The Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter are celebrating 50 years since their famous Lesser Free Trade Hall gigs with a series of headline shows next summer – buy tickets here.
- Read More: Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones tells us about Teenage Cancer Trust gigs and scrapped Alex Turner writing session
The shows are set to mark 50 years since the punk icons performed two shows at the Manchester venue on June 4 and July 20, 1976. The first gig became arguably one of the most influential shows of all time, credited with inspiring musicians who’d go on to be in bands including Joy Division, The Smiths and The Fall.
The band, which reformed with Carter as vocalist in 2024 – initially to raise funds for London’s Bush Hall venue – are set to headline TK Maxx Presents Live at The Piece Hall in Halifax, Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl, TK Maxx Presents Depot Live at Cardiff Castle and TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre across July and August.
The Undertones will be supporting on all four dates, with John Cooper Clarke joining in Manchester. The Stranglers will be there in Cardiff and Scarborough, while Panic Shack are set to support in Halifax and Cardiff.
Tickets go on general sale on Friday (November 28) and you can get yours here and on the band’s website.
The announcement comes weeks after the Sex Pistols were announced to be playing Isle of Wight Festival in June next year. They’re also playing a handful of festivals in Europe next summer, including Nova Rock in Austria and Hills of Rock in Bulgaria. They were set to go on a North and South American tour this autumn, too, but had to postpone after guitarist Steve Jones broke his wrist.
The Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter’s 2025 UK tour dates are:
JUNE
18-21 – Isle Of Wight Festival, Seaclose Park
JULY
11 – Halifax, The Piece Hall
12 – Manchester, Castlefield Bowl
AUGUST
1 – Cardiff, Cardiff Castle
2 – Scarborough, Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Alongside Carter in the current iteration of the band are longstanding members Jones, drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock, with original singer John Lydon last being involved in 2008. Matlock told NME last year of Carter, “He’s got a lot more energy than people of our age. He’s in the crowd; he’s a class act. He was recommended by my son, Louis, who’s in tune with what’s going on. It’s not the same as with John, but it’s not supposed to be.”
Of Lydon, who has been on tour with Public Image Ltd this year, he said: “He’s happy doing his Public Image stuff. Good luck to him. It’s not my thing and I’m sure my thing isn’t his thing.”
Earlier this year, Jones explained: “None of us knew. Frank was the first singer we [tried], because me, Cookie and Glen wanted to play. It just worked straight away.”
When asked about the potential for new Pistols material, he replied, “I think if you do anything new and you’re playing it live, that’s when people go and get a drink. When was the last time you heard a good Rolling Stones song?”
Despite this, Matlock said last month that the band “have ideas” for making new music with Carter. “We talked about it with Steve Jones,” he told the Daily Star. “We have ideas and Frank is a very good lyricist. Everyone has ideas, but we’re very busy at the moment and haven’t had a chance to really work things out.”
He went on to reflect on how any new music would impact the band’s legacy. “Above all, we have to ask ourselves if the public really wants us to release new music,” he said. “In the end, who knows?”
