Iconic musician David Byrne has announced an expansive 68-date world tour in support of Who Is the Sky?, his first album in seven years.

The follow-up to 2018’s acclaimed American Utopia will be released on 5 September via Matador Records.

Shortly after the release, the UTA-repped act will kick off his Live Nation-produced outing in North America, visiting halls, theatres and auditoriums across the continent.

The leg will commence on 14 September at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, RI, and conclude on 6 December at Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theatre, Miami, FL.

The Australia and New Zealand jaunt will then kick off on 14 January at Spark Arena in Auckland (NZ) and come to a close on 27 January at RAC Arena in Perth (AU).

The third and final leg will commence in Europe on 12 February at Tempodrom in Berlin (DE) and wrap on 19 March at La Seine Musicale in Paris (FR).

Guns N’ Roses have unveiled a Latin American leg on their mammoth stadium tour

Lady Gaga, meanwhile, has announced a run of dates in Japan for early 2026. The Mayhem Ball Tour will stop at the Osaka Dome for two nights (21 and 22 January), and the Tokyo Dome for three nights (25, 26, 29 January).

Prior to that, the CAA-repped act will hit arenas in North America (16 July to 18 September), Europe/UK (29 September to 22 November) and Australia (5–13 December).

British singer-songwriter Yungblud (CAA) has also added to his world tour, confirming arena dates in the UK and Ireland for April 2026.

The Idols UK & Ireland Tour will stop at Dublin’s 3Arena (15 April), Leeds’ First Direct Arena (17), Cardiff’s Utilita Arena (18), Glasgow’s OVO Hydro (20), London’s The O2 (24) and Manchester’s AO Arena (25).

The trek, which also includes legs in North America and Europe, will feature his biggest-ever UK headline shows outside of Bludfest.

Guns N’ Roses have unveiled a Latin American leg on their mammoth stadium tour, which has already traversed the Middle East and Asia.

MARINA will embark on a 21-city tour of North America

Kicking off on 1 October, the jaunt will visit Costa Rica, El Salvador, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Mexico before wrapping up on 8 November.

Prior to that, the UTA/ITB-repped band will appear at festivals such as Firenze Rocks (IT), Rock For People (CZ), Wacken Open Air (DE) and Luxembourg Open Air (LU).

Off the back of performances at WorldPride and The Governors Ball NYC, MARINA (formerly Marina and the Diamonds) has unveiled a North American headline tour.

The Welsh singer-songwriter will kick off her Princess of Power outing on 6 September in Seattle.  The 21-city tour will hit major cities, including Portland, Salt Lake City, Denver, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and before concluding on 17 October in Oakland, CA.

Special guests Coco & Clair Clair and Mallrat are confirmed to join MARINA on select dates.

In addition to her upcoming headline tour, the 39-year-old is due to perform at festivals including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Osheaga, Outside Lands, All Things Go, Austin City Limits and Corona Capital in Mexico City. MARINA is represented by Wasserman Music in North America.

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Muse, Yungblud and Kasabian are set to replace Kings of Leon at various European festivals after the band’s frontman was injured in a “freak accident”.

Last week, the WME-repped band pulled out of all of their June/July European shows after Caleb Followill “shattered his heel… requiring a significant emergency surgery, which will prevent him from travelling and performing”.

The affected dates include headline slots at Germany’s Hessentag festival (16 June), Belgium’s Rock Werchter (5 July), Spain’s Mad Cool (10 July) and O Son do Camiño (13 July) and Portugal’s Nos Alive (12 July), while their 10 June concert in France at the Zénith Paris has been rescheduled for 3 September at the capital’s Adidas Arena.

It has now been confirmed that Yungblud will step in for Kings of Leon at Belgium’s Rock Werchter, headlining the second day of the event (5 July).

Yungblud will step in for Kings of Leon at Belgium’s Rock Werchter

Elsewhere, Muse will fill in for the absentee headliners at Spain’s Mad Cool (10 July) and Portugal’s Nos Alive (12 July). And Kasabian will step in for the group at Spain’s O Son do Camiño on 13 July.

Germany’s Hessentag festival, meanwhile, is still searching for a substitute. Last week, the ten-day folk festival said they are in “close contact with concert agencies to explore a possible alternative solution”.

Kings of Leon’s UK shows at Blackweir Live in Cardiff (29 June) and Lytham Festival (2 July) have been pulled, with the latter’s promoter Cuffe & Taylor cancelled the entire first day of the event as a result.

With Followill’s recovery expected to take eight weeks, the Tennessee rockers are due to return to Europe to headline the inaugural Come Together festival in Newcastle on 22 August and Portsmouth’s Victorious two days later.

They are also slated to perform their only concert in Scandinavia of 2025 at Oslo’s Unity Arena on 27 August.

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British singer-songwriter Yungblud has confirmed the global expansion plans for his UK-based festival Bludfest.

The one-day event returns to Milton Keynes’ National Bowl on 21 June for its second edition, expanding capacity this year by 30% to 39,000. This year’s lineup includes Chase Atlantic, blackbear, Denzel Curry, Rachel Chinouriri, JXDN, Peach PRC, Luvcat, Master Peace, Cliffords, and Yungblud.

The CAA client, real name Dominic Harrison, today confirmed plans to IQ for future editions of the festival outside of the UK starting in 2026. Though locations are unknown, he cheekily nodded to a future host country by saying “Bonjour,” adding, “plus a couple more places. But there are a couple more tours to announce before we do that.”

He recently revealed his 2025 world tour in support of his forthcoming double album Idols, running across theatres in North America and arenas in Europe. Bludfest will be his only UK performance this year.

However, he spoke about the potential for a touring festival to come in the future.

“My biggest dream is to do a world tour, a Bludfest festival world tour. Ten bands, all friends, alternating bills, alternating times, almost like rolling the dice when we go on. That would be a dream… and I think it’s achievable,” he shares.

Created with affordability in mind, the AEG Presents co-promoted festival capped ticket prices at £50 (€60) last year, with no VIP or luxury upgrades available. Prices have risen for the 2025 edition, with tickets still available for £65 (€78) excluding fees.

“I need £65 to make this literally perfect and to make it work”

Building off the sell-out success of last year, Harrison says the success of the festival has “set a precedent” for artists and music companies pricing shows and festivals.

“It’s a cop out when people kind of say, ‘Oh, well, it wasn’t in my control to charge this much’ — if you want to charge £270 for a ticket, fucking own it [and say] I believe this is what my shows are worth,” he says.

“I need £65 to make this literally perfect and to make it work. But I’m not going to take the piss out here.”

He emphasised artists’ role in setting prices for tours, attesting, “It’s in my control.”

“I could sit there and count that and take that. But one, it’s not even going to my band or me, and two, 500-600 kids outside in Dallas who can’t get inside my gig… That’s my mindset on it all.”

In addition to a total capacity increase, the festival’s second stage will also see a bumper increase from 2k to 10k. Additional improvements include the community-oriented ‘Make A Friend’ tent doubling in size and an expanded fairground, complete with a Ferris wheel.

Harrison also spoke about the motivation to offer audiences a multi-genre lineup of both rising and established artists.

“It would be so easy for me to fill this bill up with kind of people who sound just like me, play just like me. But what’s so sick about [our community] is that we welcome new genres and new ideas, and we’re all open to it,” he says.

The first part of his highly anticipated fourth album Idols is due out on 20 June, a day prior to Bludfest.

“Is it the album you think I would make? No, but it’s the only one I could have. I think it’s the only one that feels right,” he asserts.

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British singer-songwriter Yungblud has unveiled a 2025 world tour, confirming dates in North America and Europe.

The trek, which is in support of the 27-year-old’s forthcoming double album Idols, will begin in the US at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on 23 August.

Real name Dominic Harrison, the CAA client will visit cities including San Diego, Washington, New York and Toronto.

Running throughout September and October, it will also stop at European arenas and concert halls in cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, and Berlin.

Bludfest, the “affordable” festival curated by Yungblud and promoted by AEG Presents, returns for its second year on 21 June at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes and will be the artist’s only UK date of 2025. This year’s festival will include performances by Chase Atlantic, Rachel Chinouriri and Denzel Curry.

The full list of tour dates is as follows:

North America:

23/8 – Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA
24/8 – The Observatory North Park – San Diego, CA
26/8 – The Union – Salt Lake City, UT
28/8 – The Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
30/8 – ACL Live at The Moody Theater – Austin, TX
31/8 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
2/9 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
6/9 – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
9/9 – The Rave/Eagles Club – Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
10/9 – The Fillmore Detroit – Detroit, MI
12/9 – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL
14/9 – Agora Theatre and Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
16/9 – Brooklyn Paramount – Brooklyn, NY
18/9 – The Fillmore Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
19/9 – Roadrunner – Boston, MA
21/9 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON

Europe:

4/10 – AFAS Live – Amsterdam, NL
5/10 – Forest National – Brussels, BE
7/10 – Mitsubishi Electric Halle – Dusseldorf, DE
8/10 – Adidas Arena – Paris, FR
9/10 – Zenith Nantes Metropole – Nantes, FR
11/10 – Palacio Vistalegre – Madrid, ES
14/10 – Zenith – Munich, DE
15/10 – Halle 622 – Zurich, CH
17/10 – Sportovni Hala Fortuna – Prague, CZ
18/10 – Torwar Hall – Warsaw, PL
20/10 – Uber Eats Music Hall – Berlin, DE
22/10 – Rockhal Main Hall – Esch-sur-Alzette, LU
24/10 – KB Hallen – Copenhagen, DK
25/10 – Annexet – Stockholm, SE
27/10 – Sporthalle – Hamburg, DE
29/10 – Wiener Stadthalle – Vienna, AT
31/10 – ChorusLife Arena – Bergamo, IT

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Bludfest, the “affordable” UK festival curated by Yungblud and promoted by AEG Presents, is returning for a second year.

The one-day event debuted at The National Bowl, Milton Keynes, this summer. Headlined by CAA-repped Yungblud, real name Dominic Harrison, it hosted an 11-act lineup also including Lil Yachty, Soft Play and The Damned.

The “music, arts and lifestyle” festival attracted 30,000 fans and sought to combat rising ticket prices across the business by capping admission at £50 (€60).

The sequel, which will be held at Milton Keynes Bowl on 21 June 2025, will again be topped by Yungblud, with Chase Atlantic as main support. Blackbear, Denzel Curry, Peach PRC, JXDN, Luvcat, Master Peace, Cliffords and Rachel Chinouriri, who will headline the second stage, are also confirmed for the eclectic bill.

“What we created this year was unimaginable,” says Yungblud. “You start an idea inside your head and you never believe it will come true but then it does all because of the fucking people and the fundamental idea that we all just wanna be together.

“We did it and we’re gonna do it all over again. Bludfest year 2 is upon us, a little bit bigger and a little bit better”

“This wasn’t just a show, we built a fucking world. I truly want to thank all who came this year. You make each other shine, you emit such a light – a light that I believe is the answer to all the bullshit is going on in the world

“We did it and we’re gonna do it all over again. Bludfest year 2 is upon us, a little bit bigger and a little bit better.”

Alongside live music, Bludfest offered activations across the venue “to encourage community and connection,” including a ‘Make A Friend’ tent that encouraged fans to connect and make new friends, free photobooths to document their Bludfest experience and a Yungblud museum showcasing artefacts from across his career.

In addition, designated safe spaces and mental health welfare areas were available to attendees, while one of the festival bars was remodelled to emulate Yungblud’s favourite pub, Camden’s The Hawley Arms.

The singer-songwriter has also previously shared his ambitions to take Bludfest worldwide.

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Singer-songwriter Yungblud has announced a new UK festival, with a view to launch the event ‘worldwide’.

The first instalment of Bludfest will take place on 11 August at Milton Keynes Bowl, which has previously hosted concerts with the likes of Queen, David Bowie, Eminem, Green Day, Linkin Park, Oasis and Foo Fighters.

Headlined and curated by Yungblud, the ‘genre-diverse’ event will feature artists including Lil Yachty, Soft Play, The Damned, Nessa Barrett, Lola Young and Jazmin Bean.

Per a release, Bludfest will “appeal to a new generation of gig-goers and a younger generation of music fans who don’t necessitate their taste with genre categorisation”.

“Five years ago we imagined a world of our own and in Bludfest we have physically built one” says Yungblud aka Dominic Harrison. “It feels like the next logical step for me. I want to create a physical safe space where people can come and celebrate the ideologies of this community – where unity, individuality and love is the main focus and we bring the world of Yungblud to fucking life right before your eyes.

“My plan is to take it worldwide but this summer is the first one and it’s gonna be something no one has ever seen before in the UK”

“I wanted to build an experience where anybody can be completely themselves, with their friends, their family or completely on their own. Bludfest will blur the lines of genre and destroy the limitation of imagination. It will be a festival that cuts the corporate bo****ks and is all about the people. My plan is to take it worldwide but this summer is the first one and it’s gonna be something no one has ever seen before in the UK.”

Alongside live music, Bludfest will offer activations across the venue “to encourage community and connection,” including a ‘Make A Friend’ tent that encourages fans to connect and make new friends, free photobooths to document their Bludfest experience and a Yungblud museum that will showcase artefacts from across his career.

In addition, designated safe spaces and mental health welfare areas will be available to attendees. Plus, one of the festival bars will be remodelled to emulate Yungblud’s favourite pub, Camden’s iconic The Hawley Arms.

Yesterday afternoon, the singer performed an impromptu concert in Camden Market to celebrate the announcement of Bludfest.

Tickets for Bludfest will go on sale at 10:00 on 22 March and will be priced at £49.50 plus fees.

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The heads of some of the industry’s most inventive companies starred in the most recent IQ Focus panel, appropriately called The Innovators, which discussed the flurry of innovation going on behind the scenes during the ongoing halt in concert touring.

Dice’s UK managing director, Amy Oldham, began by speaking on the importance of “identifying the value” in new platforms and innovations. “In the beginning [of the pandemic], there was a lot of noise and a lot of not-very-good-quality shows,” she explained.

“Lewis [Capaldi] is a great example” of what the industry should be working towards, she added. “We did his show exclusively a few weeks ago. He did an acoustic set of the first album, and it actually felt like being on a night out – you had people taking photos of themselves hugging the TV saying it’s the best £5 they ever spent.”

Tommas Arnby of Locomotion Entertainment said his client, Yungblud – whose Yungblud Show Live (described as a “rock-and-roll version of Jimmy Kimmel”) was one of the early highlights of the livestreaming boom – was supposed to be “doing five sold-out Kentish Town Forums” in London this week, and his online presence is “about how to recreate that” live experience.

“In the very beginning these bedroom and kitchen performances played an important role,” but now people expect a more polished experience, said Ben Samuels, MelodyVR’s president and GM in North America. “What we’re doing is investing a lot to ensure these shows look and feel fantastic. […] They should be the best thing to actually being on stage or in the front row of a real show. So production values have been crucial to us.”

“Artists have to feel comfortable and confident about charging for their content”

Sheri Bryant, president of online ‘social VR’ platform Sansar, said a virtual concert should be looked as “additive; it’s not going to replace the live performance”.

Oldham – who revealed that Dice is now selling tickets in at least 113 countries following the launch of its livestreaming platform, Dice TV – agreed that while everyone on the panel is doing a great job keeping fans engaged while touring is on hold, “one thing we haven’t nailed is giving artists confidence that just because they’re doing something on a stream doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be charging.

“All the movie studios are shut, and yet we don’t see them dropping films online and saying, ‘Just pay what you fancy!’ Artists have to feel comfortable and confident about charging for their content.”

Chair Mike Malak, from Paradigm Talent Agency, compared charging for online video content to the transition in the recording business from fans pirating music to (legally) streaming it, noting that “we all grew up watching free YouTube videos”.

Bryant said Sansar wants “everyone to be able to experience” the platform, suggesting offering both a free tier and a “VIP experience” that could include perks for those who’ve paid, such as meet and greets with an artist or special powers inside its virtual world.

“The most important thing for us is to show agents and managers that people had a great time,” said Prajit Gopal, CEO of livestreaming platform Looped. “That’s always been really important – going back to them and showing them,‘Here’s the reaction, and this is why you should be charging for it.’”

“Imagine if this happened 20, 30, 40 years ago – it would have been catastrophic”

With talk turning to sponsorship in virtual events, Oldham warned that “sometimes you can oversaturate an artist by doing too many partnerships”. However, Bryant said the music industry has much to learn from the wider entertainment business when it comes to getting its talent out there.

“Look at how the YouTube stars, the Twitch streamers got big: through hard work and with lots of exposure,” she said. “If you’re good and you’re getting out there, you’ll see that growth. I don’t think people should be precious about exposure – you want to be across as many platforms as possible, because you never know when one of them will see a big spike [in traffic].”

The discussion ended on a positive note, with Samuels highlighting how fortunate the live music business is to have all this technology at its disposal at such a difficult time.

“Imagine if this [coronavirus] happened 20, 30, 40 years ago – it would have been catastrophic,” he said. “In a weird way, we’re lucky this happened now, with all these platforms that can continue to bring high-quality content to fans and enable artists to still make a living.”

Arnby agreed: “All these choices, all these ways to connect… The future is very bright.”

The Innovation Session is available to watch back on YouTube or Facebook now.

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Following last week’s The Venue’s Venue: Building Back session, IQ’s popular Focus series of virtual panels turns this Thursday to the flurry of innovation going on behind the scenes during the halt in concert touring.

The Innovation Session will feature insights from a who’s who of music-industry freethinkers and groundbreakers, who’ll discuss with the new ideas and green shoots that are rising from the current situation.

Joining chair Mike Malak, senior agent at Paradigm London, are Sheri Bryant, president of virtual world builder Sansar; Tommas Arnby, CEO of Locomotion Entertainment (Yungblud); Amy Oldham, managing director UK of ticketer-turned-livestreamer Dice; Ben Samuels, North America president of virtual-reality pioneer MelodyVR; and Prajit Gopal, CEO of celebrity video-chat/streaming service Looped.

Expect discussions on livestreaming, 3D venues, tipping, videogaming, virtual worlds and much more.

The Innovation Session will be streamed live this Thursday, 21 May, at 16.00 BST/17.00 CET.

Get an automatic reminder when the live stream starts at Facebook or YouTube.

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