Hold onto your harmonicas, butt β the poet laureate of rock βnβ roll is coming back to town. Yep, BOB DYLAN β the man, the myth, the walking songbook of 20th-century rebellion β has just announced a brand-new UK and Ireland leg of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour for late 2025. π€―π₯
Presented by ITB and blessed by the gods of gravel-throated wisdom, Dylanβs tour kicks off 7th November at Brighton Centre, before weaving its way through the UK and Ireland like a well-worn leather boot stomping out folk history.
Hereβs the full rundown of the cities getting their dose of Dylan magic:
- Brighton β Nov 7
- Swansea β π΄ The homeland!
- Coventry
- Leeds
- Glasgow
- Belfast
- Killarney
- Dublin
π Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 18th July β and letβs be real, these will fly faster than a β60s press pass in Newport.
π© A LEGEND WHO NEEDS NO INTRO (BUT WEβRE DOING IT ANYWAY)
Bob Dylan isnβt just a musician. Heβs a walking timestamp on our cultural timeline. From blowing minds with βLike a Rolling Stoneβ to making every hipster weep with “Visions of Johanna”, Dylan has never played by the rules β mainly because he wrote the bloody book and then set it on fire.
He first graced British soil in 1962 at The King & Queen pub in Fitzrovia β a far cry from the arenas and iconic theatres heβs haunted since. And Ireland? That love affair started back in 1966, during his legendary world tour when he melted faces and confused critics at the Adelphi Cinema.
π₯Ύ ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS β THE COMEBACK THAT WASNβT A COMEBACK
When Rough and Rowdy Ways dropped in 2020, it wasnβt just a surprise β it was a full-on cultural event. Critics fell over themselves, fans cried into their vinyl sleeves, and every rock writer dusted off their thesaurus to try and describe it. The album was a stark, weird, beautiful journey through time, death, memory, and mischief.
It proved what we all secretly knew: Dylanβs still got it. And heβll probably always have it. The songwriting? Still sharp enough to draw blood. The voice? More ancient and commanding than ever. The attitude? Still couldnβt give two hoots what you think, pal.
π΅ NO PHONES. NO VIDEOS. NO FILTERS. JUST DYLAN.
Now hereβs a tasty twist β this tour is being done in partnership with Yondr, which means no phones allowed inside the venues. Zip ’em up, seal ’em shut, and for one blessed night, just be there.
No Instagram Stories. No shaky hands filming “Blowinβ in the Wind”. Just you, Dylan, and the music.
Imagine that? A night without screens? Diolch, Bob. Proper job.
π£οΈ WHATβS OCCURRING IN SWANSEA, MUN?
Weβre especially chuffed that Swansea has made the cut on the tour route β a rare treat for us in South Wales. Itβs not every day the Nobel Prize-winning bard himself decides to drop by.
So if youβre local, cancel your plans. If youβre not β book a Travelodge and make a weekend of it. Youβll be telling your grandkids you saw Dylan in Swansea in 2025 and theyβll be like βWhoβs Bob Dylan?β and youβll pretend you didnβt hear that.
ποΈ WHERE, WHEN & HOW TO GRAB TICKETS
Hereβs the need-to-know:
- π« Tickets on sale: Friday, 18th July at 10am
- π Where: Check Yungblud.film (Wait, wrong link! But nice try! π) β Actual ticket site will be listed soon via ITB and major platforms like Ticketmaster
- π§ Donβt sleep on this β Dylan gigs sell out faster than a pub during last orders
π§ββοΈ FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE RIFF REPORT
Look, we know what youβre thinking. Dylanβs been around the block. Is he still that guy?
Let us be clear: Yes. Yes, he is.
This isnβt nostalgia. This is history unfolding in real time, and you can be part of it. Whether youβre a lifelong fan or someone who just found out βKnockinβ on Heavenβs Doorβ wasnβt originally by Guns Nβ Roses (bless you), this tour is going to be something special.
So pack your poetic soul, leave the phone at home, and prepare to be baptised in metaphor. π€π₯ποΈ
π£ Let us know if youβre going!
Planning to see Dylan in Swansea, Dublin, or wherever the road takes him? Hit us up at staging.theriffreport.co.uk/ or scream into the void on socials and tag us! Weβll be covering this tour like itβs the second coming of Hendrix.
And rememberβ¦
βDonβt criticize what you canβt understandβ¦β β Bob Dylan
Unless itβs the merch prices. Then go full Karen. π
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialβfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heβs battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heβs always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heβs not writing or interviewing artists, youβll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicβtheyβre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatβs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. π€
Comments