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Hurts in Kaunas 2026
- Agne
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
If you've been following me for a while, you probably know that Hurts is one of my favorite bands ever. So imagine how happy I was when they announced a small summer 2026 tour that included... my hometown, Kaunas! So yes, husband was coming to town!
Of course, one concert is never enough, so I also got tickets for the Warsaw show. But first, let's see how the Hurts 2026 concert in Kaunas went, including how I finally managed to secure the front row for the first time at a Hurts concert and went home with guitar picks and a setlist!
P.S. This was my 7th Hurts concert in total, my 2nd one in Kaunas (the first was back in 2011 during the Happiness tour!), and my 4th Hurts concert in Lithuania overall.
Short intro
Hurts are an English synth-pop duo consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and multi-instrumentalist Adam Anderson.
Note: Sadly, Adam Anderson didn't join this tour either due to mental health reasons.
Tickets to the Hurts Summer 2026 Tour in Kaunas
I got my tickets quite easily during the presale - two standing tickets for €50 each. The standing section eventually sold out, but since the majority of the venue was seated, you could still find tickets on the day of the concert.
The venue – Dainų slėnis (Valley of Songs)
The first thing I really liked was the venue itself. Dainų slėnis is a beautiful outdoor venue surrounded by oak trees, creating quite a magical atmosphere.
The venue was originally built for Lithuanian Song Celebrations in 1937. It has a relatively small standing area in front of the stage, a smaller amphitheater for choirs on one side, and a large seated amphitheater opposite it for the audience. Nowadays, the standing area is also used for concerts, although it's still fairly small.
The venue was recently renovated, making it an even better place to enjoy live music.
Queuing, a terrible entrance, and pre-show rain
Having Hurts come to my hometown meant this was basically my only chance to finally get barricade. Yes, you might be surprised that even though this was my 7th Hurts concert, I'd never managed to get the front row before. To be fair, at last year's concerts I always arrived on the same day, so it was pretty much impossible. Hurts also have an incredibly dedicated fanbase, with many fans travelling from show to show and starting to queue very early.
This time, though, the odds were in my favour. It was a Tuesday show, making it less likely that lots of international fans would travel, and Lithuanians generally aren't big on queuing (I really hope it stays that way forever). We decided to arrive two hours before doors, which is considered super early by Lithuanian standards. When we got there, exactly ten people were already waiting - many of them regular fans who attend multiple Hurts shows.
Even though we had a great position, I remember saying, "You always need to stay alert." And I couldn't have been more right. Ten minutes before the official door time, security suddenly started letting people in... only to stop the entrance shortly afterwards because the ticket scanners stopped working. Imagine my frustration. I could see the other fans already running inside to secure their spots while I was stuck by the entrance gates because the scanners weren't working. At that point, it was already the third time this year that poor organisation had almost cost me a barricade spot. (You can read about the Kings of Leon entrance confusion in Tallinn here).
Eventually we got inside, and I sprinted up the hill to secure a side barricade spot. I was a little disappointed because I definitely could have been closer to the centre if it hadn't been for the delay, but everything turned out perfectly in the end.
To make things even more ''pleasant'', it rained quite heavily while we were waiting, but thankfully it stopped just before the concert started.
And a little shoutout to my concert partners-in-crime this time - my mom and Eirini, an amazing Greek Hurts fan who found me on Instagram and travelled all the way to Kaunas for the show!
Hurts Concert in Kaunas timeline
4:45 PM – Arrived at the venue
6:50 PM – Doors opened
8:00 PM – opener: Kazimieras Likša
9:00 PM – Hurts
10:30 PM – End
Overall, the Hurts concert lasted around 1 hour and 30 minutes, with the band taking the stage at 9 PM and finishing around 10:30 PM.
Theo takes the stage in Kaunas
Right on schedule, Theo and his band took the stage at 9 PM and immediately mesmerised the crowd (yes, I'm speaking for everyone here haha).
Dressed in his signature dark grey suit, white shirt, and sunglasses, there were no surprises there. The biggest visual change everyone seemed to be discussing, though, was Theo's moustache - and from what I've heard so far, most fans aren't exactly loving it.
Anyway, back to Theo being an incredibly charming performer. Opening with ‘Silver Lining’, he immediately captured the audience with his deep voice and incredible stage presence. The energy only kept building through ‘Some Kind of Heaven’, ‘Ready to Go’, ‘Miracle’, and one of my personal favourites, ‘Rolling Stone’.
Once again, Theo proved why he's such a captivating frontman. He's artistic, charismatic, effortlessly elegant, and completely owns the stage. Combined with his deep, powerful voice, you really don't need huge production or special effects. Great songs and a great performer are more than enough to create an unforgettable concert.
The setlist featured songs from every Hurts album, although only one track from Faith,‘Voices’, made the final selection.
First-row experience – always worth it
It was my very first time seeing Hurts from the barricade, and I honestly couldn't believe how close Theo was. Throughout the show, he constantly interacted with the front row - waving, pointing at people, holding out the microphone for us to sing, and generally making the whole experience feel incredibly personal.
I was lucky enough to get noticed too. Now, you might wonder how I know it was actually me since he was wearing sunglasses. I was waving at him, he looked directly at me, smiled, and waved back.
I'm pretty sure there were a few more little interactions during the show, but with the sunglasses, you can never be 100% certain.
Then the first part of the show ended with ‘Wings’ and Theo's signature tradition of throwing white roses into the audience. Normally, being in the first row actually makes it harder to catch one because he always throws them far into the crowd. Buuut... Theo came over to our side holding two roses. He teased us for a while before finally giving one to the girl standing next to me (please, kill me now). Then he stood right in front of us, waving the second rose around, and for a brief moment I genuinely thought I was about to get it. Of course... he threw it all the way to the back again. Oh, Theo. Later, I heard someone compare this whole performance to those famous Turkish ice cream sellers, and honestly, I couldn't think of a more accurate comparison.
The ending and setlist thoughts
For the encore, Hurts returned with the energetic ‘Nothing Will Be Bigger Than Us’ and ‘Under Control’ before ending the night with ‘Stay’ while throwing the remaining white roses into the crowd.
Just like that, the perfect evening came to an end.
Overall, the setlist was slightly shorter than I expected - 19 songs and around 90 minutes. I definitely think they could have squeezed in a few more songs, but honestly... husband came to my hometown, so I'm not complaining.
You can find the full setlist from the night here.
How I got the setlist and the guitar picks
After the concert, I did what I almost always do - I stayed around for a while because you never know what might happen.
First, one of the Hurts crew members came over with a stack of printed setlists and started handing them out to fans and I got one too. Then I asked him if there was any chance they had a guitar pick and Hhe simply replied, "Wait." I watched him walk back onto the stage, talk to another crew member, and point in my direction. A few moments later, the other crew member came back carrying two guitar picks and a stage setlist. He smiled and said,"Both picks were used tonight. You're so lucky." And honestly... I really did feel lucky.
I ended up sharing the extra setlist with my Greek friend before we went for a drink to relive what had just been a perfect night.
Final thoughts
Hurts are such an underrated band, and I honestly don't understand why. But in a way, it works out quite well for fans like me. We still get reasonably priced tickets, smaller and more intimate venues, and a passionate fan community.
This concert felt even more special because it happened in my hometown - the same city where I first fell in love with Hurts back in 2011. Standing in the front row, getting noticed by Theo, and leaving with guitar picks and a setlist... it really was a dream concert.
I've now almost completed my personal Hurts fangirl checklist over the past few summers: a photo with Theo, a signed poster (you can read about it here), a wave from Theo, guitar picks, a setlist, and a rose. There are still a few little dreams left, but I won't say them out loud. No need to jinx anything.
So, if you ever get the chance to see Hurts live, don't think twice - just go. You might discover your new favourite band.
Hurts will play two more European shows in September 2026 - in Bucharest and Prague. If you can make it, I highly recommend going.
For the full story, videos, and more concert adventures:
Instagram – @concerts.enthusiast
TikTok – @concerts.enthusiast
