Legendary "Scorpions" perform iconic hits live in Albania

Concert by legendary German band Scorpions in Tirana draws thousands of rock fans.

The concert of the legendary German band “Scorpions” in Tirana gathered thousands of rock music enthusiasts. The iconic band, which has made history in this genre on the global stage, performed its most famous masterpieces for the Albanian audience, lighting up the atmosphere for several hours, CE Report quotes ATA.

At Skanderbeg Square, generations from young people to adults came together to experience the magic of “Scorpions” live. Hundreds of other citizens who could not secure tickets gathered near the perimeter to follow the concert. Gates opened at 5:00 PM, and many attendees waited over four hours before the band took the stage.

Among the large crowd were many Albanians from the diaspora who, out of nostalgia, chose to spend the weekend in Tirana to experience one of their favorite bands live.

The fact that the concert was held at Skanderbeg Square, where the bust of dictator Enver Hoxha once stood, was seen as a strong testament to Albania’s monumental transformation—from an isolated country to a free society where music is now an inseparable part of cultural life and closer than ever to the broader European family.

One attendee, Torad Tërshana, who emigrated to Italy with his family in 1993, shared his emotions. For him, the evening of September 14 was a return to his adolescence, when he secretly listened to rock music.

“I started listening to rock in 1975, but always in secret. Very few of us had the privilege to cultivate this passion. At first, there were reel-to-reel tape recorders, as big as a microwave. Very few families had them. As an artist’s son, I was lucky to have one at home. Yet often it was hidden so I wouldn’t be distracted from studies, but I found it again and listened discreetly with friends,” said Tërshana, son of Ëngjëll Tërshana, the first ballerino and later ballet master at TKOB.

He recalls that his musical tastes were also shaped by his father’s friends, renowned composers Ferdinand Deda and Agim Krajka.

“They first brought reels with this music to my home. That’s when I started to adore this musical style. Back then, in Tirana, there were small communities who used music to escape the gloom of dictatorship. Some listened to Italian music, others to light rock, heavy metal, or death metal. We knew each other. ‘Scorpions’ was the band that, in a way, united all these communities,” he explained.

Tërshana also recalls a time when music cassettes or reels were considered rare treasures.

“Those who had reels were seen as privileged. They were passed hand to hand, with fixed schedules to return them. Later, with the arrival of tape cassettes, copying became easier, and that exclusivity began to fade,” he added.

Watching teenagers singing “Wind of Change,” one of the band’s most iconic songs, Tërshana emphasized: “This is the magic of music—it transcends time. Back then, this music was a silent rebellion against dictatorship, a flight toward a freer world.”

The evening culminated with unforgettable hits like “Wind of Change” and “Still Loving You,” with hundreds of hands raised in the air and thousands of voices joining in a massive chorus. Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs, Mikkey Dee, and Paweł Mąciwoda delivered a performance that will long remain in the memory of the Albanian audience.

The concert ended amid prolonged ovations and unmatched enthusiasm, marking a grand rock celebration in the heart of Tirana, the Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue.