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After months of dreaming, festival season is finally upon us. And it’s shaping up to be an almighty summer.
Glastonbury Festival 2024 will be headlined by Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay while British Summer Time Hyde Park will host gigs from Stray Kids, Kylie Minogue and Stevie Nicks. Then there’s Reading & Leeds Festival, which will see the likes of Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Blink-182, Fred Again.., Gerry Cinnamon and Catfish & The Bottlemen head up the bill at the bank holiday bonanza. And that’s before we get to the likes of Download, Latitude and Isle Of Wight.
As well as glorious weekends in a field, there are plenty of fantastic headline tours traversing the UK this month including Taylor Swift’s massive Eras Tour, Liam Gallagher’s ‘Definitely, Maybe’ victory lap and the return of the Foo Fighters. So, diary at the ready – these are the best gigs happening in the UK this month.
Taylor Swift
After what feels like forever, Taylor Swift is finally bringing her absolutely huge ‘Eras’ Tour to the UK. A celebration of her career so far, the massive run of stadium shows sees Swift perform over 40 songs a night alongside a handful of surprise deep cuts. Spectacular as it is, Swift has made every single show feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For the UK leg, she’ll be joined by Paramore and, at the Wembley dates, an amazing array of second special guests. It’s not a show to be missed.
Taylor Swift plays:
Recommended
JUNE
7 – BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
8 – BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
9 – BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
13 – Anfield Stadium, Liverpool
14 – Anfield Stadium, Liverpool
15 – Anfield Stadium, Liverpool
18 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
21 – Wembley Stadium, London
22 – Wembley Stadium, London
23 – Wembley Stadium, London
28 – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
29 – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
30 – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
AUGUST
15 – Wembley Stadium, London
16 – Wembley Stadium, London
17 – Wembley Stadium, London
19 – Wembley Stadium, London
20 -Wembley Stadium, London
Liam Gallagher
Following a snazzy vinyl reissue of Oasis’ iconic debut, ‘Definitely Maybe’, Liam Gallagher is heading out on a mammoth anniversary tour to celebrate 30 years since the game-changing album was released. Gallagher previously teased that he’d be playing some “naughty” B-sides from the ‘Definitely Maybe’ era on the tour, including the Noel Gallagher-sung ‘Half The World Away’. This run of shows is probably the closest we’ll get to an Oasis reunion, so you won’t want to miss it.
Liam Gallagher will play:
JUNE
01 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield
03 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
06 – The O2, London
07 – The O2, London
10 – The O2, London
11 – The O2, London
15 – Co-Op Live, Manchester
16 – Co-Op Live, Manchester
19 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
20 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
23 – 3Arena, Dublin
24 – 3Arena, Dublin
27 – Co-Op Live, Manchester
28 – Co-Op Live, Manchester
Green Day
Not content with releasing ‘Saviors’, which many consider their best album in years, Green Day are celebrating their classic albums ‘American Idiot’ and ‘Dookie’ by playing them in full at stadiums around the world. The tour kicked off in Europe at the end of May and the UK leg begins this month. Can we even call it nostalgia when classic bangers such as ‘Basket Case’ and ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams’ still sound so timeless?
Green Day will play:
JUNE
21 – Emirates Stadium, Manchester
23 – Isle of Wight Festival
25 – Bellahouston Park, Glasgow
27 – Marlay Park, Dublin
29 – Wembley Stadium, London
Kings Of Leon
Fresh from releasing their ninth studio album, the brilliantly rugged ‘Can We Please Have Fun’, Kings Of Leon are readying a huge headline tour. According to the band, they conceived the album as a direct response to constant offers of anniversary jaunts. But rather than relive the past, Kings Of Leon set out to “make something great” and kinetically current. Expect their live show to have the same determined energy.
Kings Of Leon play:
JUNE
20 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
22 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
23 – Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol
30 – Hyde Park BST, London
JULY
2 – OVO Hydro Arena, Glasgow
4 – British F1 Grand Prix, Silverstone
6 – Marley Park, Dublin
8 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
10 – Co-op Live Arena, Manchester
Smashing Pumpkins
Smashing Pumpkins fans have had to endure a lot over the past few decades. Thankfully, the current iteration of the band seems content with both their past and present: they’re creating exciting new music but also putting in crowd-pleasing live sets. Ahead of a tour supporting Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins are teaming up with Weezer for their first UK headline shows since 2018.
Smashing Pumpkins play:
JUNE
7 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
8 – The O2, London
10 – 3Arena, Dublin
12 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
13 – Co-op Live, Manchester
14 – Cardiff Castle, Cardiff
Doja Cat
Fresh from an “off the wall spectacular” appearance at Coachella, Doja Cat is heading out on her own headline tour in support of 2022’s ‘Scarlet’ album. The record, previously known as ‘Hellmouth’, won big at the MTV VMAS and has since spawned an expanded version with a clutch of extra tracks. There’s never been a better time to see this pop powerhouse. Just maybe leave the kids at home?
Doja Cat plays:
JUNE
11 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
12 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
14 – The O2, London
SZA
When SZA was announced as the Sunday night headliner of Glastonbury Festival, some people questioned her ability to pull off one of the year’s biggest gigs. This month, those same people will eat their words. Since the release of her second album ‘SOS’ in 2022, SZA has cemented her position as a generational talent with live shows that are ambitious, emotional and brilliant. Glasto and Hyde Park are the perfect places to showcase her vocal might and charisma.
SZA plays:
JUNE
29 – BST Hyde Park, London
30 – Glastonbury Festival, Somerset
Foo Fighters
It’s been an emotional few years for Foo Fighters. The band’s new album ‘But Here We Are’ channels all that pain, confusion and loss into a record of defiant perseverance. Live, the band have once again leant on the power of music to see them through, with recent gigs a powerfully cathartic celebration of togetherness. Following a surprise appearance at Glastonbury 2023, this UK stadium run finds the Foos back where they belong: absolutely bossing it on massive stages.
Foo Fighters play:
JUNE
13 – Emirates Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester
15 – Emirates Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester
17 – Hampden Stadium, Glasgow
20 – London Stadium, London
22 – London Stadium, London
25 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
27 – Villa Park Stadium, Birmingham
Leigh-Anne
As a member of Little Mix, Leigh-Anne played her fair share of massive arena gigs. But for her first ever solo headline show, she wanted something more intimate. So, she’ll be taking to the stage at London’s 600-capacity Lafayette venue to perform cuts from her debut EP ‘No Hard Feelings’. Her early solo singles were as big and bombastic as anything Little Mix released, but the EP also sees Leigh-Anne embrace a more stripped-back sound. Bring it on.
Leigh Anne plays:
JUNE
11 – Lafayette, London
Ethel Cain
It’s been over two years since Ethel Cain released her gorgeous, emotionally-devastating breakout album ‘Preacher’s Daughter’. Over the past couple of years, Cain has built a dedicated fanbase, collaborated with Ashnikko and Florence And The Machine and played shows with Boygenius. Now, fans are expecting something new and this ‘Childish Behaviour’ tour could well be the start of a new era.
Ethel Cain plays:
JUNE
5 – Roundhouse, London
6 – Roundhouse, London
7 – 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin
Tems
Tems is heading out on her first ever world headline run; her ‘Born In The Wild’ tour kicks off with two dates at London’s Eventim Apollo before hitting Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. The massive run follows the release of Tems’ highly-anticipated debut album ‘Born In The Wild’, which is due for release June 7, and follows on from a brilliant set at Coachella 2024.
Tems plays:
JUNE
11 – Eventim Apollo, London
12 – Eventim Apollo, London
Royal Blood
June is a busy month for Royal Blood. As well as a massive slot at Download Festival, playing on the Main Stage between Black Stone Cherry and Queens Of The Stone Age, the pair will be playing a trio of gigs to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their hugely influential debut album. The band were heralded as the saviours of rock & roll following its release, and the record sounds every bit as exciting today.
Royal Blood play:
JUNE
11 – O2 Academy, Glasgow
12 – UEA LCR, Norwich
14 – Download Festival, Derby
17 – O2 Academy, Bournemouth
18 – O2 Academy, Brixton
19 – O2 Academy, Brixton
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