In the build-up to the August release of their fifth album ‘Hazel Eyes’, English singer-songwriter Sam Smith has announced the next run of shows in their To Be Free tour. The announcement consists of two Manchester gigs before a generous residency of eight London shows this September.
Since breaking through with their vocal features on Disclosure’s 2012 single ‘Latch’ and 2013 UK Number One ‘La La La’ by Naughty Boy, Smith’s debut ‘In the Lonely Hour’ released in 2014. The album was the top-selling debut of the 2010s and had major chart successes, with singles ‘Money On My Mind’ and ‘Stay With Me’ hitting the top spot and ‘I’m Not The Only One’ reaching third on the UK Chart. ‘In the Lonely Hour’ was a hit with the industry as well, with Smith winning 4 MOBOs, 4 Grammys and 2 BRIT Awards. They also had the honour of recording the theme for James Bond movie Spectre – the 2015 track ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category. In total, Smith has 8 UK Number One singles and 3 Number One albums, with their last LP ‘Gloria’ topping the charts in 2023 alongside its hit single ‘Unholy’ in 2022.
With their new album ‘Hazel Eyes’ announced for release on August 21, Smith has so far revealed 3 singles – ‘Love Is A Stillness’, ‘To Be Free’, and ‘My Guy’. The latter was released in June with a message from the singer which read “A song that I feel I have been waiting a lifetime to write and sing. Written with beautiful friends on a summer’s day in New York, this one fell out of the sky. In this sometimes cold and distant world, I hope you can feel the love and the closeness of this recording. I tried to capture the glow and the warmth of love in this one, it makes me cry, maybe it will make you feel a little love too.”
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Sam Smith took to social media last week to announce the two-city residency for their To Be Free set of shows. The run kicks off in September with a pair of shows at Manchester’s Albert Hall followed by a set of eight nights at London’s Coliseum venue. Before the UK leg, Smith will be in Mexico this August performing a single show in Guadalajara at the Auditorio Telemex and a 4-show residency in Mexico City’s National Auditorium. These are the UK dates for September 2026:
03 – Albert Hall, Manchester
04 – Albert Hall, Manchester
08 – London Coliseum, London
09 – London Coliseum, London
11 – London Coliseum, London
12 – London Coliseum, London
15 – London Coliseum, London
16 – London Coliseum, London
18 – London Coliseum, London
19 – London Coliseum, London
‘Hazel Eyes’ is out on August 21 via Capitol Records, with 2026 single ‘My Guy’ available on streaming now. Tickets for the To Be Free UK residencies hit fan pre-sale at 10am tomorrow, Thursday July 9, before general sale opens at 10 am on Friday July 10.
