The shows will take place in some of the UK’s largest arenas, treating fans to an all-encompassing and mammoth celebration of the band’s career. In their Instagram announcement below, the band expressed their excitement to set out on the tour saying, “It’s just 257 days until we grace the stage of the Glasgow OVO Hydro Arena to begin our tour of Britain’s finest arenas!”

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The Darkness sky-rocketed to popularity with ‘Permission to Land’ which was certified quadruple platinum in the UK with over 1.4 million units sold. And in the very next year, the band scooped up three awards at the 2004 BRITS: Best British Group, Best British Rock Act and Best British Album.

The I Paper described the band’s unique allure in 2023: “here was a band taking cues not from 70s New York or arty 80s post-punk but from classic and glam rock like Queen, AC/DC and Aerosmith; with an extravagant singer armed with every affected move in the rock manual and an eye-watering falsetto; singing fun, expletive-filled songs about genital warts and mythical East Anglian dogs that were melodically pop enough for any radio station.”

And nearly two decades later, The Darkness proved their longevity with ‘Dreams on Toast’ reaching No. 2 on the charts as well as receiving 4/5 stars in a review from Classic Rock. The review described the single, ‘Walking Through Fire’ as “the kind of fist-in-the-air anthem that reminds you why we fell in love with The Darkness in the first place.”

Regarding the forthcoming tour, lead singer Justin Hawkins says, “The very bestest of The Darkness! Imagine yourself, luxuriating in the warm sonic and visual embrace of the best ever Darkness songs, played by the best ever Darkness band, in the best ever rock music venues of mainland Great Britain! You will float with us on the soft whoopee cushion of undulating rock tones, swim with us in the warm seas of loquacious balladry, jump with us in the heady miasma of pop rock, and also do the head bang with us in the electrical thundery storm of HEVY METUL… Roll up, roll up – the Darkness Carnival is coming to town!”

The Darkness will be supported on the tour by Grammy winning, multi-Platinum selling American American country rock band, Brothers Osbourne. As well as by rock set, A, who have streams racked up by the multimillions.

Calling at seven areas across the country, The Best of The Darkness UK Tour will kick off on 8 December in Glasgow and close out with the band’s debut headline appearance at London’s O2 Arena on 16 December.

Tickets are now on sale at thedarknesslive.com and the full dates are listed below.

The Best of Darkness UK Tour

8/12—OVO Hyrdo Arena—Glasgow, UK

9/12—FD Arena—Leeds, UK

11/12—AO Arena—Manchester, UK

12/12—Utilita Arena—Birmingham, UK

13/12—Utilita Arena—Cardiff, UK

15/12—Brighton Center—Brighton, UK

16/12—O2 Arena—London, UK

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The Darkness will also be joined with support from GRAMMY-winning and multi-platinum selling country rock band Brothers Osborne, as well as multi-million streamed rock band A.

When talking about the tour, lead singer Justin Hawkins said, “Powerful rock was designed to be played in huge rectangular buildings. Huge rectangular buildings were designed to house powerful rock bands. The Darkness are a powerful rock band and the arenas listed below are huge rectangular buildings. Except for the exception which proves the rule. Thank you O2 Arena…”

“In December 2026 this elegantly logical proposition will become a reality, driven by three bands consisting of seven brothers. Three of them are Perrys, from Lowestoft’s A. Two of them are Osbornes, from the Brothers Osborne. And two of them are my brother Dan and I. The Darkness, Brothers Osborne and A, veritable Bands of Brothers, rocking in a huge rectangular (or domed) building – what could be more powerful than that?”

Lead singer and guitarist of Brothers Osborne TJ Osborne also said, “There was cosmic ripple in the space time continuum that led to our paths crossing. Can’t wait to prove, once again, that brothers do it best and guitar solos are alive and well.”

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The title track, ‘Walking Through Fire’, is full of the Darkness attitude you’d expect, with the glam-rock guitar that shot them to fame in 2003, and Hawkins’ lyrics are both humorous and cutting. The track is a commentary on the band’s songwriting process, and features lines such as “We’re only doing this cause it’s fun/ Don’t even think my mum bought the last one.”  

‘The Longest Kiss’ was the first track to debut, doing so in September 2024, and was accompanied by a radio edit and an acoustic demo, though no versions charted. ‘I Hate Myself’ followed in December, and ‘Rock and Roll Party Cowboy’ was released on 24 January, exactly one month before the release of this EP.

The upcoming album will be their first full-length release since 2021’s ‘Motorheart’. That release was received well, earning a 7/10 from Classic Rock Magazine, who described it as “a daft-as-a-brush cheer-up we all need right now.” The new album will feature all four tracks included on the EP, as well as four new ones.  

Supporting the new album, The Darkness will be heading out on a 43-date tour around the UK and Europe. Beginning at Ipswich’s Regent Theatre on 6 March and concluding in Germany in October, the band will also be performing at two festivals. They will play Download Festival in June, and Italy’s Festival di Majano later in the summer.

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The new songs have been met with a positive response from fans, with some fans comparing ‘The Longest Kiss’ to early Queen material. On the newest track, ‘Walking through Fire’, one fan took to X, commenting, “This is my fave from the new [EP] for sure. Love the languid-loping groove and melodic riff.”

Alright! This is my fave from the new album for sure. Love the languid-loping groove and melodic riff. Cheers!

— Kevin Gamble Music (@KevGambleMusic) February 24, 2025

Next month’s album will be released under Cooking Vinyl, a label also representing acts such as Billy Bragg, The Prodigy, and The Jesus and Mary Chain, as well as various other legacy acts. 

Justin Hawkins has also found fame online through his YouTube channel, Justin Hawkins Rides Again. Set up in 2021, the channel has amassed almost 600,000 subscribers, and finds the frontman commentating on various subjects from across the music landscape.

With the EP now available to stream and the band ready to embark on their tour, ‘Dreams on Toast’ is set to be one of the year’s most exciting releases.

The in-store tour will showcase previously unheard tracks from Dreams on Toast, marking the first live performances of the material. The concerts are scheduled for December 10th in London, December 11th in Nottingham, and December 12th in Liverpool. Rough Trade itself has recently opened a new store in the heartland of London’s music scene Denmark Street.

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This initiative comes amid a broader album release campaign that has already introduced Dreams on Toast’s lead single, “The Longest Kiss’. The infectious track, which recalls the 1970s camp pop of Queen and Paul McCartney, pairs Hawkins’ signature falsetto and humour with jaunty piano and guitars. Hawkins has described the track’s inspiration in vivid terms, telling Clash that he credited the natural beauty of Nairn in Scotland, where he conceived the lyrics, with invigorating his musical creativity.

Hawkins’ promotion of the album has been characteristically theatrical. Reflecting on Dreams on Toast‘s creative process, he spoke of divine inspiration with tongue firmly in cheek. “You know that thing when God’s breath tickles your soul and tells you to create?” Hawkins quipped in the album’s announcement. “Yeah, makes me giggle too. But you can’t resist. God might not be the power she once was, but say what you like about her, she knows damn well that what the world needs now is rock sweet rock.”

Hailing from Lowestoft in Suffolk, the band’s explosive debut Permission to Land in 2003 propelled them to rapid fame, driven by the success of the single ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’. After sporadic releases for the next ten years, Dreams on Toast will mark the group’s third LP release in five years, as they continue to blend camp humour with heavy riffs and classic rock pastiche.

Following this brief in-store run, The Darkness will embark on a nationwide arena tour in March 2025, aiming to reach a broader audience and showcasing their latest works on a grander stage. The UK leg of the tour will encompass 17 dates, culminating in a final performance at London’s OVO Wembley Arena on 29th March. Notably, Northern Irish indie-rock band Ash, who supported The Darkness on their 2003 Permission to Land tour, will join them as the opening act. Tickets for the in-store shows and full UK tour are now available through Dice and the band’s official website.

The tour will see the band perform 17 shows in just 22 days, beginning with something of a homecoming performance in Ipswich for the Lowestoft natives. After a hectic three week run in which the band will hit mid-size venues in cities towns across the UK, the tour will conclude with a bang at Wembley Arena on 29 March. Tickets will be available here from 27 September.

Most of the tour will precede the new album’s launch, so fans can likely expect a mix of old and new material. The Wembley Arena finale, however, lays the ground for a climactic live debut of new material from Dreams on Toast, coming the night following the album’s release.

“You know that thing when God’s breath tickles your soul and tells you to create? Who are we, mere mortals of extraordinary ability, to argue with the divine? So it gives us the most pleasure to announce that our new album, ‘Dreams on Toast’, will be released on Friday 28th March 2025,” the band wrote on its Instagram, announcing the new album’s name and release date.

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The Darkness recently rocketed up the US iTunes Rock charts with a resurgence in popularity for their 2003 glam rock anthem ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’, after Taylor Swift was spotted singing along to the song in the crowd of the US Open tennis final.

Propelled to fame by frontman Justin Hawkins’ unmistakeable falsetto and camp humour, the band’s debut album Permission to Land was a seismic event in the rock world in 2003. With hits like ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ and ‘Growing on Me’, the album soared to quadruple platinum status in the UK. The band’s blend of glam, classic and metal, as well as a jocular stage presence, set them apart in an era dominated by more subdued acts.

Despite their meteoric rise, internal tensions and Hawkins’ struggles with addiction led to a temporary split in 2006. The band members pursued separate projects, but the allure of The Darkness proved too strong to resist. They reunited in 2011, much to the delight of their fans, and have since released several more albums, including Hot Cakes (2012) and Easter Is Cancelled (2019).

Accompanying the album announcement was the launch of the new song, ‘Longest Kiss’, which in keeping with the band’s penchant for pastiche of rock legends, gives a nod in homage towards the dandy side of Queen’s late seventies era.

In his typical parodic style that has made the band renowned not just as beloved rockers, but also as beloved interviewees, frontman Justin Hawkins told NME about the upcoming album: “God might not be the power she once was, but say what you like about her, she knows damn well that what the world needs now, is rock, sweet rock. And who are we, mere mortals of extraordinary ability, to argue with the divine?

“So we knuckled down and thought really hard about the best of the best, the elite songs, the life-changing music of the ages. Then we popped out a dozen bangers before lunch. And these bangers we present to you here, wallowing in an aromatic aural ragu, served atop the charred remains of our envious contemporaries.”

Dreams on Toast will launch on 28 March and can be pre-ordered on vinyl here.

Justin Hawkins, his brother Dan Hawkins, eccentric bassist Frankie Poullain, and new drummer Rufus Taylor tell their story, in their own words of The Darkness comeback tale.

Set to hit cinemas on November 9, Welcome To The Darkness will be showcased for a limited engagement, with the possibility of encores due to the overwhelming demand. This exclusive opportunity allows fans to immerse themselves in the world of The Darkness and witness their remarkable comeback after a nine-year hiatus.

Emmett’s documentary skillfully captures the taxing and comical path that The Darkness embarked upon to reclaim their former fame. From their humble beginnings in a remote pub performance, the film follows the band’s relentless pursuit of their ambitious goal to once again captivate packed arenas. Audiences will be taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as they witness the band’s struggles, triumphs, and everything in between.

Frontman Justin Hawkins talks about his vision for the band in a clip for the film.

Welcome To The Darkness offers an unfiltered glimpse into the inner workings of a revered “cult band” as they navigate the challenges of the music industry and strive to revive glory days. With unprecedented access to the band members and their personal lives, this documentary promises to be an intimate and revealing portrait of The Darkness.

Prior to the documentary’s premiere, a highly anticipated Permission To Land deluxe album release is scheduled for October 6, distributed by Warner Music. This exceptional release encompasses a comprehensive collection, available in various formats including a five-LP package, a four-CD+DVD package, and a double-CD package.

Furthermore, the album will be accessible on all major digital streaming platforms, allowing listeners to experience its entirety in all its magnificence. This album notably includes their most renowned single, ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love‘.

In December, the band will wrap up their musical pursuits with a sold-out tour throughout the United Kingdom, signifying a triumphant end to their year.

UK and Ireland Tour Dates

⚡NEW SHOWS ADDED ⚡
Due to the phenomenal demand that resulted in us selling out our UK tour in a day! We’ve added some new dates to the Permission to Land 20th Anniversary tour. Tickets on sale 9am this Friday 14th. Don’t miss out this time, get them here:… pic.twitter.com/95Xt0Php6t

— The Darkness (@thedarkness) July 11, 2023

The winter tour, set to begin in Belfast on December 2nd, will now see shows in four new locations, including Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds and Brighton, while the Roundhouse in London and Rock City in Nottingham will now play hosts to two dates. The addition of these new shows now means that the tour will stretch until December 22nd, a fact that will surely impress fans of the much-loved glam rock outfit.

The tour will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of The Darkness’ debut, and much loved, seminal album Permission To Land. An expanded Permission To Land deluxe album is also set to be released later this year via Warner Music especially for the anniversary, with details to be released by the band soon.

The Darkness formed in 2000 in Lowestoft with an initial line-up of Justin Hawkins (lead vocals, lead guitar) , his brother Dan Hawkins (guitar), Frankie Poullain (bass) and Ed Graham (drums). The group released their debut album, Permission To Land, in 2003 to widespread critical acclaim, with the album topping the UK Albums Chart and achieving quadruple platinum status after 1.3 million copies were sold. This album also contained the hit single “I Believe in a Thing Called Love“, by far the band’s most popular track.

Watch the music video for “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” below:

The group have gone on to release a further six albums, despite a five year hiatus, with their latest album, Motorheart, being released in 2021. Since their hiatus they have released five albums, and have even released a special Christmas beer in collaboration with brewery Signature Brew.

Watch the music video for “Motorheart” below:

See below for the updated series of tour dates:

02/12/2023 – The Telegraph Building – Belfast
03/12 – 3Olympia – Dublin
05/12 – O2 Academy – Edinburgh (new show)
07/12 – O2 City Hall – Newcastle (new show)
08/12 – UEA – Norwich
09/12 – Roundhouse – London
11/12 – Barrowland – Glasgow
12/12 – New Century Hall – Manchester
14/12 – Beacon – Bristol
15/12 – Rock City – Nottingham
16/12 – The Wulfrum At The Halls – Wolverhampton
18/12 – O2 Academy – Leeds (new show)
19/12 – Rock city – Nottingham (new show)
20/12 – Dome – Brighton (new show)
22/12 – Roundhouse – London (new show)

Tour tickets for the new shows go on sale from 9am on Friday 14th July and can be purchased here.

⚡️UK & Ireland Tour 2023⚡️
You have all been very patient. We are VERY EXCITED to announce the dates for our Permission to Land 20th Anniversary UK & Ireland Tour! We can’t wait to celebrate this very important birthday with you. See you all soon!

Tickets go on sale Friday at… pic.twitter.com/OsWLYHxIsr

— The Darkness (@thedarkness) July 3, 2023

Lead singer and frontman Justin Hawkins, in a recent press release, has said of the tour, “We, The Darkness, are delighted to announce that we’ll be hitting the road in the U.K. once again. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Permission to Land, our set will include every song from our debut album faithfully reproduced (with additional clam notes and meanderings) in the order in which they appear on the record. We’ll also play all of your favourite Darkness songs from the rest of our illustrious and tipsy turvy career. It will be the best show you’ll see this year. I should know, I’m the singer and also a YouTube music expert.”

The Darkness formed in 2000 in Lowestoft with an initial line-up of Justin Hawkins (lead vocals, lead guitar) , his brother Dan Hawkins (guitar), Frankie Poullain (bass) and Ed Graham (drums). The group released their debut seminal album, Permission To Land, in 2003 to widespread critical acclaim, with the album topping the UK Albums Chart and achieving quadruple platinum status after 1.3 million copies were sold. This album also contained the hit single “I Believe in a Thing Called Love“, by far the band’s most popular track.

Watch the music video for “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” below:

The group released their second album, One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back in 2005 but disbanded in 2006 following the departure of Justin Hawkins. The group reunited in 2011, however, and have gone on to release a further five albums, all to reasonably favourable receptions. Their latest album, Motorheart, was released in October 2021.

Watch the music video for “Motorheart” below:

An expanded Permission To Land deluxe album is also set to be released later this year via Warner Music, with details to be released by the band soon.

See below for tour dates:

02/12/2023 – The Telegraph Building – Belfast
03/12 – 3Olympia – Dublin
08/12 – UEA – Norwich
09/12 – Roundhouse – London
11/12 – Barrowland – Glasgow
12/12 – New Century Hall – Manchester
14/12 – Beacon – Bristol
15/12 – Rock City – Nottingham
16/12 – The Wulfrum At The Halls – Wolverhampton

Tour tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 7th July and can be purchased here.

They have just announced three acts set to be supporting the rock band. Amongst these, be ready to be warmed up by the rock legends from the 80’s, Pretenders. Alongside them, the grammy nominated band Larkin Poe from the US. And let’s not forget The Darkness band from the 2000’s rock scene.

The Pretenders performance will be the wrap up for their UK and Ireland tour starting this May and finishing on the 30th June, as mentioned before, at Hyde Park. The tour is named “Relentless” after their soon to be released album – Relentless. However, Chrissie Hynde is handling the situation in a very secretive manner and still hasn’t revealed any valuable information about the official drop.

Larkin Poe lurk close behind their, band support, peers. The Nashville band formed by the multi-instrumentalist sisters Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell. It seems like the duo will be mainly showcasing their best hits from their latest album release Blood Harmony. This being their sixth studio album.

Finally, the British rock band, The Darkness, will be playing as Guns N’ Roses support act and will be playing another live show in Norway where they will be supporting KISS on their End Of The Road world tour, on the 15th of July before the bands official tour in November where they will be visiting Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

It is going to be the first time Guns N’ Roses perform at the BST Festival this year. They will be playing amongst our global, music industry’s leading figures from the past few decades, including Bruce Springsteen, BLACKPINK, Billy Joel, Take That and P!nk. All playing on consecutive weekends.

This years edition celebrates que festivals 10th year anniversary from when they first launched. It is an event which consists on a series of live shows held over two or three weekends at Hyde Park in London. Over the years it has hosted the biggests acts in the world such as Celine Dion, The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, The Strokes, The Who, Adele … you name it.

Tickets for Guns N’ Roses are available here.

Jovi has not yet publicly acknowledged the negative reviews he has received for his recent vocal performances, reps for the band have reportedly been asked by the Asbury Park Press for a response to some of the negativity the singer may have received but they declined to comment.

Hawkins spoke about Jovi’s recent vocal issues on his YouTube series Justin Hawkins Rides Again last week, the Darkness musician whilst watching a recent live performance filmed by a fan and expressed sympathy for the singer, and observed that Jovi’s vocals sounded “tired” rather than hindered by a vocal cord problem and whilst age could also be a factor Hawkins seemed to suggest age didn’t seem like the main cause for Jovi’s vocal troubles.

Hawkins said “It sounds like he needs some kind of [vocal] therapy, It doesn’t sound like it’s a polyp or some sort of lump on his vocal cords, because that would be more unpredictable — he would be hitting the notes, and then it would squeak off and it would do something unexpected. Hawkins theorised that while Jovi has been singing in a lower key, the singer hasn’t been able to find the “muscle memory” in his voice.”

He then continued “It sounds like something he’s gonna need some therapy with — actually talk to somebody and try and coax the performances back out, It doesn’t sound to me like there’s damage in there. I’m not a doctor, but I’ve experienced voice problems before. And to hold a note with it being off key suggests some pitching issues that might be to do with hearing as well. It’s not fun to watch this, and it isn’t fun to regard one of the greats… He’s a great singer — he always has been — but this sounds like something is eating away at him from the inside. I feel like the people around him need to tell him to stop.”

The Darkness’ dropped their album, Motorheart back in November whilst Bon Jovi most recently released their album 2020 in 2020 and their single “Story of Love” in 2021.