GACKT Official Bitfan update. Translation below
On July 14, 2026, the curtain rose on “Maou Symphony 2026 -INFINITY-” at Westa Kawagoe.
The first thing that must be conveyed is that “Maou Symphony” is not merely a concert. It is a ritual—an opportunity to confront memories one had thought were long forgotten.
People forget in order to survive. Yet, there come moments in life when one must reunite with emotions and memories left behind. “Maou Symphony” exists for that very purpose. The audience gathers here for more than just the music; they are drawn to this place to face memories slumbering deep within their souls and to reconnect with the true selves they had nearly forgotten.
Countless red lights fill the venue. The “Maou” (Demon King) refers to the glow sticks held aloft by the audience as “Keys of Light.”
The ritual begins with the appearance of grotesque, otherworldly figures—beings that seem like jesters yet are not, and resemble mummies yet are not. Dominating the stage with bizarre, unearthly movements, they mock and toy with those gathered for the ritual, beckoning them into their realm.
This caricatured staging effortlessly shatters the audience’s conventional notions of reality. As the entire venue is overwhelmed by the spectacle, the scene unfolds as if GACKT’s inner world has been directly brought to life.
This introductory segment was crafted to visualize the philosophy of “Maou Symphony” and to convey its ideology to the audience with greater depth and vividness. It is a grand, opera-style dramatic sequence conceived and directed by GACKT himself.
Majestic melodies and imposing staging envelop the venue, instantly drawing the audience into an otherworldly realm. An atmosphere of mixed surprise and anticipation swept through the venue at the start of an opening no one had foreseen.
This was not merely the beginning of a concert.
It was the start of a magnificent ritual designed to unlock the doors to forgotten memories.
The ritual’s musical program unfolded with a blend of calm composure and triumphant spirit.
This was no simple performance of songs. Each track held significance; every single note was imbued with the power to awaken memories. Joy, loss, loneliness, anger, affection—emotions left behind in the journey of life—surfaced one after another, summoned by the majestic fusion of orchestral grandeur and rock intensity.
The “Maou’s” (Demon King’s) voice pierced the hearts of the audience—at times tender, at others cruelly sharp. Scenes long forgotten, feelings kept under lock and key, a past one had vowed never to revisit—all of these rose to the surface, guided by the melody, as people throughout the audience began to confront their own personal stories.
On the coliseum-like stage, the magnificent resonance of the orchestra clashed and merged with the overwhelming passion of the YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz members—who were positioned across the space—enveloping the audience like a raging torrent one moment and a prayer the next. Amidst this surging tide of sound, the audience came to a gradual realization.
They hadn’t truly forgotten.
They had merely been pretending to forget.
As the ritual deepened, the countless “keys of light” filling the venue coalesced into a single, massive beam, bridging the Maou’s world with the realm of the living.
Only those who accept their past can move forward.
“Maou Symphony” is not merely a place to listen to music.
It is a pilgrimage—a ritual to liberate the memories etched into one’s soul and to connect the past, the present, and the future.
That is why the end of the night does not mark a true conclusion.
For those who have completed the ritual return to the world of the living as new versions of themselves, carrying the memories they have reclaimed close to their hearts. Throughout the performance, the Demon King GACKT employs his overwhelming expressive power to portray a blend of conflicting emotions: beauty, transience, and a sense of perilous fragility. Responding to his presence, the members of YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz and the orchestral musicians weave this world together, pouring their very souls into every single note.
That intensity soon transcends the boundaries of the stage, spreading out to the audience. The spectators are not mere observers; as the final participants needed to complete this ritual, they are drawn into the Demon King’s world.
For those who will join this ritual in future locations, I urge you to raise your “Key of Light” and become a part of that world. What is required is not the quiet demeanor of a classical concertgoer, but the resolve of a participant ready to co-create this ritual—unleashing emotions, shouting, praying, and letting your heart be deeply stirred.
“Maou Symphony” shatters the conventional concept of classical music appreciation, offering a unique musical experience completed only through the unity of audience and performer.
“Maou Symphony 2026 -INFINITY-” was crafted using an approach distinct from previous installments in the series. Yet, the underlying philosophy remains unchanged.
People forget.
But forgotten memories do not simply vanish.
Awakened by music and given form once more by emotion, they transform into the strength needed to face one’s own life.
Like solving a complex puzzle.
Like navigating a labyrinth with no visible exit.
It is an experience where anguish and euphoria coexist—something that cannot be fully grasped in a single encounter.
That is precisely why people return to this place.
“Maou Symphony” is a unique form of entertainment where music and story, memory and emotion, and the mortal realm and the Demon World intersect.
And its potential is—as the title suggests—infinite.
The setlist is as follows. M1 ARROW
Orchestration by Hinako YOKOUCHI
M2 NOESIS
Orchestration by Mikina KAINUMA
M3 Inheritance of Sin -ORIGINAL SIN-
Orchestration by Hitomi KOTO
M4 UNTIL THE LAST DAY
Orchestration by Hitomi KOTO
M5 IN FLAMES
Orchestration by Kei SATO
M6 LAST SONG
Orchestration by Mikina KAINUMA
M7 LAPIS
Orchestration by Hiromasa MATSUI
M8 FOUR SEASONS -Ⅰ-
Orchestration by Ryunosuke KASAI
M9 CLAYMORE
Orchestration by Shuwa NAGAI
M10 STAND ALONE
Orchestration by Shoya KITAGAWA
M11 LOST ANGELS
Orchestration by Hitomi KOTO
Photo by Lestat C&M Project
Text by T.NAITO
Source: GACKT Official Bitfan
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA