Krakow and Gliwice were almost identical. The Police's "Driven to Tears" appeared at Tauron Arena, followed a day later by a true gem, "Jeremiah Blues, Part 1" from The Soul Cages. If you believe setlist.fm, the last time they performed live was in... 1992. You can enjoy surprises like that!

(c) Eska Rock by Szymon Bijak

Sting's concert in Gliwice! "An incredible experience."

Thousands of fans were delighted. It was the artist's only concert in Silesia.

Sting's concert in Gliwice. The artist played at PreZero Arena on Wednesday, October 21st, and his performance was the only one in Silesia and the last in Poland in 2025 as part of the Sting 3.0 Tour. It was a powerful performance, and the artist captivated the audience with, among other things, his greatest hits. 

It was one of the most anticipated concerts of the year. Sting, world rock legend and former frontman of The Police, performed on Wednesday evening at PreZero Arena Gliwice. This is the artist's second and final concert in Poland in 2025 as part of the Sting 3.0 Tour.

Sting, an elderly gentleman, 74, took the stage in jeans and a plain T-shirt. No embellishments, elaborate choreography, or other nonsense...; accompanied by two musicians, he gave a fantastic concert, full of incredible energy. Just him and his powerful voice, unchanged for years. An incredible experience," writes D. Niezgoda in a comment.

From the afternoon on, crowds of fans from all over the region gathered in front of the arena. In our gallery, you'll see their excitement, joy, and eager anticipation for the performance of a musician who has remained one of the most important voices in rock for decades.

The Sting 3.0 project is a return to roots, an intimate line-up, raw sound, and the energy of live performance. The artist will be accompanied by his long-time guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas, known from the band Mumford & Sons. This trio aims to deliver a completely new level of quality; the concerts are more intimate, and every note resonates with full power. 

This is an event of exceptional significance for Silesia. Sting comes from working-class Newcastle, a city with industrial roots similar to those that shaped our region. In his songs, he has repeatedly sung about the work, hardship, and dreams of ordinary people.

Gliwice is the second and final stop on Sting's 2025 Polish tour. After his performance in Krakow, the artist concludes the Polish leg of his 2025 tour in Silesia. For fans, it's a unique opportunity to see the musician in a form that combines intimacy with immense stage power.

(c) Gliwice Naszemiasto by Julia Muc