The Best Metal Shows of 2025 (And How to See Them Again in 2026)

This might have been the greatest year for heavy metal live shows in a generation. In July, Ozzy Osbourne’s retirement gig brought the entire genre together for one stadium-filling moment of reverence, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. From Iron Maiden to Ice Nine Kills, multiple bands have graduated to their biggest leagues yet, while the underground is full-to-bursting with promising talent. And, the momentum already seems set to continue in 2026.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Monday, 08 December 2025

Hottest Tickets: Stereoboard's Xmas Gift Guide

Hey! You! Stop scratching your head while wondering how to spin the fact you’ve got socks for everyone (again). This Christmas, why not give the gift of lights, noise, dancing and merriment? That’s right, why not buy tickets for that someone special? Here, we pull together some of the biggest and best tours that are set to hit the UK and Ireland in 2026, gaining a little bit of seasonal inspiration from Stereoboard’s constantly-updated Hottest 100 Tickets list, where you’ll always find info on the shows that are selling like hot (Christmas) cakes. 

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Wednesday, 03 December 2025

'Success Is Longevity': Justin Hawkins on The Darkness's Return to Arenas After 20 Years

Photo: Sam Lane Wherever your cut-off point for Christmas songs falls, November 25 is a pretty safe bet to start rolling out something draped in tinsel. The festive spirit is sky-high inside London’s St. Pancras International train station, where hundreds swarm around the fenced-off piano, layered up and eagerly anticipating the arrival of The Darkness. Shortly after 1pm, Justin Hawkins  and his younger brother Dan emerge through the glass elevator, armed with one solitary acoustic guitar.

Written by: Rishi Shah | Date: Thursday, 27 November 2025

Five Reasons Why Luke Combs' My Kinda Saturday Night Tour Is The Hottest Ticket Around

Photo: David Bergman How many nights at Wembley Stadium is too many? Silly question, especially if you’re Luke Combs looking at your diary for next summer. The country star’s upcoming My Kinda Saturday Night Tour has been one of the buzziest tickets around of late, with dates selling out left right and centre. He’s set to play three nights at Wembley, following up two at Slane Castle in Ireland and two at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, and could have played a whole bunch more if time allowed for it. Here, we take a look at five reasons why Combs is the man to see live in 2026. Head here to find tickets through Stereoboard.

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Tuesday, 11 November 2025

Bodyweb: Meet The Leeds Mob Blending Slipknot And Hardcore Catharsis

Photo: Nat Wood When he’s writing music, Louis Hardy is trying to excavate something. “It can be a really thorough way of trying to explore yourself on a deep level,” he reasons. “I don’t want to say it’s like therapy, because that’s the most clichéd thing ever, but you can explore a lot. If something happens in my life that triggers a strong emotion in any direction, I want to write a song about it.”

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Thursday, 06 November 2025

Poetry, Cinema, PISS: Getting To Know Hardcore's Most Exciting New Band

Photo: Megan Magdalena Around the corner from Womanby Street, long the heartbeat of Cardiff’s live music scene, you’ll find the City Arms. Downstairs, punters sink pre-gig pints. Upstairs, in a quiet corner, Canadian hardcore experimentalists PISS are in quietly good spirits, munching on Haribos and enjoying a cup of tea before their set at Sŵn festival.

Written by: James Palaczky | Date: Wednesday, 29 October 2025

Light And Shade: Meet The Guest List, Your New Favourite Indie Band

With the band sprawled across a sofa even as frontman Cai Alty’s phone is perched precariously on the edge of a table, The Guest List cut a relaxed figure as our Zoom chat gets underway. It’s fitting given how they want to be seen as musicians. “A lot of bands feel very serious right now, and we like showing that you don’t always have to be,” Cai explains. “We’ve got our serious songs  but it’s important to have lighter moments. Some of the best bands never took themselves too seriously and we want to do the same.” 

Written by: Amelia Jones | Date: Monday, 27 October 2025

Hottest Tickets: Take That, Westlife, Boyzone and the Enduring Appeal of Boybands

Boybands have always been big business, but have manbands become even bigger business? A quick look at Stereoboard’s Hottest 100 list suggests that they might well have. Over the coming weeks, Westlife will get their 25th anniversary celebrations underway at the Royal Albert Hall in London, while next year both Boyzone and Take That will hit the road for colossal stadium shows. Here, we take a look at just why these groups continue to resonate with people so deeply.

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Five Sets That Blew Us Away At Sŵn 2025

Photo: Ren Faulkner Each year, as the summer’s festivals fade into a distant memory and the cold winter nights draw in, Sŵn is a beacon warding off impending winter blues by unleashing an onslaught of new music onto the streets of Cardiff, taking over venues both traditional and unusual across the Welsh capital. The only downside of this bountiful celebration of culture is that you can’t catch everyone.

Written by: James Palaczky | Date: Tuesday, 21 October 2025

'We Don't Want to be What You Want Us to Be': Swim School On Their Debut LP and Tour Plans

Swim School are in the midst of a deeply exciting time, with the release of their self-titled debut album running straight into a buzzy UK and Ireland headline tour, which kicks off in Newcastle on November 5. Comprising guitarist-vocalist Alice Johnson, guitarist Lewis Bunting, bassist Lee Brown and drummer Billy McMahon, the Edinburgh band’s sound is a potent blend of shoegaze noise and heady melody — we caught up with them to chatting about everything from the brutality of the music industry to blending genres and touring in a cold van.

Written by: Laura Mills | Date: Monday, 20 October 2025

Scream Louder: Five Pivotal Florence + The Machine Performances

Photo: Autumn De Wilde There are few sights in contemporary pop quite like Florence Welch in full flow. Over the course of almost two decades, the leader of Florence + The Machine has become one of the most arrestingly theatrical live performers on the planet, melding startling vocal power with otherworldly presence equal parts Stevie Nicks and folk-tale sprite.

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Tuesday, 14 October 2025

The View From The Merch Table: Panic Shack

Photo: Ren Faulkner If you love music, your wardrobe is likely stuffed full of band shirts. You might have a bunch of hoodies or a cap or two as well, or maybe something even more eclectic than that. It’s a conversation starter with fellow fans, a way of announcing that you belong to a certain scene, and a way of shouting about bands you love. On top of that, it’s also a vital way of putting money in artists’ pockets at a time where making enough money is harder than ever. Put simply, it’s the lifeblood of music.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Thursday, 09 October 2025

'We're The UK's Halloween Band': Creeper On 'Sanguivore II', Cosplay and Comic Con

Photo: Harry Steel For Creeper, rock music is about much more than just riffs and anthemic choruses. While the Southampton goth-punk outfit certainly do a brisk trade in both, there’s a third key element that defines their vision: world-building. From their earliest incarnations, the band have fused theatricality and storytelling with a level of commitment few of their peers can match, creating universes that expand far beyond the confines of a record sleeve. 

Written by: Maddy Howell | Date: Monday, 06 October 2025

'This Year Has Been Crazy': Blood Incantation On Critical Acclaim and Absolute Elsetour II

Photo: Julian Weigand “This year has been crazy, probably the craziest yet,” Paul Riedl says, and given the past 12 months in Blood Incantation’s world it’s not hard to see where he’s coming from. The progressive death-metal titans have barely stopped touring since the release of their incredible fourth album ‘Absolute Elsewhere’ in October last year, but as he logs on to Zoom to chat with Stereoboard, the vocalist and guitarist cuts the figure of a contented, grateful, emboldened man.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Friday, 03 October 2025

The Setlist Draft: What Should The Cure Play At Their 2026 UK and Ireland Shows?

Photo: Andy Vella The Cure are returning for their first full-length tour since the release of 2024 comeback album ‘Songs of a Lost World’. Over the past few days, Robert Smith’s post-punk luminaries have announced multiple 2026 European festival dates, including headline spots at weekenders as huge as Primavera Sound, Isle Of Wigh, Rock en Seine, and Nova Rock. 

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Thursday, 02 October 2025

A Life That Might Inspire Others: Modern Nature Discuss 'The Heat Warps'

Photo: Michael Stasiak Modern Nature’s latest album ‘The Heat Warps’ opens to the sound of dual guitars echoing, weaving, dancing around each other. It’s a world away from the impressionistic, abstract approach of the alternative rock band’s previous albums and finds them adopting a less-is-more philosophy.

Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Tuesday, 30 September 2025

A Call To Arms: Sprints Talk 'All That Is Over'

Photo: Emilia Spitale While it’s far from a hot take, it needs to be emphasised just how much of a great place Irish alternative music is in right now, from cutting edge acts such as Just Mustard and Gilla Band to folk channelers Lankum and The Mary Wallopers to world-beaters Fontaines D.C.. Over the past decade, its tangle of scenes has produced consistently interesting, exciting and progressive prospects. A swathe of bands are also pushing post-punk and noise-rock into daring, yet accessible realms, among them Gurriers, NewDad and the intense Dublin four-piece Sprints.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Monday, 29 September 2025

Still Smitten: Pale Waves On Touring, Changing Meanings and Their Next Step

Photo: @shotbykelsi Released last autumn, ‘Smitten’ was something of a reset for Pale Waves, bringing back their earlier blend of guitar jangle and synth-pop, this time complete with effortless polish. The Mancunian band are about to hit the road for another round of touring behind their fourth LP, visiting compact rooms throughout October that will amp up its emotional flourishes. 

Written by: Laura Mills | Date: Wednesday, 24 September 2025

Danceable Realism: Youth Sector on the Duality of 'Pop Couture'

“Life is a scam, get your money back,” Nick Tompkins cries to kick off Crime, an early highlight on Youth Sector’s debut album ‘Pop Couture’. On paper, it’s a lyric that sets the tone for another bleak, despondent post-punk track, mirroring the dire state of affairs that Britain finds itself in. But, in the case of the Brighton five piece’s sound, you can think again.

Written by: Rishi Shah | Date: Monday, 22 September 2025

Out of Tomorrows: Members of Landless and Lankum Combine To Create Poor Creature's Spectral Folk

Photo: Cian Flynn Ruth Clinton and Cormac MacDiarmada have entranced audiences with their contemporary takes on traditional Irish folk in their respective bands Landless and Lankum and both had contributed to each other’s records. So, when the couple were confined to their home in Sligo during lockdown, it was only natural that a new collaboration was born.

Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Monday, 15 September 2025