Neil Young could be bringing his 2025 tour to the UK this summer according to reports. A post on his official website suggested an announcement about upcoming live dates, though it was deleted quickly after. Under the headline ‘Join us in the SUMMER OF DEMOCRACY,’ Young has got fans hoping that the UK will have more than just his 2025 Glastonbury slot to look forward to.
According to Far Out Magazine, the full statement read, “Music unites! We will be there with you! Join us all as we celebrate the Summer of Democracy. Old songs and new songs. Old words and new words. Long jams! We will come together this summer. The Chrome Hearts and I are ready for you! LOVE and Democracy reigns in the USA and the world.”
I’m going to guess the U.K. bit will be one of the night at the O2 in London
— B. Al Zebub (Parody) (@pukthis) February 20, 2025
The post was removed for unknown reasons, although several outlets reported on the announcement before it disappeared. Young had already mentioned a summer tour, excited to share new material from his upcoming album when out on the road. This post went a step further, listing the UK, as well as other destinations, rather than just Europe. As of now, Young’s only confirmed performances in 2025 are Glastonbury, and a show in Ontario.
Young’s last European performances came back in 2014, as part of a European tour with Crazy Horse. 2014 was also the last time Young played in the UK as a main act, performing at BST Hyde Park and Liverpool Echo Arena, and his only previous appearance at Glastonbury was in 2009. He supported Bob Dylan at BST Hyde Park 2019.
The ‘Summer of Democracy’ could be the name of the upcoming tour, given the emphasis placed on the phrase in the headline. The clearest link would be to Canada’s upcoming federal election, brought forward after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his early departure from the position. When Trudeau was first elected in 2015, the musician said “Canada is back”, but was later involved in a push for the PM to reform the first-past-the-post electoral system in 2017.
Young made headlines last month when he pulled out of Glastonbury, only to backtrack and reverse the decision 72 hours later, claiming that he had withdrawn “due to an error in the information he received”. His initial announcement had claimed that the relationship between the festival and the BBC was a “corporate turn off”, and “not the way I remember it being”.
Speculation around the dramatic U-turn was rife, with some online claiming that the contract may have been “bulletproof,” though some claimed that “Neil does things his own way,” as he did when he removed his catalogue from Spotify following comments made by Joe Rogan on the streaming platform. Others believed that, as he did in 2009, Young had specific requests about the broadcasting of his set by the BBC.
Given Young’s legendary status, be that as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, his work alongside Crazy Horse, his solo work, or that which is still to come with The Chrome Hearts, fans will be optimistically waiting for a tour announcement.
