American rock legends, Pixies, mark their 40 year anniversary with a headline European and UK tour, commencing in the upcoming spring and summer of 2026. Dubbed ‘Pixie 40’, the tour begins in York on May 20, before continuing across the UK and into Ireland, and continuing into mainland Europe. Their London show is to be housed at the iconic Royal Albert Hall, alongside smaller stop-off locations like Aviva Studio’s in Manchester and Olympia Theatre in Dublin. The tour is set to begin with the UK/Ireland leg: York, Dunfermline, Manchester, London, Limerick, Dublin, then later shifting into continental Europe with stops in Berlin, Frankfurt, Milan, Rotterdam, Enschede, Heerlen, and more.
Pixies, founded in Boston in 1986, have held their position at the forefront of the influential alternative rock genre, with some of their major early releases like ‘Come on Pilgrim’, ‘Surfer Rosa’, and ‘Doolittle’ cementing and sustaining their legendary reputation. The band initially reformed in 2004, releasing subsequent albums and touring, showcasing their commitment to live performance and musical relevance is no less poignant after four decades of making music.
Tickets for the tour will go on sale Friday, September 26, 2025, at 10 a.m. local time. Prior announcements from tour promoters state to fans that the event will be a celebration of Pixies’ music, rather than a nostalgic retrospective of their older tracks. While the tour does remain as a 40th celebration, they have emphasised they will blend their classical material with their newer music, most prominently their latest studio album release, ‘The Night the Zombies Came’, released in 2024.
Not only will the music celebrate their musical heritage, but fans have noted that many of their venues hold significant historic weight: the Royal Albert Hall, for example, will be their first headline performance at the venue. Cities like Limerick and Dublin see the band return to the cities they have previously played; however, this return marks an underlying continuity across generations.
The ‘Pixie 40’ tour, both visually and musically, lends itself to both legacy and also their propulsion towards a forward motion. While older tracks remain a prominent reason for many concertgoers to attend the tour, recent band interviews suggest that the band are trying to embrace a newer and more dynamic stage production, broader set-lists, and live energy as a central element to this anniversary run.
For longtime followers and new fans alike, ‘Pixie 40’ marks more than just a tour; it embodies both a retrospective nod and a reaffirmation of their iconic status. After 40 years, they still have stages to fill, audiences to challenge, and music to push forward.
Pixies’ UK and European headline shows for 2026 are:
MAY
20 – Barbican, York
21 – Alhambra theatre, Dunfermline
25 – Aviva Studios, Manchester
28 – Royal Albert Hall, London
31 – Live At The Castle, Limerick
JUNE
02 – Olympia, Dublin
30 –Zitadelle Spandau, Berlin
JULY
01 – Parkbühne Clara-Zetkin-Park, Leipzig
02 – myticket Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt
14 – Parco Della Musica, Milan
17 – Maassilo, Rotterdam
18 – Muziekcentrum, Enschede
19 – PLT, Heerlen
