The UK electronic icons came in strong for the tour’s launch, receiving a huge applause from the Scottish crowd for their long-lived classic techno sounds. The famous tracks that had the audience raving to the 1990’s classics included ‘Adrenaline Drop’ by DJ Juanito in Carl Cox’s pursuit of focusing on techno and hardcore. The Prodigy’s track list included some of the most enjoyed techno songs of the golden era, such as ‘Smack My Bitch Up’, ‘Omen’, ‘Breathe’ and ‘Out Of Space’.

This duo act, lean into the 1990’s blend of electronic distortion, punk and techno, in different ways the two artists made large impacts on the music scene then and now. They moved the scene of UK dance music from underground to mainstream culture. Cox emerged as respected figure in the house music landscape through his marathon DJ sets that helped solidify the DJ as a true performer of European dance sound, rather than a club hire.

At the same time as Cox, The Prodigy pushed the electronic scene, but harder, with a hybrid sound that fans still enjoy today. The act formed in the 90s, from the UK rave scene, mixing breakbeat sounds and punk attitude. The album ‘The Fat of the Land’  contributed to the essence of their auteurship that brought rave culture into the mainstream gaze.

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A post shared by Carl Cox (@carlcoxofficial)

After the launch in Glasgow, Carl Cox stated in an Instagram post just how lively the crowd was for the two electronic punk legends:

“Glasgow, you came in strong – the place was moving from the moment we stepped up.”

The opening has only made the tour more anticipated by those who managed to secure tickets, with the tour moving from Glasgow to Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff.  Upcoming stops on the tour include Bournemouth and Leeds, as well as, two back-to-back London shows for Friday and Saturday. The tour will then close with the final dates in Belfast and Dublin.

Speculation on social media arose with the question that asks if Cox will appear at all shows, which has since been confirmed, meaning he will perform across the rest of the tour stops.

The legendary British electronic act will launch their arena tour in April 2026, with performances scheduled across the UK and Ireland, joined by special guest DJ and producer Carl Cox. The announcement arrives shortly before their headline appearance at Glastonbury on Sunday, 29 June, their first return to the festival since the passing of frontman Keith Flint in 2019.

A press release reads: “The World Heavyweight Champions Re-unite for a tour of straight up ruckus that sees The Prodigy blast through their headline set, performing tracks from across their seven UK number one albums, along with Carl Cox returning to his genre breaking three deck vinyl setup for a two-hour set from doors each night.”

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A post shared by The Prodigy Official (@theprodigyofficial)

After a three-year hiatus following Flint’s death, The Prodigy returned to the stage in 2022. In a 2024 interview with NME, the band’s co-founder Liam Howlett reflected on how Flint’s passing affected the rest of the group. He said: “After losing Keith we couldn’t even think or talk about the band. I think it was two years after his death that me and Maxim started bringing it up. ‘Could we play live again? Did we even want to? Why? How?’”

He continues: “We realised the only possible real way to know how we would feel was to do it: get back on stage and do a bunch of gigs. It was so hard to walk onto that stage without our brother, but we really felt the crowd with us. Those gigs were highly emotionally-charged but we came out the other end with our answer.”

The Prodigy’s 2026 arena tour kicks off in Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, and wraps up at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Howlett tells fans to “expect full attack mode” in a statement reading: “We’re bringin back that full experience of non-stop noise and beats from doors to getting chucked out. It will be that full Prodigy experience as it was then and how it continues to be now… and droppin’ new tunes for the people… We’ve got our old friend Carl joining us so expect full attack mode, factor nine… Let’s go!”

Carl Cox added: “I love working with these guys and it’s such a long time since I have. They knew me that last time I was out playing three turntables, and the type of music I was playing was hardcore rave music, so that’s what I’m going to be doing, playing that sort of sound and into the new skool, I’m really looking forward to it, so here we are Carl Cox and The Prodigy back again to rip up the dance floors.”

The tour dates go as follows:

THE PRODIGY 2026 UK AND IRELAND TOUR

APRIL

15th – Glasgow OVO Hydro
16th – Manchester Co-op Live
18th – Birmingham Utilita Arena
19th – Cardiff Utilita Arena
21st – Bournemouth BIC
22nd – Leeds First Direct Arena
24th – London Wembley OVO Arena
25th – London Wembley OVO Arena
27th – Belfast The SSE Arena
28th – Dublin 3Arena

You can get your tickets here from this Friday, 27 June.

Cuando lo vivas, lo entenderás.

Bizitzen duzunean, ulertuko duzu.

When you live it, you will understand.#BilbaoBBKLive pic.twitter.com/4Icf5nZhPd

— Bilbao BBK Live (@bilbaobbklive) November 28, 2023

The festival, set in the mountainous Basque city of Bilbao in Northern Spain, will run from 11 July to 13 July 2024. The annual event can trace its origins back to 2006 and is held on a special complex built specifically for the festival on the slopes of Mount Cobetas. Last year’s edition featured the likes of Artic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine, Idles, Róisín Murphy and Pavement, and cemented the festival as one of the best on the European music festival circuit.

Watch the music video for the classic track “Firestarter” by The Prodigy below:

Big beat pioneers The Prodigy will make Bilbao BBK Live their fourth summer festival appearance, after it was announced that they will be playing Reading and Leeds 2024 along with Hellfest and Isle of Wight festival. Meanwhile the festival is scheduled to be cult trip hop collective Massive Attack’s only summer outing, with the group last performing at Connect festival in Edinburgh in the summer of 2022.

Watch the music video for “Unfinished Sympathy” by Massive Attack below:

Canadian indie rock outfit Arcade Fire are also set for a busy summer after attaining headline slots at not only Bilbao BBK Live 2024 but also Shaky Knees in Atlanta and both South American editions of Lollapalooza in Brazil and Chile.

Watch the music video for “The Suburbs” by Arcade Fire below:

See below for the full line-up of Bilbao BBK Live 2024:

Airu, Alvvays, Arcade Fire, Cymande, Death From Above 1979, Derby Motoreta’s Burrito Kachimba, El Columpio Asesino, Ezra Collective, Floating Points, Folamour (A/V), Jimena Amarilo, Jordan Rakei, JPEGMafia, Jungle, Khruangbin, Los Bitchos, Massive Attack, Mulatu Astatke, Nerve Agent, Noname, Overmono, Parcels, Queralt Lahoz, Ralphie Choo, Sen Senra, Shinova, The Prodigy, Underworld, Zea Mays.

Tickets for the event will be available for general sale this Friday 1 December from 9am and will be available to purchase here.

Photo credit: Sharon Alagna

PUNK’S DEAD OUT NOW XXX https://t.co/g6x5oxTt5t pic.twitter.com/jL2HfPTzdt

— SOFT PLAY (@softplayband) August 21, 2023

The duo, consisting of Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent, last released new material back in 2019 under their original moniker Slaves. In December of last year, the punk performers announced their return to the scene-complete with new name Soft Play-citing that the previous group name no longer represented the pair as people or their music.

Wanting to distance themselves from the connotations that their band name inevitably created (the duo always maintained that the name had no reference whatsoever to race), Vincent and Holman opted for the change to Soft Play-a name that will attract far less controversy. Along with the name change, Soft Play also announced, to the delight of their fans, that they would be returning to pick up where they left off and begin making new music once again.

Speaking about the change to Soft Play, the pair said, “we are aware that people have differing opinions on the name, we hope you can accept and respect our decision and not continue the argument between yourselves. When it comes down to it, the music and community surrounding our band are what matter the most and we don’t want anything to stand in the way of that community being as inclusive as possible. Our music is for anyone and everyone.”

“Punk’s Dead” sees the band offering up a tongue in cheek nod toward their name change while also taking a (joking) dig at the people who have criticised them over the decision. The song also features, arguably, the most unlikely of guest singers on the track-Robbie Williams. Williams features during the bridge of the song, with Soft Play deciding to include the pop singer on the track after he expressed himself as a fan of the band and would be open to working with them.

A soft song by a couple of soft cunts. Punk’s Dead out next week pre save it now xxxx https://t.co/NrulZOXlWu pic.twitter.com/FeV9k9mXvU

— SOFT PLAY (@softplayband) August 15, 2023

Soft Play were not quite finished with the surprises however, as, in addition to the new song and William’s inclusion, the group have also announced a last minute appearance at Reading and Leeds festival this coming weekend. Following on the heels of their intimate comeback/warm-up shows and headlining slot at 2000Trees, the group are ready to fully commit to the live circuit once more with sets at the legendary festivals. The band is also set to embark on a supporting tour with The Prodigy this autumn.

Surprise we’re playing @OfficialRandL bloody hell can’t wait for a coupla ciders and a giant Yorkshire pudding if you’re coming see ya there xxxx Tickets: https://t.co/t0cURcXjLt pic.twitter.com/9l7nuq3HmU — SOFT PLAY (@softplayband) August 21, 2023

Soft Play Tour:

25/08/2023 – Hop Yard – Forest Row
26/08 – Reading Festival – Reading
27/08 – Leeds Festival – Leeds
16/11 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow
17/11 – AO Arena – Manchester
18/11 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
20/11 – The Brighton Centre – Brighton
21/11 – Cardiff International Arena – Cardiff
23/11 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
24/11 – Alexandra Palace – London
25/11 – Alexandra Palace – London

In a social media announcement, the group apologised for the cancellation, explaining that singer Maxim is recovering from a “temporary back injury” – a setback which gives them no other choice but to call off their next couple of live shows.

The official statement adds: “This isn’t a decision the band take lightly and they apologise to all fans who are travelling to these shows. We will update everyone on his progress and future shows as soon as possible.”

The Prodigy have unfortunately been forced to cancel their upcoming headline festival performances at Dreambeach (ES) and Boomtown (UK) under doctor’s orders, as Maxim recovers from a temporary back injury. pic.twitter.com/uiITsxhTcI

— The Prodigy (@the_prodigy) August 10, 2023

The Essex rave rockers were due to take to the stage at Dreambeach Festival in Spain on 11 August, before travelling to Winchester on 13 August for their first performance in the city since 1992. In their own statement, Boomtown Fair wrote:

“There is no easy way to say this. We have just been made aware The Prodigy can no longer play at Boomtown 2023. […] We and the band are gutted and know you will be feeling the same. We are now working hard to bring this iconic band to Grand Central next year at Boomtown 2024. Until then we send Maxim our love and wish him a smooth recovery.”

Electronic duo Chase & Status have now been slated for headline replacement.

The last-minute withdrawal brings unfortunate news for Prodigy fans, many of whom would have been happy to have secured tickets to see a band that has, in recent years, spent less time on the road. The tragic passing of former member Keith Flint in 2019 coupled with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a three-year touring hiatus, with the group finally returning to the stage in mid-2022. 

Earlier this year, The Prodigy released a four-track remix EP in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking third studio album, The Fat Of The Land. Upon its original release in 1997, the now-iconic LP – which contains hits such as “Firestarter” and “Breathe” – quickly topped charts worldwide, and has sold over 10 million copies to date. 

Check out Mefjus & Camo & Krooked’s remix of “Breathe” below:

Provided Maxim makes a speedy recovery, the band are set to play headline sets at a number of other festivals this Summer, before embarking on their Army Of The Ants tour in November.

See below for UK dates:

16/11/2023 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow
17/11 – AO Arena – Manchester
18/11 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
20/11 – Brighton Centre – Brighton
21/11 – International Arena – Cardiff
23/11 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham 
24/11 – Alexandra Palace – London

Get tickets here.

Fan reaction to the Braintree group’s announcement have been very positive. “Best news ever! Need more Prodigy music in the world!” responded one Prodigy fan. “Great news, just what Keith would want” another said. It hasn’t been confirmed whether or not Flint would be featured on any posthumous releases from the group’s new music.

Great news, just what Keith would want

— glen maxwell (@glenmaxwell76) August 20, 2019

Best news ever! Need more Prodigy music in the world!

— NEOREV (@NEOREV) August 20, 2019

Following the death of their long time friend and band member, Liam Howlett and Maxim, famous for number one hits, ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Breathe’, shared a touching message with their fans through Instagram. “It has been a tough time for everyone over the last few weeks since Keef’s passing,” they wrote, adding. “If you are struggling with depression, addiction or the impact of suicide, please do not suffer in silence.”

Meanwhile, a Prodigy fan altered a motorway sign displaying directions toward Braintree, where Keith and Liam met in 1990. The year 1994 is added onto the sign in commemoration of the 25th anniversary release of The Prodigy’s second album, ‘Music For The Jilted Generation’, an album that launched some of their biggest singles, including ‘Poison’, ‘No Good (Start The Dance)’, and ‘One Love’. The post is headed by the caption, “Respect to the jilted warriors”.

Keith Flint died at the age of 49 at his home in Essex on March 4. Reaction to the late frontman’s death has been vast, including an online petition, signed in the thousands, for a statue of Flint to be erected in his Essex hometown of Braintree, a bid that has been submitted to the town’s local council. It currently has over 10,000 signatures.

Respect to the jilted warriors pic.twitter.com/34LLri0pgD

— The Prodigy (@the_prodigy) July 4, 2019

A petition was started following the death of the singer, and has currently been signed by more than 10,000 people. On Monday 22, a meeting hosted by the Braintree District Council decided to hold further talks with Flint’s family, Leeroy Thornhill and Liam Howlett, (Flint’s bandmates), as well as the wider community of Prodigy fans.

The campaign was started by Saphya Gower, and she said that the band’s “music makes me feel alive, indestructible, invincible. I’ll be forever thankful to them”.

Born in Redbridge, North-East London, Flint formed the outfit with Liam Howlett and Leeory Thornhill in Braintree. The Prodigy are responsible for iconic tracks during the 1990’s, including ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Breathe’, both of which went to number one in the UK. Other hits include ‘Invaders Must Die’, ‘Omen’ and ‘Voodoo People’. Their seventh studio album, ‘No Tourists’, (the last to feature Flint), scored the band their seventh UK number one.

The leader of the council, Graham Butland, explained that they had been in conversation with the co-manager of The Prodigy, who’d said that there would be no objection to a statue provided that it was “tasteful”, and would not be a “literal representation” of Keith.

A post mortem determined that Keith had died by hanging, and a toxicology analysis confirmed that the singer had cocaine, alcohol and codeine in his system. Senior coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said. “I’ve considered suicide,”

“To record that, I would have to have found that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr Flint formed the idea and took a deliberate action knowing it would result in his death. Having regard to all the circumstances I don’t find that there’s enough evidence for that.”

The Italian fashion designer based her spring/summer 2020 show designs on Flint’s unique appearances and the rave culture prominent in the 1990’s. During the show, held in Milan, serving as an additional homage to the late musician, The Prodigy’s famous hit, ‘Firestarter’ was boomed onto the catwalk.

Models displayed Keith’s infamous look of double mohawks, tinted bug eyed sunglasses and bright colours throughout the show.

Leather pants with metal eyelets are paired with checkered knits and biker-inspired accessories. #VersaceSS20 #MFW

See all the looks: https://t.co/O97MTCpkgf pic.twitter.com/BD31khqgPi

— VERSACE (@Versace) June 17, 2019

Versace iconography is embraced through a nod to 1990s culture, paying homage to The Prodigy, the British band accredited to the rave movement. #VersaceSS20 #MFW

Discover more: https://t.co/O97MTCGV7N pic.twitter.com/fdXGM0mFGu

— VERSACE (@Versace) June 17, 2019

Keith Flint tragically died at the age of 49 back in March. An inquest heard that he had been found hanging by a friend at home, and in the end, reached an open verdict, as determined by senior coroner, Caroline Beasley-Murray.

The late frontman of The Prodigy was responsible for some of their biggest hits, including ‘Smack My Bitch Up’, ‘Breathe’, and ‘Firestarter’. Along with the Prodigy’s other band members, Liam Howlett and Maxim Reality, the latter two tracks became the group’s first UK number ones.

In November last year, The Prodigy released ‘No Tourists’, which went on to become their seventh consecutive number one album.

Keith’s funeral was held at St Mary’s Church in Bocking, Essex, on the 29th of March, attended by fans from all around the world, with some reaching out as far as Australia, indicating his incredible popularity, as well as the hearts and minds he had won over during his illustrious career.

Since Flint’s passing, the band went on to share a message through their Instagram, saying, “It has been a tough time for everyone over the last few weeks since Keef’s passing. If you are struggling with depression, addiction or the impact of suicide, please do not suffer in silence”.

His bandmates described Flint as “a true pioneer, innovator and legend”, and that, “he will be forever missed”.

For advice concerning mental health in the UK:
www.mind.org.uk
www.samaritans.org
www.thecalmzone.net 

Former guitarist for The Prodigy, Gizz Butt was set to DJ the special tribute set, that would have seen him and others honour the late Prodigy frontman, Keith Flint. The musician – who was a live guitarist for the rave outfit, The Prodigy, in the ’90s – was due to perform the ‘Keith Flint Appreciation Hour’ DJ set, at Worthy Farm, next month.

The announcement comes after last week the Shangri-La stage revealed their line-up, earlier last week. However, now Gizz Butt – whose real name is Graham Butt – has revealed that he can no longer participate in the special DJ set.

Taking to social media, on Saturday the 4th of May, to announce the news, Butt, said: “I’m sorry to say this but I’m going to pull out of DJ’ing the Keith Flint appreciation hour. People are seeing it as an act of self-promotion and I never wanted that. Also, it’s getting so big with the press and I don’t feel worthy of it.”

After festival organiser, Emily Eavis stated that the remaining bill would be announced “one stage at a time” in the run-up to the Worthy Farm spectacular, the popular Shangri-La area has now unveiled who is on their bill, for June.

Among the names announced were the Idles, who have been confirmed to be making an appearance on the Truth Stage, in a late-night slot. Joining the punk rock band is US rapper, Denzel Curry, who will also perform along with French heavy metal group, Gojira. Joining them on the already electric bill will be The Damned, Craig Charles, and Elvana.

The @ShangrilaGlasto #Glastonbury2019 line-up is here!!
More info -> https://t.co/YCoSmxjbbi pic.twitter.com/Zh8qpuf5H0

— Glastonbury Festival (@GlastoFest) May 1, 2019

The following names have also been revealed to be joining the already stellar line-up, which include the likes of IDLES and Denzel Curry, and also heading to Worthy Farm, this June is Black Futures, Earache DJs, Employed To Serve, Entombed AD, Gizz Butt (Ex-Prodigy) – Keith Flint Appreciation Hour, Haggard Cat, and Heavy Lungs.

Oo-er. pic.twitter.com/Iod4Ji79vM — The Glasto Thingy (@TheGlastoThingy) May 1, 2019

Gizz Butt, former live guitarist for The Prodigy, will perform a tribute DJ set titled ‘Keith Flint Appreciation Hour’, in a set that will honour the late singer, Keith Flint. Joining Butt will be Rob Da Bank and Charlie Sloth – who will be spinning tunes.

In an announcement, released on Wednesday the 1st of May 2019, Glastonbury revealed that the Shangri-La area will take on the theme of ‘JUNKSTAPOSITION: RE-USE – RE-CYCLE – RE-SIST’. The announcement stated: !Shangri-La strives to illuminate progressive culture with great urgency – in the field and beyond.