American rock band, Bleachers, have just announced a tour of the UK and Europe, beginning this autumn. The Bleachers Forever Tour will be in support of the band’s fifth studio album, ‘everyone for ten minutes.’ It will be their biggest European headline tour to date. In the tour’s announcement, the band wrote they “cannot stress how thrilled we are to be back in you Europe England Ireland etc.”
‘everyone for ten minutes’ is due to release on 22 May. The band recently released the third single from the album, ‘the van’ which looks retrospectively at the band’s beginnings in New Jersey. It joins previously released singles, ‘you and forever’ and ‘dirty wedding dress.’
On 3 April, Bleachers stopped by the BBC Radio 2 studios to premiere the ‘the van,’ and record a cover for Jo Whiley. Antonoff cut a low-key folk-inspired rendition of Hayley Williams’ ‘Love Me Different.’ He wrote about the experience in a message attached to the tour announcement, “something special is happening with UK / EU Bleachers. I feel that outside of America, the understanding of American music is crystal clear. The elements we’re playing with, all inherently political, make perfect sense without the emotions and fear of what part we play in it.”
That crystal clear understanding of American music shows as the band is about embark on their biggest European headline tour to date. It will kick off in Milan on 5 November, hitting Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium and France before landing in the UK.
Bleachers will appear in several cities across the UK and Ireland including Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Dublin and Manchester. They will cap off the tour with a show at London’s Eventim Apollo on 3 December.
Bleachers has not been back to the UK since the 2024 Reading and Leeds festivals, where they played in support of the self-titled fourth studio album. The critically acclaimed album, ‘Bleachers,’ received a 9/10 from Clash Magazine and 4/5 stars from NME. NME called the album “the collective’s most quintessentially “them” release yet.” Saying that, “it evolves into new territory, of course, but is equally deeply connected to past releases – a by-product of spending a decade honing their dynamic and sound.”
Their latest music also sees Antonoff coalescing lessons learned over the bands’ career. Clash Magazine wrote in review that ‘you and forever’ displays “an almost stand-up comedic style of songwriting which Antonoff has tapped into for a while […] but now appears to be embracing entirely in his songwriting.”
Antonoff writes of a childlike creativity in the Instagram-posted message to fans, “I heard music and then I tired to play it. And those early days – 11 or so years old, sitting at the piano – I went somewhere very far away.” Antonoff promises, “that’s where I am right now and that’s where I’ll be touring from.”
Pre-sale for Bleachers Forever Tour begins on Wednesday 15 April at 10 AM local time. Fans can sign up for pre-sale here. General sale will begin on Friday 17 April at 10 AM local time.
Bleachers Forever Tour UK/EU Dates
EUROPE
5/11 – Alcatraz – Milan, Italy
7/11 – Tonhalle – Munich, Germany
9/11 – Columbiahalle – Berlin, Germany
10/11 – Columbiahalle – Berlin, Germany
12/11 – Sentrum Scene – Oslo, Norway
13/11 – Annexet – Stockholm, Sweden
15/11 – Sporthalle – Hamburg, Germany
17/11 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands
18/11 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands
20/11 – Cirque Royal – Brussels, Belgium
21/11 – Salle Pleyel – Paris, France
UK/IE
24/11 – O2 Academy – Bristol, UK
25/11 – O2 Academy – Glasgow, UK
26/11 – O2 Academy – Leeds, UK
28/11 – O2 Academy – Birmingham, UK
30/11 – 3Olympia – Dublin, IE
2/12 – O2 Apollo – Manchester, UK
3/12 – Eventim Apollo – London, UK
