Former Smiths frontman Morrissey has announced a limited run of UK and Ireland shows this summer. The shows will mark his first appearance on home soil since July 2023, when he embarked upon a 16-date European tour. The short tour will see him grace Dublin, Glasgow, and his native Manchester, with his homecoming show taking place at the Co-op LIVE Arena.
Two weeks after his last US show, the singer will be appearing at Dublin’s 3Arena on 31 May, his third visit to the venue after performances in 2014 and 2018. He will then head to Glasgow’s O2 Academy for a two-night residency on 4 and 5 June. The short tour will conclude in Manchester with a show on 7 June, his first show in his hometown since 2022.
The venues on the tour vary in capacity, from a meager 3000 at the O2 Academy all the way up to a staggering 23,500 at Co-op LIVE – Europe’s largest indoor arena. Given that Morrissey’s recent shows have seen him performing at smaller venues, some fans on Reddit are unsure if the singer will be able to sell out his Manchester date.
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Morrissey teased the show in a cryptic post on his website, Morrissey Central, on Monday, simply saying, “Announcement. 5pm. GMT.” As the clocks hit 5pm, his website and social media accounts revealed the tour dates, as well as his support act, Brigitte Calls Me Baby.
The Chicago-based band will support the singer in Dublin and Manchester, but will miss out on the two Glasgow dates. The partnership comes after comparisons between the two in an NME review of the newcomers, describing their frontman, Wes Leavins, as a “direct descendent of Morrissey”.
With no new material to promote, Morrissey’s 2024 setlists were made up of fan favourites, spanning his work in The Smiths, his early solo material and the odd track from one of his more recent albums. Among the tracks played most were ‘Shoplifters of the World Unite’, ‘You’re the One for Me, Fatty’, and ‘Speedway’.
Morrissey hasn’t released a new studio album since ‘I Am Not A Dog On A Chain’, released in 2020. He had an album due to be released in 2023 called ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’, which the singer claimed was some of his best work ever. The record was shelved after the artist left his label, and has since claimed that “idiot culture” has made it impossible to release.
— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) September 17, 2024
Morrissey also made headlines last year over his public disputes with former bandmate Johnny Marr. The ‘Panic’ singer revealed that Marr had refused to tour with him under the name of The Smiths, as well as claiming that the guitarist had attempted to claim 100% of the ownership rights of the iconic 80s band. Marr, however, countered by stating that he had offered co-ownership to Morrissey twice—most recently in January 2024—but received no response, meaning the rights defaulted to him.
Tickets for Morrissey’s UK and Ireland tour go on general sale this Friday (14 February), available through Ticketmaster here.
