Arctic Monkeys announce return with 2022 European headline shows
It comes after Matt Helders said the band's new album was "pretty much" finished
Arctic Monkeys have announced their comeback with details of a number of European headline shows next summer.
The band will play five gigs across August 2022 in Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia and the Czech Republic, seemingly dropping another hint that their highly-anticipated seventh album is on the way. They will be their first shows in over three years.
Last week, Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders said the ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ follow-up is “pretty much” finished and ready for a 2022 release.
When asked by Radio 5 Live Breakfast if the new album was “ready to go”, Helders said: “Yeah, pretty much, yeah. It was a bit disjointed how we had to do it, and there are bits to finish off, but yeah, it’s all in the works.”
He added that he think the album will be released in 2022. “I think by the time we get everything together it’ll be next year. Hopefully we can get out and tour next summer,” he said.
See Arctic Monkeys’ newly announced 2022 European headline shows below. Tickets will go on sale here from 10am CET on Wednesday November 24.
AUGUST 2022
9 – Istanbul, Turkey, Zorlu PSM
10 – Istanbul, Turkey, Zorlu PSM
12 – Burgas, Bulgaria, Port Of Burgas
16 – Pula, Croatia, Arena Pula
18 – Prague, Czech Republic, Výstaviště Praha
The new tour dates add to the speculation around the band’s next album that has been gathering pace in recent months.
In January, the Sheffield group’s manager confirmed to Music Week that they had been “working on music” and had initially planned to record in the summer of 2020. Helders later said that the band were in the “early stages” of writing the album, which had been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic.
In August, Butley Priory, a venue two hours from London on the Suffolk coast, confirmed on its website that the band had been recording there.
In his interview with 5 Live, Helders added: “We tend to always move it on a little bit. For us, because we’re so involved in it, it always makes sense. They always kind of pick up where the other one left off in a way. It makes sense when you think about it in the context of the last record. But we always do try and do something a bit different – it’s kind of hard to describe. You can tell it’s the same band.”