The 1975 will play their biggest ever shows in the UK as they announce details for 2024 European tour
The 1975 have announced details for their upcoming tour of the UK and Europe in 2024, which will see them record 21 dates across the continent.
The pop group will be playing their biggest shows yet in Europe as they have announced two nights at The 02 in London for their Still… At Their Very Best tour.
The UK leg kicks off in Glasgow at The OVO Hydro on February 9, followed by dates in London, Manchester and Birmingham.
The new 1975 tour will see the band play arenas across North America and Canada throughout the fall, including sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
For the first time ever, they will play two sold-out nights at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden, before arriving in the UK and Europe for these newly announced shows in 2024.
On the road: The 1975 have announced details for their upcoming UK and European 2024 tour, which will see them record 21 dates across the continent
Tour: The pop group will be playing their biggest shows yet in Europe as they have announced two nights at The 02 in London for their Still…At Their Very Best tour (Matty Healy pictured)
The band’s previous ‘At Their Very Best’ tour has spanned arenas across the US, Canada, UK and Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia over the past nine months, selling more than 500,000 tickets.
The band’s fifth studio album, ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’, released last October, was critically acclaimed, with The FACE calling it ‘an album of huge tunes, impeccable production and heartfelt romance’.
The 1975 are currently facing legal action after denouncing Malaysia’s anti-gay laws while performing at the Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur.
Lead singer Matty Healy sparked outrage by criticizing the country’s stance on homosexuality before kissing bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage – resulting in the music festival’s complete closure.
Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia and laws criminalizing sodomy are punishable by imprisonment. LGBTQ people in the country are also regularly discriminated against by authorities and rights groups have been warned about the growing intolerance.
Promoters Future Sound Asia (FSA) are now taking legal action against the Manchester-based quartet, asking them to accept liability for the event’s collapse and pay compensation for damage incurred as a result of the incident.
According to FSA, the outspoken Healy “tarnished” Good Vibes’ reputation and “deliberately violated the agreement (the band) had with FSA.”
Healy took a sip from a bottle of wine and told fans that the band had considered pulling out of the event. He said, “I don’t see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who to have sex with.”
Shows: The UK leg kicks off February 9 in Glasgow at The OVO Hydro, followed by dates in London, Manchester and Birmingham
He added: ‘I made a mistake. When we booked shows, I didn’t look into it. I’m sorry if that offends you and you’re religious… but your government is a bunch of f****** r******.
‘I don’t care anymore. If you push, I push back. I’m not in the goddamn mood. I’m sure many of you are gay, progressive and cool. I got this show back yesterday and we had a conversation.
“We said, ‘You know what? We can’t abandon the kids because they’re not the government.’
βIf you want to invite me here for a show, you can fuck off. I’ll take your money, you can ban me, but I’ve done this before and it doesn’t feel right.’
He continued, “Unfortunately you don’t get a whole bunch of uplifting songs because I’m fucking furious and that’s not fair to you because you’re not representative of your government because you’re young people. , and I’m sure many of you are gay, progressive and cool.”
He later ended the set abruptly and said, “Okay, we have to go.” We’ve just been banned from Kuala Lumpur.’
The remainder of the 1975 Asia Tour, which included stops in Jakarta, Indonesia’s We the Fest, and a show in Taipei, Taiwan, was also scrapped.
A source close to the band told MailOnline, “Matty has a long track record as an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and the band wanted to stand up for their LGBTQ+ fans and the community.”
Banned: Singer Matty Healy sparked outrage by criticizing Malaysia’s stance on homosexuality before kissing bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage
The 1975, which consists of Healy, bassist MacDonald, lead guitarist Adam Hann and drummer George Daniel, are also banned from performing in Malaysia, according to a government commission that monitors performances by foreigners.
The onstage protest was not a first for Healy, who kissed a male fan at a 2019 concert in the United Arab Emirates, which also has strict anti-LGBTQ laws.
Promising swift action, Malaysian Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Fahmi Fadzil posted a news report about the kiss, calling it a “deeply rude act.”
He later ordered the “immediate cancellation” of the three-day festival after meeting with the organizers.
“Never touch the sensibilities of the community, especially those that conflict with the ways and values ββof the local culture,” he said in a subsequent tweet.
In a statement also posted on Twitter, the festival confirmed the cancellation was at the direction of the Ministry of Communications “following the controversial behavior and comments of British artist Matty Healy.”
“The ministry has underlined its firm stance against all parties who question, ridicule or violate Malaysian laws,” the statement said.
Healy later took to Instagram to respond to the statement, arguing, “Okay, why don’t you try not to make love to Ross for 20 years. Not as easy as it seems.’
He then teased an upcoming Sunday comeback by writing, βGood morning guys. return 23/7.β
Meanwhile, Healy’s mom, Loose Women star Denise Welch, proudly tweeted, “He’s my son,” alongside a rainbow emoji in response to the now-viral kiss video.