After what feels like an eternity, everyone’s favourite Geordie is back: Sam Fender’s new album looks like it’s on the way but we’re getting a massive UK arena tour first.
Literally three whole years since his smash-hit sophomore record Seventeen Going Under and having gone without any new releases from Sam besides an exciting feature on Noah Kahan’s ‘Homesick’ back in January, Fender fanatics have quite rightly been losing their minds.
You can consider us firmly included in that group.
Initially confirming the announcement at 10 on Friday, 18 October after a series of teasers online, the 30-year-old has finally shared details of the new ‘People Watching’ tour, suspected to be the name of his upcoming third studio album.
Fans have already heard glimpses of the heavily rumoured title track ‘People Watching’ both in the short social media clips and out on the road, as the North Shields-born indie star and his band have been playing new songs at a handful of gigs at the likes of this year’s Boardmasters festival back in August.
Although live versions of other as yet unreleased tracks like ‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ and ‘Love is a Long Road’ are out there on the internet, it became clear which song he was going to release first after he posted the lyrics, “I people watch on the way back home”, on his accounts.
He also shared posters outside some of the UK’s biggest venues, like Manchester’s Co-op Live and Leeds’ First Direct Arena, and told fans to get ready with a countdown page on his website.
Having now dropped the series of dates, we’re buzzing to find out that ‘Sam Fender 3’ and his UK tour are coming sooner than we expected – the gigs themselves as early as December in fact.
As was pretty much inevitable, he then announced that another Manchester date would be added due to “phenomenal demand”, meaning that us Manc fans have an extra chance to be in that crowd, as will those in London and Glasgow. Consider this the best early Christmas present ever!
We’ve added dates in London, Manchester & Glasgow! On sale tomorrow 10am BST / 11am CET 🙌 Also excited to announce @cmatbaby will be joining us for europe & @wunderhorse for uk. Big love to everyone https://t.co/bifcXqvMDh pic.twitter.com/fFimmeKMXI
— Sam Fender (@samfendermusic) October 24, 2024
Set to play Manchester’s Co-op Live on 6 and 7 December 2024, as well as a special hometown gig in Newcastle later that month, he will be launching into the rest of his European dates in March next year. It’s hard to believe this is his first UK tour since spring 2022.
Better yet, the incredible Wunderhorse will once again be supporting him and £1 from every ticket sold for the UK dates will be donated to the Music Venue Trust in support of grassroots venues. Love this boy.
We’re so glad to have him back and after watching him live a few times now, including at Castlefield Bowl back in 2022, we can confirm he really is one of the best in the country.
General admission tickets go on sale from 10am on Friday 25 October HERE.
We still don’t know the album name for sure or the release date, but we know that ‘SF3’ is coming and we can’t wait to hear the new songs as well as all the hits live. Roll on December!
So good to be back at it!!!
— Sam Fender (@samfendermusic) August 5, 2024
We loved sharing some new tunes!
Thank you X
📸 @danielbroadley pic.twitter.com/bSJWR1iLI4
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Featured Images — Raph_PH (via Flickr)/Press Image (supplied)