While nowadays they make headlines more for their political activism, Massive Attack are still one of the most respected electronic acts in the UK, and they still love a good live show. The Bristol trip-hop duo have today announced a run of 5 live shows across Europe later this year on their “xLive 2026” tour, their first European solo excursion in 7 years.

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Formed in 1988, Massive Attack sprung from Bristol’s Wild Bunch sound-system collective, part of the city’s electronic music scene throughout the 80’s. The culture brought DJing, rapping, and graffiti art together to create an underground movement that transcended the music. Currently consisting of just two members, Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, their sound is a shifting mix of slow, atmospheric electronic music, with influence from early hiphop and an assortment of diverse vocal features. Their success has included two UK Number One Albums with ‘Mezzanine’ in 1998 and ‘100th Window’ in 2003, as well as winning Best British Dance Act at the 1996 Brit Awards.

The collective have a reputation for speaking out on global issues, especially climate change, conflict and corporate greed. Their website is a testament to this, ditching the usual news and tour information in favour of displaying their mission statement on their crusade to reduce the environmental impact of live shows. One of their most high-profile cases was last year’s run in with music streaming giant Spotify. In September, they started by signing onto the protest movement “No Music For Genocide”, which requested that streaming services cease from allowing their music to be played in Israel, due to the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza. They then took things further by motioning that Spotify remove their full discography altogether, after it was revealed their billionaire CEO Daniel Ek was investing money in a weapons company linked to Israel.

After a five year break, Del Naja and Marshall returned to playing live in 2024, holding a “Climate Change Accelerator” show in their home city Bristol that August, where they worked with local businesses to reduce the carbon footprint of the event. On their website, they say “the Bristol show is widely predicted to be the lowest carbon show of its size ever staged”, and express intent to continue this ethos into all of their future shows.

Until this morning, their 2026 plans only consisted of appearances at Primavera Sound festivals in both Barcelona and Portugal this June. They announced the new European dates earlier in a post on social media, their first headline tour on the continent since 2019. Stopping over May and June in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Belgium, the full run of the tour looks like this:

• Veikkaus Arena, Helsinki – 27/05
• Dalhalla, Rättvik – 30/05
• Royal Arena, Copenhagen – 01/06
• Zitadelle, Berlin – 07/06
• Forest National, Brussels – 08/06

While there is no announcement for British shows, fans can still hope for at least something this year. Speaking to NME in 2024, when asked about future releases Del Naja said “We do have some new music which we’ve been sitting on for four years… dispute at the label – that’s a different article altogether.” Whatever the drama, there appears to have been a breakthrough since, as Massive Attack shared a post last November revealing their intent to release “a cache of work created in the recent past” at some point in 2026.

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The popular genre-mixing band have been blending electronic influence with trip hop psychedelic rock, blues and pop since 1995 when vocalist Skye Edwards and brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey formed the band. Since their debut album in 1996 ‘Who Can You Trust’, The band have released 10 albums and produced soundtracks for legendary Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh. The band’s musical innovation has been evident throughout their discography with tracks ‘Blaze Away’ and ‘Mezcal Dream’ from the album ‘Blaze Away’ showing their 90s psychedelic rock influences in an album released in 2018. Whilst 2021 album ‘Blackest Blue’ combines trip hop, dance and blues sounds. The band released their first single since 2021 in January this year, titled ‘Call for love’. The track has relaxed reverb and emotional electrics which has left fans anticipating their upcoming May album.

The festival will commence after the release of Morcheeba’s album ‘Escape the chaos’ on May 23 which commemorates the band’s 30 year anniversary. UNKLE, who will join them at this event have been touring their Rōnin Live show around the UK throughout 2024 and will bring this to the South Facing festival in August. Their experimental alternative rock trip hop performance is electrifying and produces an undeniable energy which will transform the Crystal Palace Park at this festival which has hosted huge names such as hip hop band The Roots and 60s soul and R&B icons The Originals. Rapper and record producer Skepta has also announced this month that his festival ‘Big Smoke’ will be held here on August 9.

Lavelle explains in an interview with xsnoise his goal with the Rōnin tour, stating that ‘The project started as a DJ-based performance and we aimed to push the limits of what we thought DJing was at the time, incorporating visual elements along with the music. We want people to dance, celebrate and have a great time.’ This is clear by fans’ sharing of the performance on social media.

#UNKLE / @frontonmexicoce / Rōnin pic.twitter.com/oC5TbcTCLA

— Prissssss (@prismejia_) September 24, 2023

 

It will be exciting to see how the two artists’ musical style will pair together and create a sensational atmosphere at the festival, especially with the inclusion of special guest DJ Shadow who rose to fame in 1996 with his iconic album ‘Endtroducing’ which has since been sampled by several notable names from Metallica to Bjork.

This iconic line up is exciting for any trip hop fan and the blend of these prominent names in the scene will make a show to remember.

The tour begins on 21 June at Scarborough Open Air Theatre and features stops in Dublin, Cardiff and London, among others, but the Friday night headline slot at Latitude Festival on 25 July will see the duo put the capper on the brief tour. The group will join fellow 90s electronic pioneer Fatboy Slim as well as Sting as headliners for the weekend at Suffolk’s Henham Park. Tickets for the highly anticipated tour go on general sale this Friday, with pre-sale options available from Wednesday here.

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Basement Jaxx last toured in 2014 following the release of their album Junto. The album received praise for its diversity and energy, with Renowned for Sound highlighting its ability to unite people on the dance floor and beyond. Tracks like “Never Say Never,” featuring ETML’s vocals, were described by the mag as “radio-friendly” and “melodic,” while “Mermaid of Salinas” and “Rock This Road” brought carnival-inspired rhythms compared to “brilliant FIFA World Cup anthems.”

Since the album’s release, the duo have focused on DJ performances around the globe, choosing to stay away from full-scale live shows. “After a few years DJing round the globe, it’ll be great to return to the live stage and the live show experience,” Buxton said to NME, adding, “to connect to people with life-affirming energy and give people a great time.”

The duo, who first gained prominence in the late 1990s with tracks like “Red Alert” and “Rendez Vu”, are known for their dynamic live sets featuring a blend of live musicians, dancers, and visual effects. They have also hinted at including new material in their performances, alongside their classic hits. Ratcliffe shared his excitement about the upcoming shows with NME, stating, “It feels like 2025 is the beginning of a new era for many, and I think that’s probably true for Basement Jaxx too.”

Latitude Festival organisers celebrated the inclusion of Basement Jaxx in their lineup, calling the duo “the ultimate festival act.” Melvin Benn, the festival director, praised the duo’s live chops, saying, “Their performances are a whirlwind of energy, packed with euphoric pop anthems, dazzling visuals, and a vibrant cast of musicians, singers, and dancers.”

Formed in 1994, Basement Jaxx have long been recognised as pioneers in electronic music, earning multiple awards and accolades, including a BRIT Award for Best British Dance Act. They headlined Glastonbury in 2005, stepping in for Kylie Minogue, and their shows have become known for their theatrical stage sets. Although the current tour is limited to UK and Ireland dates, there is speculation about a possible appearance at Glastonbury in 2025 and hopes for a North American leg.

The concert is designed to minimize its environmental impact in several innovative ways. All food served at the event will be vegan, and all toilets will be compostable. The band has also arranged for electric vans to transport large batteries around the site, ensuring a sustainable power supply. Perhaps the most significant change is the absence of a car park. Instead, the 34,000 attendees are encouraged to walk, cycle, or use public transport, including five special trains arranged to take people back across the southwest at the end of the night. Organisers are also offering discounted tickets for local residents.

The band has been vocal about the need for climate action within the music sector. In a recent interview with the BBC, Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja emphasised the importance of this initiative. “This experiment, by its very virtue of being here, is hopefully going to create some activity,” he said. “And it’s a sector which has a lot to say about climate change, but unfortunately it’s not doing much about it.”

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Bandmate Grant ‘Daddy G’ Marshall echoed these sentiments to the BBC, highlighting the simplicity and necessity of their mission. “There’s only one planet, and we’ve got to try and save it. Everybody knows what’s going on, and if we can do our bit to try and save something for the future, then it seems like a no-brainer,” he said.

Massive Attack, formed in 1988 in Bristol, is a pioneering trip-hop band known for hits like “Unfinished Sympathy” and “Teardrop.” The group originally included Robert “3D” Del Naja, Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, and Andrew “Mushroom” Vowles. The group is known for its vocal stances on a range of social issues, including speaking out against recent far right riots in the UK. Now, the novel gig concept will build on Massive Attack’s history of commitment to sustainability in the live performance industry. Five years ago, the band commissioned the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research to create a roadmap for “super low carbon live music”.

Despite the extensive planning and logistical changes, the band hopes that fans will experience the concert as a typical Massive Attack show. “If it goes according to plan, it will just feel like a normal gig to most people,” Del Naja told the BBC. “No one will know the difference; they will come to the gig, it will rain, there will be great music, it will be a visual spectacle, they’ll leave and they’re happy.”

Morcheeba have released a lyric video for ‘Gimme Your Love’, their new single from ‘Head Up High’ which is available to pre-order on iTunes or Amazon.

To mark the release of their album Morcheeba will be embarking on a full European tour. They will be playing at venues in Germany, Holland, France and many more, and will be ending in the UK on November 19. The lineup is: Ross Godfrey, Paul Godfrey and Skye Edwards.