In this week’s Gig Guide, we bring you 10 of the latest UK and Ireland shows and tours to be announced!
Thrice
Thrice will be in the UK on tour in 2026!
Dates:
March 2026
13 – Cardiff, Tramshed
14 – Manchester, O2 Ritz
15 – Glasgow, SWG3 Galvanizers
17 – Nottingham, Rock City
18 – Birmingham, O2 Institute
19 – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town
Iron Maiden
Credit: John McMurtrie
Iron Maiden will be performing a huge outdoor show in the UK next month.
The date had already been announced but the location and supports were left a mystery.
Supporting Iron Maiden on the UK date will be The Hu, The Darkness, Airbourne and The Almighty!
The band’s manager Rod Smallwood said: “We knew that we had to bring the Run For Your Lives show back to the UK again next summer as there was such a phenomenal demand for tickets this year but we wanted to do something a bit different especially as it would be hard to top the show at London Stadium!
“Well, we think that Knebworth is the solution – besides being a legendary venue for historic concerts over the years going right back to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Stones and Queen – it also gives us the outdoor space and control to create something very special for our fans! Of course, we also have history there too with our headline appearances at Sonisphere some years ago, who could forget that World War I Centenary dog fight over the park’s tree line with Bruce full guns blazing in his own Fokker triplane?
“However, this time we will be taking over the whole of the grounds ourselves and turning it into as much of a ‘Maiden World’ as we can for all our fans to enjoy!
“Our Eddie’s Dive Bars have proved immensely popular on this current tour so our intention is to create our biggest one yet which will also be open on the Friday for the campers from the separate communal camping & glamping areas. For those lucky Friday night campers there will be a full programme of Maiden-themed entertainment there that night, which we expect to include some live music, DJs, the aforementioned dive bar, along with other attractions and entertainment we are currently working on to make it the best warm up for the big day!
“So we hope you will join us next year as we continue to celebrate five decades of Iron Maiden. It’s going to be one for the history books…in a really historic venue!”
Justin Hawkins, frontman of The Darkness said: “We’re thrilled to announce that The Darkness are to appear LIVE in support of the legendary Iron Maiden at Knebworth!
“Iron Maiden are among our favourite all-time bands and what’s more, they are named after my second favourite medieval torture device. My favourite would be the Pear of Anguish. So those in attendance can expect us to force our music into them, whereupon the catchiness of our tuneage will expand until they tell us everything. Yay!!!”
Mongolian metal sensations The Hu, said: “We are very happy to be coming back to the UK and thrilled to perform at Knebworth Park, sharing the stage with the legendary band Iron Maiden once again, with their invite. We, The Hu, always look forward to creating an energetic show so it will be a day to remember.”
Joel O’Keefe of Australian rock‘n’rollers Airbourne said: “I love Maiden, You love Maiden, Winston Churchill loves Maiden, We all love Iron Maiden! Knebworth will be a monumental Maiden moment, it’s such an honour to rock with them on their home soil once again.
“Airbourne is pumped up to the max, we’ll give you all the Rock’n’Roll, blood sweat and flying beers we got in us! Then we’ll see you out front just in time for ‘Doctor Doctor’! Up The Irons!”
Ricky Warwick, frontman of The Almighty, said: “It’s an absolute honour to be part of such a fantastic bill. The Almighty share a long history with Iron Maiden, having opened for the mighty Irons on many occasions, and we count them as great friends. For me, it will be especially meaningful as it falls on my 60th birthday and I can’t think of a more rock ’n’ roll way to celebrate. Bring it on!”
Date:
July 2026
11 – Knebworth
IST IST
IST IST will be touring in the UK shortly!
Dates:
November 2025
28 – Leeds, Warehouse
29 – Glasgow, Oran Mor
5 – London – 229
6 – Birmingham, O2 Academy2
May 2026
1 – Manchester, Albert Hall
w/ Support from DESPERATE JOURNALIST + THE YOUTH PLAY
Opeth
Credit: Terhi Ylimäinen
Opeth will perform a UK exclusive show in 2026.
It will take place in Halifax and the full supporting lineup will be announced in 2026.
Date:
August 2026
1 – Halifax, Piece Hall
Bad Suns
Credit: Sarah Eiseman
Bad Suns will be on tour in the UK in 2026!
The band said: “We’re incredibly excited to finally be returning to the UK and Europe, bringing the Acceleratour to the fans who have been patiently waiting since our last shows there. This record is very special to us and it’s not lost on us how lucky we are to get to play it so far from home. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone next spring.”
Dates;
February 2026
February 28 · Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s
March 2 · Dublin, Ireland @ Whelan’s
March 4 · Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
March 5 · London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
Hot Mulligan
Hot Mulligan will be on a run of headline shows in the UK and Ireland in 2026.
Dates:
March 2026
6 – Leeds, Project House
7 – Manchester, Academy
8 – Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom
10 – Bristol, The Prospect Building
11 – Birmingham, O2 Institute
12 – London, Roundhouse
15 – Dublin, The Academy
I Prevail
Credit: Reilly Clark
I Prevail will perform in the UK next year!
Support will come from Polaris and Amira Elfeky.
Dates:
September 2026
19 – Leeds, O2 Academy
20 – Glasgow, O2 Academy
22 – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
25 – London, Alexandra Palace
26 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
Plini
Credit: Chad Dao
Plini will be in the UK in 2026 with support from Sungazer.
Dates:
May 2026
21 – Bristol, Electric
22 – London, Electric Ballroom
23 – Manchester, Club Academy
24 – Birmingham, Asylum
Buckcherry & Michael Monroe
Credit: Tommy Sommers II
Buckcherry will be on tour with Michael Monroe in 2026!
Michael Monroe says: “We’re looking forward to teaming up with Buckcherry for what will be an unmissable rock ’n’ roll tour. Be there!”
Dates:
February 2026
24 – Southampton, The 1865
25 – Manchester, The O2 Ritz
27 – Wolverhampton, KK’s SteelMill
28 – Newcastle, Northumbria Institute
March 2026
01 – Glasgow, SWG3
03 – Cardiff, Tramshed
04 – Torquay, The Foundry
06 – Nottingham, Rockcity
07 – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town
08 – Brighton, Chalk
Artio
Credit: Kahal @cloudpoizon
Artio will be touring the UK in March in support of new album Soul Rot (January 21, 2026. LAB Records).
Dates:
March 2026
11 – Nottingham, Rough Trade
12 – London, Omeara
13 – Bristol, Rough Trade
19 – Glasgow, Audio
20 – Leeds, The Key Club
21 – Manchester, The Lodge at Deaf Institute
