With Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen leading the way, a blockbuster 2024 beckons for live music. The Mail’s music critic, Adrian Thrills, guides us through the best gigs…
Taylor Time
After all the mind-boggling stats and rave reviews, the Eras tour finally arrives on these shores in June. Taylor Swift’s three-hour pop pageant is the kind of marathon show that’s usually associated with seasoned rockers such as Bruce Springsteen or The Cure — and neither of those have to perform choreographed dance routines in glitzy outfits.
Taylor Swift’s three-hour pop pageant is the kind of marathon show that’s usually associated with seasoned rockers such as Bruce Springsteen
Taylor opens at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, on June 7, before heading to Liverpool, Cardiff and Wembley Stadium, where she’ll play eight nights. Tickets are extremely limited (with resales via official agents the safest bet), although the Eras concert film is available for home rental on Apple TV+, Sky and Prime Video (taylorswift.com).
Stadium Superstars
Swift isn’t the only big name on the road. Having postponed U.S. dates in the autumn as he received treatment for peptic ulcer disease, a fit-again Bruce Springsteen is now back with The E Street Band.
He launches a UK tour at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, on May 5 (livenation.co.uk).
Having postponed U.S. dates in the autumn as he received treatment for peptic ulcer disease, a fit-again Bruce Springsteen is now back with The E Street Band
The same South Wales venue also hosts the return of P!nk’s Summer Carnival tour, which starts on June 11 (ticketmaster.co.uk), and a one-off show by piano man Billy Joel on August 9 (aegpresents.co.uk).
Arena Pleasers
Celebrating the life of former bandmate Sarah Harding, who died in 2021, Girls Aloud have reunited as a four-piece and will deliver a nostalgia-packed show when they start a tour at the SSE Arena, Belfast, on May 20 (ticketmaster.co.uk).
Now a trio of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald, Take That will aim to make light of the departures of Robbie Williams and Jason Orange as they start a tour at Utilita Arena, Sheffield, on April 13. Britain’s most mature boy band recently released a new album, This Life, but will rely heavily on crowd-pleasers such as Shine and Rule The World (gigsandtours.com).
Celebrating the life of former bandmate Sarah Harding, who died in 2021, Girls Aloud have reunited as a four-piece and will deliver a nostalgia-packed show when they start a tour at the SSE Arena, Belfast
Bedroom pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo begins her Guts tour in a new £365 million Manchester venue, Co-op Live, on May 3 (livenation.co.uk), while Paul Weller plays gigs in April (seetickets.com).
The Pet Shop Boys are touring in June, and Texas have announced an autumn tour, which starts at The O2, London, on September 5 (both axs.com). Barry Manilow is also returning for what he vows will be his ‘final’ UK tour. He opens at Co-op Live, Manchester, on May 19, before bringing the spirit of the Copacabana to the London Palladium — a venue he first played in 1978 — for a nine- night residency, starting on May 23 (ticketmaster.co.uk).
Eighties Throwbacks
The stars of the decade when shoulder pads and mullets were the height of cool are also back in action.
Simple Minds, with founder members Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill at the helm, begin their biggest tour since 1985 at First Direct Arena, Leeds, on March 15. They also play two hometown gigs in Glasgow (gigsandtours.com).
Simple Minds, with founder members Jim Kerr (pictured) and Charlie Burchill at the helm, begin their biggest tour since 1985
To mark their 50th anniversary, Squeeze are also returning. The South Londoners play 36 shows in the autumn, opening at Sheffield City Hall on October 4 (gigsandtours.com), while The Pretenders start a tour on February 24 at The Glasshouse, Gateshead, and play two nights at the London Palladium (ticketmaster.co.uk).
Soul Girls
With her sixth album, The Glorification Of Sadness, due in February, Paloma Faith starts a tour at The Hexagon, Reading, on April 3, and Joss Stone, having co-written West End musical The Time Traveller’s Wife with Dave Stewart, headlines the Royal Albert Hall on July 8 (both ticketmaster.co.uk).
With her sixth album, The Glorification Of Sadness, due in February, Paloma Faith starts a tour at The Hexagon, Reading, on April 3
Jess Glynne is also back. The soul siren, whose last album was 2018’s Always In Between, starts a summer tour at the Open Air Theatre, Scarborough, on June 15, while Ellie Goulding will revamp her greatest hits with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall on April 11 (both live nation.co.uk).
Indie Idols
The Killers topped the charts with this month’s career-spanning Rebel Diamonds compilation, but it will be the 20th anniversary of another album — their 2004 debut Hot Fuss — that the Las Vegas band will celebrate on their first arena tour in six years. Brandon Flowers and Co. open on June 18 with the first of four nights at Co-op Live, Manchester (ticketmaster.co.uk).
The Killers topped the charts with this month’s career-spanning Rebel Diamonds compilation, but it will be the 20th anniversary of another album — their 2004 debut Hot Fuss
Another group marking a 20th anniversary next year are Keane, whose BRIT-winning debut, Hopes And Fears, also came out in 2004. The East Sussex band play seven UK shows, starting at First Direct Arena, Leeds, on May 3 (ticketmaster.co.uk). And The 1975 start a tour at OVO Hydro, Glasgow, on February 8 (livenation.co.uk).
Dance and Rap
Fresh from opening the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year show, DJ Pete Tong and conductor Jules Buckley are taking their Ibiza Classics spectacular back on tour, adding orchestral stylings to vintage dance tunes.
DJ Pete Tong (pictured) and conductor Jules Buckley are taking their Ibiza Classics spectacular back on tour
They play open-air shows next summer before starting a winter tour at P&J Live, Aberdeen, on December 4 (gigsandtours.com).
Twice crowned best dance act at the BRITs, Becky Hill starts her autumn tour at OVO Hydro, Glasgow, on October 12 (livenation.co.uk), while female rappers Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat are also touring. Minaj launches her Pink Friday 2 tour at Co-op Live, Manchester, on May 25. Doja Cat starts her Scarlet tour at OVO Hydro, Glasgow, on June 11 (both livenation.co.uk).
Happy Glampers
June’s Glastonbury line-up is still under wraps — Coldplay, Dua Lipa and Springsteen are being mentioned as headliners — but other festivals have shown their hands, with Duran Duran, London Grammar and Rick Astley at Latitude in July (latitude festival.com), and Lana Del Rey, Liam Gallagher and Raye at Reading and Leeds in August (reading andleedsfestival.com).
June’s Glastonbury line-up is still under wraps — Coldplay, Dua Lipa and Springsteen are being mentioned as headliners — but other festivals have shown their hands
The Prodigy, Green Day and Suede play the Isle Of Wight in June (isleofwightfestival.com), and Robbie Williams and Andrea Bocelli top the bill at BST Hyde Park in July (bst-hydepark.com). Of the smaller events, Nocturne Live, at Blenheim Palace in June, boasts an impressive female cast, with Chaka Khan, Sister Sledge, the Sugababes and Mel C (nocturnelive.com).