(photo by Kevin Westernberg)
And just like that the mighty Blur have returned. After announcing back in November that they will perform two nights at Wembley Stadium this July – their first headline shows since 2015’s Magic Whip tour – the Britpop stalwarts have just announced four intimate warmup shows this May. Kicking off with a first ever appearance at their hometown Colchester Arts Centre on 19th May, a week of limbering up prior to the gigantic Wembley performances sees the band make their way to Eastbourne, Wolverhampton and Newcastle.
Tickets for these warmup shows go on General Sale at 10am on 28th April 2023. There will be a maximum of 2 tickets available per show for each customer. For more information, sign up to the mailing list at www.blur.co.uk
The full line up for the four May shows are as follows:
19 May – Colchester Arts Centre
21 May – Eastbourne Winter Gardens
26 May – Wolverhampton The Halls
28 May – Newcastle O2 City Hall
The group’s Wembley Stadium show on Saturday 8th July sold out in minutes proving that 32 years after debut album Leisure, there is still a thick appetite to see Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree come together once again to perform their impressive catalogue of iconic and much-loved tunes. There are still a few tickets remaining for their second appearance on Sunday 9th July – they are available here.
Speaking on the announcement of the Wembley gigs, frontman Albarn told Sky News: “We really love playing these songs and thought it’s about time we did it again.” Guitarist Coxon added “I’m really looking forward to playing with my Blur brothers again and revisiting all those great songs… Blur live shows are always amazing for me. A nice guitar and an amp turned right up and loads of smiling faces.”
It’s going to be an exciting spring and summer for Blur fans, and a rare 2020s opportunity to witness the magic that made them one of the most celebrated British bands of their generation. This July, The Fix hopes to be on a rare away day in London for what will certainly be two epic evenings in the biography of the Essex powerhouse. Watch this space for our dispatch from Wembley as we offer up a full review of one of the gigs.
