The Gathering are a Dutch rock band from Oss, formed in 1989. They began as a death/doom metal act before gradually shifting toward atmospheric and progressive rock, with Anneke van Giersbergen fronting the band from 1994. Their 1995 album "Mandylion" sold over 130,000 copies across Europe and is widely regarded as a landmark in female-fronted metal. The 1998 double album "How to Measure a Planet?" pushed them further into shoegaze and trip-rock territory, winning them a new international fanbase.
The Gathering announced the closing concert of the Mandylion 30th Anniversary Tour for January 16, 2027 at AFAS Live in Amsterdam, where the band will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Nighttime Birds".
The Gathering expanded the Mandylion anniversary tour with a long series of European dates in spring and summer 2026, including London, Paris, Hellfest and Wacken Open Air.
All five Mandylion anniversary concerts at Doornroosje in Nijmegen (August 27-31, 2025) with the original lineup including Anneke van Giersbergen were sold out.
The Gathering announced in December 2024 five exclusive shows in Nijmegen in August 2025 with the original Mandylion lineup, including Anneke van Giersbergen, to mark the album's 30th anniversary.
The Gathering released "Beautiful Distortion" in 2022 - the band's first studio album in a decade.
