The Wombats Plan 20th Anniversary Tour for Debut Album

Article

Liverpool indie band The Wombats have announced a UK and European tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album, A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation. The band will play the record in full at every show in April 2027, followed by a second set of hits and fan favourites from across their career. NME reported the news on October 12, 2026. Tickets go on general sale on Friday, October 16, at 9am BST, with pre-sales from Wednesday, October 14. "A bit of a party" Drummer Dan Haggis said the band could not let the anniversary pass. "When we realised our debut album was turning 20 in 2027 we decided it was only fair to throw a bit of a party to celebrate," he said. He described the album as "a culmination of the first four years of life in The Wombats", adding that it "catapulted us from driving around the UK in my granny's car and sleeping on promoters' floors, all the way to touring the world." "Our first album is packed full of memories," Haggis continued, recalling playing the Royal Albert Hall, touring Japan, the US and Australia, and playing Glastonbury. "We're going to play the whole album from start to finish and if this album meant something to you, we invite you to join us at a show for a little trip in the Sonic Delorean." The tour dates The tour opens in Paris at Le Trianon on April 1, 2027, followed by Cologne's Palladium (April 3), Berlin's Columbiahalle (April 4), Munich's Zenith (April 5), Amsterdam's Gashouder (April 7) and Antwerp's Trix (April 8). The UK leg then takes in Manchester's O2 Victoria Warehouse (April 10), the O2 Academy Glasgow (April 13), London's O2 Academy Brixton (April 16) and a hometown finale at Liverpool's Arts Club on April 18. Support comes from Scottish band The Snuts, Cherryholt, Abbie McCarthy and Filip Clements. A debut that defined an era Released in 2007, A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation featured "Let's Dance to Joy Division", "Kill the Director" and "Moving to New York". It made frontman Matthew "Murph" Murphy, Haggis and bassist Tord Øverland Knudsen one of the UK's most exciting new indie bands, and NME reports that it sold more than 400,000 copies in the UK alone. The band followed it with This Modern Glitch (2011), Glitterbug (2015), Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life (2018) and Fix Yourself, Not the World (2022). Their most recent album, Oh! The Ocean, arrived in February 2025 and reached No. 4 on the UK Official Albums Chart. Mick Jagger and Addison Rae The Wombats have also enjoyed unexpected boosts from famous fans. In 2019, Mick Jagger posted a video of himself dancing to their song "Techno Fan" after his heart surgery, which led to the band supporting The Rolling Stones at MetLife Stadium. More recently, a TikTok by Addison Rae sparked a revival of "Greek Tragedy", introducing them to a new generation. Anniversary tours are booming Album anniversary shows have become one of the strongest trends in live music, as fans who grew up with records in the 2000s return to hear them in full. For the wider picture of the concert business, see our Pollstar Q3 touring report , our look at Live Nation's latest earnings and our coverage of The Weeknd's UK and European tour . Why this tour will sell fast The venue choices are relatively intimate for a band of The Wombats' stature, particularly the hometown show at Liverpool's Arts Club and the night at the O2 Academy Brixton. That makes tickets likely to be in high demand, especially from fans who first heard the album as teenagers in 2007 and now want to relive it in full. What's next Haggis hinted that new music is also on the way, noting that the band have "more on the way". With pre-sales opening on October 14, demand for the smaller venues on this run, such as Liverpool's Arts Club, is likely to be intense. Sources: NME