The Strokes have confirmed a series of UK arena shows for October 2026, marking their first return to British stages in three years and reigniting interest around the band following a wave of new music and global tour activity.
The New York indie rock group will perform at Londonâs O2 Arena on 6 October, Newcastleâs Utilita Arena on 25 October, and Manchesterâs Co-op Live on 26 October, before concluding the run in Dublin at the 3Arena on 28 October. The UK leg forms part of their wider âReality Awaits The World 2026â tour, which spans North America, Europe and Japan.
The announcement comes shortly after the band revealed their new album Reality Awaits, produced by Rick Rubin, alongside the release of their latest single âGoing Shoppingâ. The renewed activity follows a quieter period since their 2020 album The New Abnormal, which won critical acclaim and reaffirmed their relevance beyond their early-2000s breakthrough.
Tickets for the UK shows will be available through a presale starting at 10am on Wednesday for fans who register via the bandâs official website, with general sale opening at 10am on Friday. Demand is expected to be high, particularly for London and Manchester, where large-capacity venues often sell out quickly for legacy indie acts.
Tour dates, cities and support acts
The UK shows sit within a broader European run that includes stops in Amsterdam, DĂźsseldorf, Berlin, Bologna, Barcelona and Paris. Earlier legs of the tour will take the band across major US cities, festivals such as Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, and dates in Japan including Tokyo and Osaka.
Support acts across the tour will rotate, featuring a mix of established and alternative artists including Thundercat, Cage the Elephant, Hamilton Leithauser, Alex Cameron and London band Fat White Family. Additional names are expected to be announced closer to the tour dates.
The Manchester show at Co-op Live is being positioned as a standout date, marking the bandâs first appearance at the venue. The arena, one of the UKâs newest and largest, has quickly become a key stop for international touring acts looking to signal strong demand.
Why this tour matters now
The Strokesâ return comes at a time when nostalgia-driven tours dominate the live music market, yet the band continue to occupy a rare position between legacy and relevance. Their debut album Is This It remains a defining record of the early 2000s, widely credited with reviving guitar music in both the UK and US, while their later releases have maintained a level of critical credibility not always sustained by their contemporaries.
The bandâs last UK appearance came in 2023 when they headlined Londonâs All Points East festival, but this marks their first full arena run in the country in years. Their recent live performances, including a return to Coachella and a San Francisco show where new material was debuted, have signalled a more active phase for the group.
With six UK top 10 albums and multiple charting singles, The Strokes remain one of the most influential indie rock bands of their generation. This tour suggests they are not simply revisiting past success, but attempting to extend their presence into a new era shaped by fresh releases and global touring momentum.
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