18 rock, pop-punk and metal UK tours you can’t miss in 2018
After an incredible year for live rock music that has boasted triumphant shows from the likes of blink-182, Green Day, Guns N’ Roses and Enter Shikari to name but a few, we’ve looked ahead to 2018 and cherry-picked some of the most exciting tours you can’t miss.
All Time Low
A year on from their last triumphant UK tour, Baltimore’s prodigal sons Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Rian Dawson and Zack Merrick are coming back for five arena shows in March 2018. Frontman Alex Gaskarth says: “We are so excited to be coming back to the U.K. now that we're officially well into the Last Young Renegade era!! The new album was written for these rooms, and the added bonus of bringing our good friends in Pierce The Veil across the pond is going to make for an unforgettable tour. See you all there, don't snooze on this one!!"
Tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. All Time Low play:
MARCH 2018
Glasgow SECC – Mon 12th
Cardiff Motorpoint Arena – Wed 14th
Birmingham Genting Arena – Thu 15th
Manchester Arena – Fri 16th
London Alexandra Palace – Sat 17th
Paramore
Hayley, Zac and Taylor will kick off 2018 in style with five headline arena shows in Scotland, England and Wales. As anyone who bore witness to their ridiculously intimate UK shows this year will tell you, the Tennessee trio are at the top of their game right now and they’re not to be missed.
Many tickets are sold out but select ones are available from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Paramore play:
JANUARY 2018
Cardiff Motorpoint Arena – Thu 11th
London The O2 – Fri 12th
Birmingham Genting Arena – Sun 14th
Manchester Arena – Fri 19th
Glasgow SSE Hydro – Say 20th
Lower Than Atlantis
After selling out the 5,000 capacity London Brixton Academy earlier this year, the rockers’ intimate tour in April and May 2018 will see them play a series of towns and venues they’ve never visited before. Singer Mike Duce comments: “It’s been nearly four years since we did a regional run in the UK and we can’t wait to get to some towns that we haven’t even been to before. We’ve got an amazing package being announced later on too plus a homecoming show in Watford, which will be massive. Grab your mates and get tickets quick as these rooms aren’t the biggest!!”
Tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. See Lower Than Atlantis at the following shows:
APRIL 2018
Lincoln Engine Shed – 2nd
Cambridge Junction – 3rd
Leamington Spa Assembly – 4th
Swansea Sin City – 6th
Pontypridd Muni Arts Centre – 7th
Gloucester Guildhall – 8th
Bath Komedia – 9th
Exeter Lemon Grove – 11th
Southampton Engine Rooms – 12th
Watford Colosseum – 13th
Southend Chinnerys – 14th
Brighton Concorde 2 – 15th
MAY 2018
Oxford Academy – 3rd
Reading Sub89 – 4th
Wrexham Central Station – 5th
Liverpool Hangar34 – 7th
Aberdeen Lemon Tree – 8th
Edinburgh Liquid Rooms – 9th
Middlesbrough Empire – 11th
Hull Welly – 12th
York Fibbers – 13th
Sheffield Plug – 14th
Fall Out Boy
Following their completely and utterly sold out show at the ridiculously intimate London Electric Brixton in January, Fall Out Boy will play four UK arena shows in March 2018 as part of a larger European tour. It will be your chance to hear tracks from Fall Out Boy’s new album ‘M A N I A’ like the impossibly feel good ‘Hold Me Tight Or Don’t’ alongside tracks from their distinguished pop-punk musical arsenal.
Select tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. See Fall Out Boy at the following shows:
MARCH 2018
Birmingham Genting Arena – Tue 27th
Cardiff Motorpoint Arena – Wed 28th
Manchester Arena – Thu 29th
London The O2 – Sat 31st
Within Temptation
Part of a massive European trek that takes in shows in 18 countries, Dutch symphonic metallers Within Temptation will hit the UK in November for shows in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and London. As always from Within Temptation, the shows will boast a lavish production that will compliment the spine-tinglingly brilliant music perfectly.
Select tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Within Temptation play:
NOVEMBER 2018
Birmingham O2 Academy – Fri 9th
Manchester O2 Apollo – Sat 10th
Glasgow O2 Academy – Sun 11th
London O2 Academy Brixton – Tue 13th
Iron Maiden
Taking in seven shows in the summer of 2018, The Legacy Of The Beast World Tour was inspired by Iron Maiden’s comic book and mobile phone game of the same name. In keeping with this, the stage set design will feature a number of different but interlocking ‘worlds’. The set list will be dominated by classic Iron Maiden material from the 1980s with ‘a handful of surprises from later albums’ added into the mix. Nice.
Tickets to Newcastle, Aberdeen, Manchester and Birmingham are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. For London and Belfast ticket available head to the venue box offices.
Iron Maiden play:
JULY 2018
Newcastle Metro Radio Arena – Tue 31st
AUGUST 2018
Belfast The SSE Arena – Thu 2nd
Aberdeen BHGE Arena – Sat 4th
Manchester Arena – Mon 6th
Birmingham Genting Arena – Tue 7th
London The O2 – Fri 10th
London The O2 – Sat 11th
Trivium
Always a deliciously brutal and uncompromising live spectacle, Floridian metal powerhouses Trivium will grace good ole’ Blighty for five dates in April 2018. The date support Trivium’s recently unleased eighth studio album ‘The Sin and the Sentence’ that was met with widespread critical acclaim and is the sound of a band at the top of their game. As if Trivium wasn’t enough to tempt you, they will be joined by Code Orange, Power Trip and Venom Prison at the dates.
Tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. See Trivium at the following shows:
APRIL 2018
Bristol O2 Academy – Mon 16th
Birmingham O2 Academy – Tue 17th
Glasgow O2 Academy – Thu 19th
Manchester Academy – Fri 20th
London O2 Academy Brixton – Sat 21st
Don Broco
Following their triumphant London Alexandra Palace show, the mighty Don Broco are hitting the road in February 2018. The dates support their upcoming studio album ‘Technology’ that has spawned instantly addictive anthems including ‘Pretty’, ‘Technology’, ‘Stay Ignorant’ and ‘T-Shirt Song’.
Select tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Don Broco play:
FEBRUARY 2018
Portsmouth Pyramids – Thu 8th
Bristol O2 Academy – Fri 9th
Cardiff Great Hall – Sat 10th
Norwich UEA – Mon 12th
Nottingham Rock City – Tue 13th
Birmingham O2 Academy – Thu 15th
Manchester Academy – Fri 16th
Leeds O2 Academy – Sat 17th
Newcastle Northumbria Institute – Mon 19th
Aberdeen Garage – Tue 20th
Glasgow Barrowland – Wed 21st
Nickelback
The Canadian rock giants have lined up a seven-date UK tour for May 2018 that takes in gigs in Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Nottingham. The dates are in support of Nickelback’s deliciously heavy new studio album ‘Feed The Machine’ and singer Chad Kroeger promises big things from the tour, saying: “This is, by far and away, our biggest and best production to date; and we’re ready for one hell of a party.”
Tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Nickelback play:
MAY 2018
Glasgow SSE Hydro – Thu 3rd
Leeds First Direct Arena – Sat 5th
Liverpool Echo Arena – Mon 7th
Manchester Arena – Tue 8th
Birmingham Genting Arena – Thu 10th
London The O2 – Fri 11th
Nottingham Motorpoint Arena – Sat 13th
Tonight Alive
The Australian quartet will follow the Friday 12th January release of their fourth studio album ‘Underworld’ with a six-date UK tour in March 2018. Always a potent live force, the pop-punks are truly not to be missed.
Tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Tonight Alive play:
MARCH 2018
Manchester Ritz – Tue 6th
London KOKO – Thu 8th
Glasgow QMU - Sat 10th
Nottingham Rock City – Sun 11th
Leeds Stylus – Mon 12th
Bristol Motion – Tue 13th
Thirty Seconds To Mars
Supporting their as-yet-untitled fifth studio album, Jared, Shannon and Tomo will play arenas in Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow, London and Birmingham in March 2018. An electrifying live spectacle, the five gigs are Thirty Seconds To Mars’ first tour dates in the UK in almost five years.
Select tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Thirty Seconds to Mars play:
MARCH 2018
Cardiff Motorpoint Arena – Fri 23rd
Manchester Arena – Sat 24th
Glasgow The SSE Hydro – Sun 25th
London The O2 – Tue 27th
Birmingham Arena – Thu 29th
Foo Fighters
Such was the insatiable demand for Foo Fighters’ June shows in Manchester and London that tickets completely sold out within an hour of them going on sale. The summer 2018 stadium shows come on the back of a triumphant year for Foo Fighters that has seen them wow Glastonbury, score a fourth UK number one album with ‘Concrete & Gold’, host their own Cal Jam festival and celebrate The O2 Arena’s 10th anniversary in September.
All tickets are completely sold out. The tour dates are as follows:
JUNE 2018
Manchester Etihad Stadium – Tue 19th (w/ Wolf Alice, The Cribs)
London Stadium – Fri 22nd (w/ Wolf Alice, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes)
London Stadium – Sat 23rd (w/ The Kills, Slaves, Starcrawler)
Stone Sour
Having wowed on their autumn 2017 tour, Corey Taylor and co. have lined up their only UK of the year in Manchester, London and Nottingham in June. Band lynchpin Corey Taylor comments: "We’re excited to return to the UK for a second time in support of 'Hydrograd'. These are Stone Sour’s only UK dates in 2018 and we’re happy to include two cities we didn’t play in December. Stone Sour are building towards our future, so come out in June and have a f---ing good time with us!"
Select tickets are available from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Stone Sour play:
JUNE 2018
Manchester O2 Apollo – Sun 17th
London Roundhouse – Mon 18th
Nottingham Rock City – Tue 19th
Bowling For Soup
Wichita Falls pop punk heroes Bowling for Soup are playing a very special tour in February. Joined by The Aquabats! and Army of Freshmen, The Get Happy Tour 2018 will see BFS perform their smash hit breakthrough album ‘Drunk Enough to Dance’ in its entirety at the shows for the very first time. Singer Jaret Reddick enthuses: "I'm super excited to be announcing this tour! GET HAPPY is 11 years old! That's just crazy! And I can't think of a better way to celebrate than bringing it back, with Army of Freshmen from the original line-up and adding The Aquabats! on to make it even happier! Now I need to get back to relearning all of the Drunk Enough To Dance songs!!!"
Tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Bowling For Soup play:
FEBRUARY 2018
Glasgow O2 Academy – Fri 9th
Newcastle O2 Academy – Sat 10th
Sheffield O2 Academy – Sun 11th
Nottingham Rock City – Mon 12th
Birmingham O2 Academy – Tue 13th
Norwich UEA – Wed 14th
Manchester O2 Apollo – Thu 15th
Cardiff Motorpoint Arena – Fri 16th
London O2 Academy Brixton – Sat 17th
Evanescence
Having played two headline shows in London this summer, Evanescence will head out on a six-date UK ‘Synthesis Live’ tour in March/April 2018. The American band will be bringing a live orchestra and electronic programming out on the road with them, which will truly deliver a transcendent experience. The dates support Evanescence’s latest album ‘Synthesis’ which features electronic-tinged orchestral reworkings of songs from their back catalogue together with two brand new recordings.
Select tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Evanescence play:
MARCH 2018
London Royal Festival Hall – Fri 30th
London Royal Festival Hall – Sat 31st
APRIL 2018
Manchester O2 Apollo – Mon 2nd
Nottingham Arena – Tue 3rd
Glasgow Armadillo – Thu 5th
Sheffield City Hall – Fri 6th
Machine Head
Supporting the January release of their fervently awaited ninth studio album ‘Catharsis’, heavy metal behemoths Machine Head have lined up a 10-date UK tour for May 2018. Singer/guitarist Robb Flynn comments: "It’s been far too long since we’ve demolished venues in the UK! We have had an awesome and productive break writing our new album 'Catharsis', but now it’s time for Machine Head to go melt some faces!! The reaction to our last 'Evening With' tours in the UK was nothing short of incredible, so once again these dates will be 'Evening With' shows and will see us performing 2-and-a-half to 3 hours every night, with no opening bands."
Select tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. Machine Head play:
MAY 2018
Southampton Guildhall – Sun 13th
Cardiff University – Mon 14th
Bristol O2 Academy – Tue 15th
Birmingham O2 Academy – Thu 17th
London Roundhouse – Fri 18th
London Roundhouse – Sat 19th
Nottingham Rock City – Mon 21st
Newcastle O2 Academy – Tue 22nd
Glasgow O2 Academy – Wed 23rd
Manchester Academy – Fri 25th
Black Veil Brides and Asking Alexandria
The Resurrection Tour will see the British and American bands join forces play co-headline shows in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and London in January 2018. Hollywood quintet Black Veil Brides are promoting their fifth studio album ‘Vale’, released on Friday 12th January, while Asking Alexandria are touring their recently unleashed self-titled fifth album; their first album since the return of Danny Worsnop to the AA fold.
Select tickets are on sale from Kerrang! Radio Tickets. They play:
JANUARY 2018
Birmingham O2 Academy – Tue 23rd
Manchester Academy – Wed 24th
Glasgow O2 Academy – Thu 25th
London O2 Brixton Academy – Sat 27th
Slam Dunk Festival
Okay, it’s a three-leg festival and not a tour as such, however the line-up for Slammy D 2018 is so damn good we couldn’t miss it off our list! Taking to Leeds, Hatfield and Birmingham will be Jimmy Eat World, Good Charlotte, PVRIS, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Creeper, Thursday, Every Time I Die, Taking Back Sunday, Sleeping With Sirens, State Champs, Four Year Strong, Trash Boat, Knuckle Puck, Crown The Empire, Real Friends and more to be announced. Wow.
Tickets costing £49 or £55 with aftershow are on sale from Kerrang Radio Tickets now. The dates are as follows:
MAY 2018
Leeds City Centre - Sat 26th May
Hatfield Park - Sun 27th
Birmingham NEC - Mon 28th