The Doobie Brothers will be coming to the UK and Ireland this summer, bringing their unique blend of California and Southern Rock. Their six dates will see them travel to BST Hyde Park too, supporting Jeff Lynne’s ELO, along with Steve Winwood and Dhani Harrison.
The Doobie Brothers have kept an intense touring schedule since the mid-90s, with their last visit to the UK being 2024 when they supported Eagles on their ‘Long Goodbye’ tour over five nights at Manchester’s Co-op LIVE arena. Before that, they hadn’t performed in the UK since 2017.
This tour will be in support of their upcoming album ‘Walk This Road’, set to be released on June 6. Their previous studio album ‘Liberté’ was released in 2021, and songs from the album only made up 12% of all songs played live the following year. If the same happens with ‘Walk This Road’, fans can be almost certain of watching the band play their greatest hits, with a few new tracks sprinkled throughout.
July 11 2025 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
July 13 – Hyde Park, London
July 15 – Co-op LIVE Arena, Manchester
July 17 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
July 19 – O2 Arena, London
July 21 – 3Arena, Dublin
McDonald was instrumental in the band’s shift in sound in the mid-70s. Having previously played with Steely Dan, McDonald came into the Doobie Brothers as an emergency replacement for the band’s main singer and founder Tom Johnston.
The first album that featured McDonald divided opinion, with some enjoying the shift away from typical electric-guitar-based rock to more complex keyboard and synthesiser-driven music. Others thought the change saw the band “lose their rock and roll edge”.
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‘Walk This Road’ is the first album to feature McDonald since 1980’s ‘One Step Closer’. He shared his excitement on the band’s website: “Getting back in with the guys and playing again is great. In my heart, I’ve always been a Doobie Brother. We’ve all remained friends over the years. We’ve all been enjoying it tremendously, even more than we thought we would.”
UK fans have already been snapping tickets up. One X user wrote, “Tickets booked for The Doobie Brothers… They are touring with Michael McDonald so that elevated it to a bucket list must-see.” A glowing review from RGM after their 2024 Co-op LIVE show described the band as “defying their age” with an “electrifying performance”.
Tickets booked for The Doobie Brothers…they are touring with Michael McDonald so that elevated it to bucket list must see
— Carol D (@bluejeanbaby01) February 4, 2025
2025 is shaping up to be a good year for the band, alongside a new album and a return to the UK. They will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June, along with funk legend George Clinton, and Beach Boy Mike Love.
On their first UK headline tour in 8 years, there will be considerable excitement for six dates. Though no support acts have been announced yet, fans will be in for an unmissable night across any of those six dates, tickets for which are available here.
