Formed in Reykjavik in 1994, the band consist of three multi-instrumentalists, all of whom apply various sounds to their unique ambient music. The trio of lead singer and guitarist Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm and keyboard player Kjartan Sveinsson have released eight studio albums, each with titles in Icelandic to compliment the lyrics, which are split between their mother-tongue and their own type of non-linguistic vocalisations they’ve named “Vonlenska”. Their tracks can be picked out in films such as ‘Vanilla Sky’ and ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’, as well as television shows like ‘Game Of Thrones’ and the BBC’s ‘Planet Earth’.

The world tour has been running since February of last year, passing through Asia, Australia, a first route of Europe, and finally sweeping through North America in November. Each date has seen them perform 2023 album ‘Átta’ while forming a partnership with a 41-piece orchestra from the country they are visiting, supervised by conductor Robert Ames. Ames is co-principal conductor of the London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO), and has provided his conducting talents to Abbey Road Studios for recording film scores, including ‘All Quiet On The Western Front’, and Radiohead star Johnny Greenwood’s soundtrack to ‘Phantom Thread’.

The new dates announced today are the final stage of the Orchestral World Tour, returning to the UK after the band played four nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall with Ames’ LCO in October 2025. Sigur Rós and Robert Ames will be playing ‘Átta’ in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal and Germany between the 31st of August and the 21st of September. The full list of shows and the orchestras accompanying the group are below:

• 31/08 – Edinburgh, Scotland- Playhouse w/ Scottish Chamber Orchestra
• 02/09 – Glasgow, Scotland- SEC Armadillo w/ Scottish Chamber Orchestra
• 04/09 – Belfast, Northern Ireland- Waterfront Hall w/ Ulster Orchesta
• 06/09 – Dublin, Ireland- Bord Gáis Energy Theatre w/ Ulster Orchestra
• 07/09 – Dublin, Ireland- Bord Gáis Energy Theatre w/ Ulster Orchestra
• 09/09 – Lyon, France- Amphithéâtre 3000 w/ Orchestre de Chambre de Lyon
• 11/09 – Barcelona, Spain- Auditori Forum CCIB w/ Orquestra Simfònica del Vallés
• 13/09 – Porto, Portugal- Coliseu Porto Ageas w/ Orquestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa
• 15/09 – Bilbao, Spain- Palacio Euskalduna w/ Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa
• 17/09 – Lisbon, Portugal- Sagres Campo Pequeno w/ Orquestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa
• 20/09 – Berlin, Germany- Uber Eats Music Hall w/ The Young ClassX
• 21/09 – Berlin, Germany- Uber Eats Music Hall w/ The Young ClassX

Tickets for the shows go on sale this week, with general access opening on Friday the 20th of March at 10AM, and pre-sale options available from Wednesday the 18th all available here.

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The Government’s failure in negotiating a free travel visa for UK and Europe for those who are touring – musicians and crews – continues to pose a problem for the industry. With no visible end in sight, it is very likely that touring acts will face huge costs of travel for future live music concerts, further developing the gap between emerging talents and big established acts. The UK Government recently rejected a petition, signed by over 280 thousand people and receiving overwhelming public support, calling them to negotiate visa-free tours for artists and crew.

Skin, frontwoman of the iconic band Skunk Anansie, explained: “EU touring and the need to get the right processes in place for simple and economical access to Europe is crucial at this time more than ever. “It is the lifeblood of bands and artists, not just financially, but in order to expand their fanbase and deliver their art to a wider audience. EU touring also opens up the windows of touring on a global scale with surrounding countries and continents, with the knock-on effect of the impact that bands and artists have that tour there. We need action, we need support, we need access, and we need it now!”

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree added: “Blur played our first gig outside the UK in Rotterdam in February 1991. We just jumped on a ferry with no restrictions for us or our gear. That August we were back in the Netherlands, followed by dates in Germany, France and then on into a full European tour. If we were starting out today trying to do the same, there would be a vast range of bureaucracy and costs, with different regimes in every country. We simply wouldn’t be able to afford it. The UK Government has to take this issue seriously and support touring artists. The future of British music is at stake.”

To try to fix the problem, the campaign calls upon the Government to deliver, along with many other points, a viable and long term plan for UK artists and crew to continue working without extra costs and bureaucracy, an urgent transitional package and measures to overcome the restrictive vehicle rules. To support and know more about the campaign, visit here.

The new single comes ahead of a new album to be released later in the year. The album is a reflection on all the changes of the last year and the trauma of living through a pandemic, including the singer’s struggles with depression.

Nash spoke to NME about how she struggled with feeling ‘useless’ before finding a way forward and discovering how to still maintain being a musician throughout the pandemic. When asked if she’s released the song now because it feels like the pandemic is over, Nash responded that that wasn’t the case. She vocalised the widespread feeling that ‘there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, but there’s a fear it’s all going to go wrong again.’

The “Foundations” singer told us the whole new album will reflect the downbeat energy of the recently released “Misery” as it documents her struggles with identity and mental illness during the Covid-19 lockdowns over the past year. Having the structure of everyday life and any prospect of touring stripped away is something most musicians have struggled with. Nash also touched on the difficulty of processing the sudden cancellation of her hit Netflix series GLOW in October 2020. Nash played Rhonda Richardson in the hit show, working with a cast including Alison Brie, Marc Maron, and Betty Gilpin over three seasons.

The singer’s future plans include a covid-safe road trip across the USA for a mini-tour called the ‘Safely Out Of The Bedroom Tour’. This is a tour with a difference, and she’ll be streaming the performances via Patreon from wild spots in the States. Starting with the Sequoia forest in California, the dramatic backdrops will make a pleasant difference from the year’s worth of shows from her bedroom and living room. Nash hopes that the combination of performances and adventures on the road will come together into a mini-documentary series for her fans to enjoy.

You can listen to and watch “Misery” below, and keep an eye out for Nash’s new album in the next few months.

With the lifting of COVID restrictions, musicians seem to be able to get back to gigging and touring soon. However, without Government support or some kind of agreement between the UK and the European Union, artists will have to face some touring costs that could make touring outside of the UK very close to impossible.

A case study was released by the Musicians’ Union, one of the most influential group within the creative industries, stating the following: ‘British artists played over 20,000 dates touring Europe (in 2019, pre-COVID), in turn employing more than 30,000 people (including musicians and crew), cementing our international reputation as leading the world in creating great music. Not only does live performance create critical revenue for performers and their teams, it also acts to fuel the creation of the music that sits at the core of our recorded industry. We need urgent help now to ensure British talent is not blocked from growing their audiences internationally in the short term which brings long term implications on loss of future revenue.’

It’s impressive to think about the UK as the forever home of musical talents while knowing about the inexplicable fight happening as we speak. For most musicians, touring is a sacrifice in terms of money, time and resources, but it is also their only solid source of income. With the UK ministers acknowledging the problem without facing it, there is a general concern for many that the UK’s leading stand on its music is at risk.

The complex, in Minneapolis will open permanently for tours after receiving approval on Monday by the City Council of Chanhassen, where Paisley Park is located.

The museum has already welcomed about 12,000 people and there have been no reported complaints, according to Joel Weinshanker, the managing partner of Graceland Holdings, which is overseeing Paisley Park, according to NME.

Three weeks ago the Council decided to delay voting on a zoning change for the museum, citing concerns about traffic, parking and public safety — a move that complicated the opening of the museum, which was planned for just three days later, saying they needed more time to study its potential impact on Chanhassen (Paisley Park is expected to attract 600,000 visitors a year). After receiving complaints from traveling fans who could have lost money if the museum didn’t open, the Council granted temporary permits that allowed the museum to open for tours on select days.

Paisley Park will be open for tours Thursday through Sunday beginning this week. Tickets are priced at $38.50 for a standard tour and $100 for a VIP tour. Two tours are being offered. A general admission trek lasts 70 minutes and includes stops in the main floor studio where Prince often worked; his video editing suites and rehearsal rooms; the sound stage he used for tour rehearsals and private events and concerts; and his private NPG music club.

The tours come with a strict ban on photographs and videos, including mobile phones. The website states that “If you are caught taking photos or videos at Paisley Park, you will be banned permanently from the property.”

Prince, who died back in April from an accidental overdose, always intended for the compound to be transformed into a museum once he passed away, leaving behind guidelines on such aspects as how he wanted visitors to walk through Paisley Park during the tour.