Blur Has Announced Upcoming Reunion Shows

The famed British band Blur has announced a couple of July 2023 reunion shows.

The first show, which will take place at the Beauregard Festival in France on July 6, marks the first for the band in eight years. Their last tour as a group was in 2015, in support of their album The Magic Whip.

The second gig will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on July 8.

“We really love playing these songs and thought it’s about time we did it again,” said frontman Damon Albarn, who is also the frontman of the group Gorillaz.

Added band co-founder Graham Coxon, “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.”

The show will be supported by Slowthai, Self Esteem, and Jockstrap and it will take place on July 8. Tickets for the London gig go on sale Friday (November 11).

While these are the first two shows in eight years, some have speculated there may be more on the way. Though that has not yet been confirmed.

Albarn was at the MTV Europe Music Awards with Gorillaz. The band received the award for Best Alternative. They also performed the song, “Cracker Island.” See below for a video, which includes the star bassist Thundercat.

Earlier this year, Gorillaz announced a forthcoming new LP.

Joined by a star-studded cast of collaborators from Stevie Nicks and Bad Bunny to Beck and many more, the virtual band’s eighth album, Cracker Island, is set for release on Feb. 24, 2023.

Gorillaz dropped its latest single, “Baby Queen.” The inspiration for the track, according to Albarn, comes from a moment in his career during which he met a person of royalty.

Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images