From pioneering electronic acts to farewell tours for rock giants, 2017 will have no shortage of huge tours gracing the nation’s arenas and stadiums. Some of them are likely to show up at next year’s festivals too, but you still won’t want to miss these massive dates all of their own.
What to expect:
Black Sabbath
What to expect: The band have announced that these shows will be their last ever as a group, so if you’ve been putting off seeing the metal legends you’ve got no time to waste. As they’re saying their goodbyes, perhaps drummer Bill Ward will be welcomed back into the fold for the last hurrah.
Tour dates: Manchester, Arena (January 22), Glasgow, The SSE Hydro (24), Leeds, First Direct Arena (26), London, The O2 (29, 31), Birmingham, Genting Arena (2,4)
Tickets: Remaining tickets for the tour are available from NME.com/tickets.
What to expect:
Bon Iver
What to expect: After an intimate premiere of new album ‘22, A Million’ in Berlin, NME said “from here the next step surely is world domination”. Catch Justin Vernon’s band as they continue down that path across the UK.
Tour dates: Blackpool, Empress Ballroom (10), Edinburgh, Playhouse Theatre (12, 13), London, Roundhouse (15, 16), London, Eventim Apollo Hammersmith (19)
Tickets: All shows on the tour are sold out, but some tickets are available from secondary resale sites.
What to expect:
Coldplay
What to expect: Last year’s stadium tour and Glastonbury headline set were technicoloured, hit-filled displays that dazzled both loyal and new fans. Their Cardiff gigs could be their final appearances in the UK for a while, so expect some kind of big send off for the UK leg of the ‘A Head Full Of Dreams’ tour.
Tour dates: Cardiff, Principality Stadium (July 11, 12)
Tickets: Remaining tickets for the tour are available from NME.com/tickets
What to expect:
Depeche Mode
What to expect: The group are back on the live circuit with new album ‘Spirit’, but previous tours have seen them pack in their best tunes both old and new – sometimes as special acoustic versions by guitarist Martin Gore. Their massive London show should offer more of the same.
Tour dates: London, London Stadium (June 3)
Tickets: Tickets for the show are available from NME.com/tickets
What to expect:
Drake
What to expect: Drizzy returns to the UK as possibly the biggest name in the rap game following the success of last album ‘Views’, so expect plenty of hits and maybe even a special guest or two.
Tour dates: Glasgow, The SSE Hydro (January 26), London, The O2 (January 28, 30, February 1, 2, 4, 5), Leeds, First Direct Arena (8)
, Manchester, Arena (11, 12),
Sheffield, Arena (17), Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena (22, 23)
Tickets:Tickets for the tour will be available from NME.com/tickets
What to expect:
Elbow
What to expect: The group are back from their lengthy hiatus and will showcase their new album on a lengthy new run of dates. Guy Garvey and his pals aren’t going to give you just unfamiliar new cuts, though – they’re always willing to find room for some of the old classics like ‘One Day Like This’ and ‘Seldom Seen Kid’ too.
Tour dates: Birmingham, O2 Academy (March 1, 2), London, Eventim Apollo (4, 5, 6), Bournemouth, BIC (8), Plymouth, Pavilions (9), Newport, Centre (10), Edinburgh, Usher Hall (12, 13), Bridlington, Spa (14), Doncaster, Dome (15), Leicester, De Montfort Hall (16), Manchester, O2 Apollo (17, 19, 20, 21)
Tickets: Remaining tickets for the tour are available from NME.com/tickets
What to expect:
Green Day
What to expect: ‘Revolution Radio’ is definitely a return to form for the punk trio, meaning that new material from the album will likely take centre stage at these shows. Plus with Billie Joe Armstrong now sober, he’ll hopefully be back on top form.
Tour dates: Leeds, First Direct Arena (5 Feb), Manchester, Manchester Arena (6), London, O2 Arena (8), London, Hyde Park (1 July)
Tickets: Remaining tickets for the tour are available from NME.com/tickets
What to expect:
Iron Maiden
What to expect: The rock legends are using a paperless ticket system for their UK tour to combat touts, meaning that the entire crowd will be made up of fans only. Expect the atmosphere to be rocking.
Tour dates: Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena (May 4), Manchester, Arena (8), Sheffield, Arena (10), Leeds, First Direct Arena (11), Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena (14), Glasgow, The SSE Hydro (16), Aberdeen, GE Arena (17), Liverpool, Echo Arena (20), Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena (21), Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena (24), London, The O2 (27, 28)
Tickets: Remaining tickets for the tour are available from their band’s official website.
What to expect:
Kaiser Chiefs
What to expect: New album ‘Stay Together’ sees the Leeds group embrace synth-pop with decent results, so a smattering of soft, new material should combine well with the rowdy “woaahhh”s of the band’s old classics.
Tour dates: Llandudno, Venue Cymru Arena (February 22), Bournemouth, International Centre (24)
, Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena (25), Plymouth, Pavilions (27), Brighton, Centre (28), London, The O2 (1), Manchester, Arena (3), Leeds, First Direct Arena (4)
Tickets: Remaining tickets for the tour are available from NME.com/tickets
What to expect:
Kraftwerk
What to expect: The German techno pioneers are bringing their much lauded ‘3-D’ live show to the UK once again, following previous stints at London’s Tate Museum and the odd festival date. Tickets sold out in a flash so savour the experience if you’re one of the lucky ones going.
Tour dates: Belfast, Waterfront Hall (4), Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall (9), Edinburgh, Usher Hall (10), Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall (11), Birmingham, Symphony Hall (13), Gateshead, Sage (14), Sheffield, City Hall (15), Bristol, Colston Hall (17), Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall (18), Manchester, Bridgewater Hall (19) London, Royal Albert Hall (21, 22, 23)
Tickets: All shows on the tour are sold out, but some tickets are available from secondary sites.
What to expect:
The Stone Roses
What to expect: Last year’s Etihad shows saw them showcase new music for the first time in two decades, and with news that other songs may have been completed, perhaps a few new ones could find their way into the setlist, alongside the first album classics.
Tour dates: Belfast, SSE Arena (June 13) London, Wembley Stadium (17), Glasgow, Hampden Park (24)
Tickets: Remaining tickets for the tour are available from NME.com/tickets
What to expect:
Two Door Cinema Club
What to expect: Their new album ‘Gameshow’ finds the group honing their pop sensibilities even more, and with academies making up the locations for many of these tour dates, the Bangor boys’ latest jaunt will provide the best chance to see them in relatively intimate venues.
Tour dates: Birmingham Academy (January 24), Cambridge Corn Exchange (25), Manchester Apollo (27, 28), Leeds Academy (30), Newcastle Academy (31), Liverpool Guild Of Students (February 2), Glasgow Barrowlands (3-4), Southampton Guildhall (6), Bristol Academy (7), London Alexandra Palace (9, 10)
Tickets: Some dates on the tour are now sold out, but remaining tickets are available on NME.com.tickets.
What To Expect:
The Weeknd
What to expect: Abél Tesfaye follows up his face-numbingly brilliant ‘Beauty Behind The Madness’ album with the Daft Punk-featuring ‘Starboy’ later this month (November 25). He’ll bring those two records, plus older tracks to this mammoth leg of his Legends Of The Fall world tour in March.
Tour dates: Manchester, Arena (March 5), London, The O2 (7, 8), Glasgow, The SSE Hydro (10), Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena (11), Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena (13), Leeds, First Direct Arena (14)
Tickets: Some dates on the tour are now sold out, but remaining tickets are available on NME.com.tickets.
What To Expect:
Blossoms
What to expect: The Stockport boys continue their grand ascent with their biggest headline dates yet next March. Expect the likes of ‘Charlemagne’ and ‘Blown Rose’ to sound massive in these venues.
Tour dates: Keele, University Ballroom (March 16), Liverpool, Olympia (17), Brighton, Dome (18), Lincoln, Engine Shed (20), Exeter, Lemon Grove (21), London, Roundhouse (23), Bristol, O2 Academy (24), Cardiff, Trashed (25), Norwich, Nick Rayns LCR, UEA (27), Birmingham, O2 Academy (29), Leeds, O2 Academy (30), Newcastle, O2 Academy (31), Glasgow, O2 Academy (April 1)
Tickets: Tickets are available on NME.com.tickets.
What To Expect:
Blink-182
What to expect: The Californian pop-punkers return to the UK following their headline sets at Reading & Leeds this summer, with new album ‘California’ in tow. Drummer Travis Barker has teased a record of songs that didn’t make that album to be released around Christmas, so perhaps they’ll have even more new songs to play for us come July.
Tour dates: Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena (July 3), Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena (4), Leeds, First Direct Arena (5), Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena (7), Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena (9), Glasgow, The SSE Hydro (11), Manchester, Arena (14), Liverpool, Echo Arena (15), Bournemouth, BIC (17), London, The O2 (19)
Tickets: Tickets are available on NME.com.tickets.
What To Expect:
Metronomy
What to expect: Joe Mount took himself back to the summer of 2008 on his latest album, the fittingly titled ‘Summer 08’, and explored his first tastes of success. Sounds boring on paper, but on record it’s a thrilling journey that combines jagged postpone, Swedish synth-pop and more.
Tour dates: Glasgow, O2 ABC (May 16), Manchester, Albert Hall (17), London, O2 Academy Brixton (19)
Tickets: Tickets are available on NME.com.tickets.
What To Expect:
Kings Of Leon
What to expect: The Followills rediscovered their form on latest album ‘WALLS’ (short for ‘We Are Like Love Songs’). They’ll bring the bright licks of that record to the UK for a huge arena tour in February.
Tour dates: Leeds, First Direct Arena (February 19), Birmingham, Genting Arena (20), Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena (24), Liverpool, Echo Arena (25), Glasgow, The SSE Hydro Arena (27)
Tickets: Most dates on the tour are now sold out, but remaining tickets are available on NME.com.tickets.
