Flutes at the ready, mun! Ian Anderson and the prog titans are dusting off their cloaks and cranking up the time signatures because Jethro Tull are hitting the road across the UK in April and May 2026 for what they’re calling The Curiosity Tour.
And before you ask—yes, the flute is still mightier than the sword. 🪈⚔️
🧐 What’s Occurring?
Starting at Perth Concert Hall on Sunday 19 April and wrapping up at Eastbourne Congress Theatre on Saturday 16 May, this tour clocks in at 19 shows across the land. That’s nearly a month of prog wizardry, folk trickery, and flute solos sharp enough to slice a Greggs sausage roll in half.
They’ll be celebrating not just their whopping 24-album back catalogue, but also their latest studio release Curious Ruminant, which proves that even after half a century in the game, Tull aren’t content just to play the oldies—they’re still writing, experimenting, and keeping prog properly weird. Tidy! 🏴🔥
📍 Where You Can Catch Them
Here’s a tasty sampler of the dates (full list on the band’s site):
- Sun 19 Apr – Perth, Concert Hall
- Mon 20 Apr – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
- Wed 22 Apr – Edinburgh, Usher Hall
- Thu 23 Apr – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
- Tue 28 Apr – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
- Wed 29 Apr – Sheffield City Hall
- Sat 3 May – Birmingham, Symphony Hall
- Early May – London, The Palladium & Leicester, De Montfort Hall
- Sat 16 May – Eastbourne, Congress Theatre (Final night blowout)
That’s a run through some of the UK’s swankiest concert halls—so polish your shoes, behave yourselves, and maybe leave the inflatable hammers at home.
🎶 What To Expect
You can bet your last pint that “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath” will make an appearance, but Tull don’t do lazy nostalgia. Expect:
- New cuts from Curious Ruminant to prove Anderson’s still got the fire.
- Prog monsters pulled from the vault—deep cuts that’ll make the die-hards in cardigans lose their minds.
- Theatrics galore: Anderson’s storytelling, precision lighting, and that pin-drop silence between flute blasts. (Seriously, even their official site reminds punters to be sat before the lights go down—prog gigs don’t mess about 😅).
💷 Ticket Prices
These halls don’t come cheap, butt. Most venues are showing prices around £45–£65, depending on where you plonk yourself. If you want prime sightlines to watch Ian Anderson prance about like a demented stork, you’ll need to cough up a few extra quid.
Pro tip: move faster than a runaway “Locomotive Breath”—the Glasgow show was already showing strong sales. 👀
🤓 Why It’s Worth It
Jethro Tull aren’t a nostalgia jukebox—they’re a living, breathing prog machine still making new music and playing with surgical precision. Louder put it best: they’re “a bunch of old guys having fun”—and isn’t that the dream? Lush.
This isn’t just about hearing the hits; it’s about soaking in the strange, theatrical, utterly unique world of Jethro Tull—a band that’s never fit into any box (unless that box was carved out of oak and played in 13/8 time).
🥖 The Riff Report Crew’s Quick Tips
- Pick your venue wisely. These are seated shows—sightlines matter.
- Plan your travel. April and May are prime train strike season—don’t get stranded in Glasgow Queen Street at midnight.
- Merch is a must. A 2026 Tull tour poster will look lush framed above the mantlepiece.
- Respect the etiquette. Be in your seat before lights down. Nothing kills a prog flute solo like someone clattering in with a pint of Carling.
🎤 Bottom Line
Whether you’re a lifer who’s followed them since This Was (1968) or a curious newbie looking for your first taste of prog flute warfare, The Curiosity Tour is shaping up to be a masterclass.
And if you’ve never seen an audience headbang to a flute solo—well, mun, this is your chance. 🤘🪈🔥
Tickets are on sale now via venues, Ticketmaster, and Gigantic. Don’t dither. Grab a seat, warm up your neck, and we’ll see you there.
