If you, like me, first heard The Pixies as a teenager or young adult, their sound, unexpected ruptures, haunting melodies, Black Francis’s vocal intensity, left a permanent mark. I remember sneaking my “Doolittle“ tape into my walkman and imagining what it would be like to see them live. Now, as they mark four decades together, I’m beyond excited that I finally might.
The current line-up brings together founding member Black Francis, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering, alongside bassist Emma Richardson. They continue to create new music, with their latest release being “The Night The Zombies Came” (2024), their ninth studio album.
The band is celebrating 40 years since their formation in Boston, 1986. This milestone tour is the first confirmed UK and European leg of a wider global schedule planned for 2026
Why This Feels Like a Dream
For a band whose influence on alternative rock is immeasurable, this tour is more than just another anniversary. Their first ever headline concert at Royal Albert Hall feels historic, a long-overdue recognition of their legacy.
Personally, this tour is deeply significant. I was a young adult in the late 1980s and 1990s, when The Pixies’ music first exploded into my life. They were not only the soundtrack of my youth, but also the band that opened the door for countless others, most famously Nirvana, with Kurt Cobain often citing The Pixies as a key influence.
Now, decades later, the chance to finally see them live feels surreal. The circle closes: the music that shaped my younger self will now be a living experience in the present.
Ticket Information
Tickets go on general sale Friday 26 September 2025. Pre-sale details are available via Ticketmaster and other official outlets. Fans are encouraged to move quickly, this is expected to sell out, especially the landmark London Royal Albert Hall date. And may be, as it happened last week with System of a Down, they may add some dates
The Pixies’ 40th anniversary tour is shaping up to be a landmark event. For me, it’s more than just a gig, it’s the fulfilment of a long-standing dream. After years of listening to their records, imagining the raw energy of their shows, I’m finally getting the chance to witness it in person. And as someone who lived through the late ’80s and ’90s, I can say without hesitation: The Pixies were the spark that ignited an entire generation of music, and that shape my musical taste into a certain direction.
UK and European tour dates 2026
20/05/2026 – Barbican, York, England
21/05/2026 – Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, Scotland
25/05/2026 – Aviva Studios, Manchester, England
28/05/2026 – Royal Albert Hall (first ever Pixies headline show at the venue), London, England
31/05/2026 – Live at the Castle, Limerick, Ireland
02/06/2026 – Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
30/06/2026 – Zitadelle Spandau, Berlin, Germany
01/07/2026 – Parkbühne Clara-Zetkin Park, Leipzig, Germany
02/07/2026 – myticket Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt, Germany
14/07/2026 – Parco della Musica, Milan, Italy
17/07/2026 – Maassilo, Rotterdam, Netherlands
18/07/2026 – Muziekcentrum, Enschede, Netherlands
19/07/2026 – PLT, Heerlen, Netherlands
