The Bristol post-hardcore band Svalbard have announced they are breaking up, with a range of farewell shows to come over the next year.
Formed in 2011 by Serena Cherry, Liam Phelan and Mark Lilley, the band released four albums together: ‘One Day All This Will End’ (2015), ‘It’s Hard To Have Hope’ (2018), ‘When I Die, Will I Get Better?’ (2020) and ‘The Weight Of The Mask’ (2023).
Earlier this week (May 28), the band shared the news on their Instagram, where they wrote: “2026 will be the last year of Svalbard”. They explained that “after much reflection”, they have decided to call it a day, and they thanked their fans and “everyone who has supported us during our 15 years as a band”.
“Your support has meant the world to us,” they added. “We’ve shared so many unforgettable moments and we look forward to commemorating our last year as a band with you in 2026.”
They confirmed that they will play one final UK tour in November this year, which will then be followed by final tours in Europe and Japan, as well as “a few more select farewell shows in 2026”. See the November UK dates below and find tickets for the shows here.
Svalbard will play:
NOVEMBER
19 – Glasgow, Slay
20 – Manchester, Rebellion
21 – Newcastle, Think Tank
22 – Bristol, Thekla
23 – London, Oslo Hackney
Speaking about the decision to split, singer Serena Cherry has said: “From the moment we formed Svalbard in 2011, all we wanted was to play loud and play shows. Every single moment was exciting to us, from playing DIY squat shows to major metal festivals all over Europe. I think we will always feel a slight state of disbelief over what our noisy little band from Bristol managed to achieve.
“We never wanted to create music that was easy to pigeonhole, and I feel proud that we always stayed true to ourselves musically and never restricted our creativity within the genre rule book. The support we received over the years as a band is something that I will carry in my heart forever. It’s a testament to the open-mindedness of the metal community that our sound and our outspokenness was embraced with open arms.
“I would like to say a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported Svalbard, it’s been an incredible journey and we could not have done it without you.”
As well as the newly-announced dates, Svalbard will also be playing at Download Festival on June 13.