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.
What to get for someone who likes…the tea
For the past couple of months the big story in pop has been Lily Allen’s ‘West End Girl’, a coruscating deconstruction of a marriage that’s also heaving with bangers. Tickets for her accompanying run of theatre shows in the spring — including three nights at the London Palladium — sold out faster than you could shout ‘divorce’, but Allen was quick to follow up with news of an arena run that’ll feature the record performed front to back. Tickets for her June shows at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, Manchester’s AO Arena, Leeds’ First Direct Bank Arena, Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff’s Utilita Arena, Birmingham’s BP Pulse Live, The O2 in London and Dublin’s 3Arena are on sale now, while if you know of any festival heads who’d appreciate some catharsis along with their sunny vibes, look into London’s Mighty Hoopla, which Allen will headline in May. For other pop-tastic shenanigans, you might consider splurging on tickets to see boyband royalty in Take That, Boyzone and Westlife, or check out Lewis Capaldi’s big summer plans or The Weeknd’s none-more-massive stadium spectaculars.
What to get for someone who likes…to rock
It’s been a while since Jon Bon Jovi has flashed that megawatt smile at a big crowd, but that will change next summer. Four years after the vocal cord surgery that temporarily prevented their frontman from touring, Bon Jovi will return for their Forever Tour, and the wild demand for tickets has only underlined just how much people have been awaiting the rock giants’ return to the stage. Kicking off in July with a massive nine nights at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, the run will head to the UK and Ireland the following month, with shows at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh and Dublin’s Croke Park leading into a trio of hotly anticipated gigs at London’s Wembley Stadium. If you’ve got someone in your life who’s Always seeking some Bad Medicine while Livin’ On A Prayer, tickets are on sale now. Also in this realm, you’ll find the returning Foo Fighters, plus Metallica, My Chemical Romance, and Kings of Leon, who all have some colossal dates in the diary for 2026.
What to get for someone who likes…to keep it fresh
If you’ve been keeping tabs on the Hot 100 list over the past month or so, you will have clocked Sombr’s Late Nights And Young Romance Tour hovering around the top 20, mixing it with some of the biggest names in music. The run, supporting the buzzy alt-pop artist’s recently-released debut LP ‘I Barely Know Her’, will take in two nights at the O2 Academy Brixton in London next spring before heading to Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin. This feels like one of those rare chances to see an artist in a smallish venue before they go stratospheric. If you’re shopping for someone who likes to have their finger on the pulse, don’t miss out here — regrets are for other people. Tickets are on sale now, while those similarly inclined might want to check out CMAT’s outdoor shows, or The Neighbourhood’s one-off at The O2 in London.
What to get for someone who likes…ticking legends off the list
Fresh from his headline set at Glastonbury last year, Neil Young has confirmed his return to the UK and Ireland in 2026 for the latest leg of his Love Earth World Tour. Alongside his band, currently The Chrome Hearts, he will headline Heaton Park in Manchester on June 19, the newly-minted State Fayre festival in Chelmsford on June 27, Glasgow Summer Sessions at Bellahouston Park on June 29, Cork’s Virgin Media Park on July 1, the first edition of the Blenheim Palace Festival on July 3, and Cardiff’s Blackweir Live on July 5. There are fewer and fewer legends walking among us these days, and fewer still who are as fired up as Young remains, so if you know someone who’s been waiting for the right time, this might be it. As a bonus, support on a number of dates will come from another bona fide icon in Elvis Costello. Tickets are on sale now, while other old heads might be interested in what The Cure, David Byrne and Eric Clapton have up their sleeves for 2026.
What to get for someone who likes…to be a part of the moment
Every year, there’s a tour (or two if we’re lucky) that becomes a whole thing. We all know what Taylor Swift did with the Eras Tour, and what Coldplay continue to do with their wildly popular Music of the Spheres Tour. In 2026, the mantle might belong to Ariana Grande, whose Eternal Sunshine Tour is shaping up to be a genuine blockbuster. Six years on from the Sweetener World Tour, the run takes its name from last year’s comeback LP and will orbit 1o (yes, 10) nights at The O2 in London. At one point, it felt like extra shows would keep being added in perpetuity due to intense demand but, sensibly, Grande has opted against becoming a permanent London landmark like the Cutty Sark or something. So, 10 shows it is. If know someone who’d like to one day say that they were there and actually mean it, you know what to do. Tickets are on sale now, while there’s similar potential in Olivia Dean’s zeitgeist-capturing tour, Lorde's latest reinvention and Dave’s big ideas for bringing ‘The Boy Who Played the Harp’ to the stage.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
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