After a long run at the mic for Dutch rock institution The Gathering, Norwegian singer Silje Wergeland has announced she’s leaving the band. She has been fronting The Gathering since early 2009, and she shared the news in a statement posted on her social media on Sunday, December 28.
“It’s a new dawn and a new year. After 16 years of creating and playing great music with The Gathering, it’s time to move on to new ventures. I have had so many awesome experiences and made great memories with this band that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I wish my bandmates all the best for the future. Thanks for all the great support and the lovely conversations with all you wonderful [The Gathering] fans around the globe. Lots of love.”
Before stepping into The Gathering, Wergeland sang for the Norwegian band Octavia Sperati.
The band also issued a statement, thanking her and wishing her well: “We’d like to thank Silje for her contribution to the band over the past 16 years. We’re very proud of the wonderful records we’ve made together (from The West Pole to Beautiful Distortion), and all the shows we’ve played. We will miss her as a fantastic vocalist and a dear friend. We wish her all the best in the future!”
Her departure also lands during a busy period for the band’s legacy-era activity. To mark the 30th anniversary of Mandylion, the The Gathering lineup that recorded the album — including singer Anneke Van Giersbergen — regrouped for multiple shows in the Netherlands this past summer. That same Mandylion lineup already has more than two dozen dates lined up for 2026, with concerts announced across Europe and South America, plus a slot at the ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta in September.
