Seven years after their last live performance, Radiohead are officially back. The band have announced a 20-date European tour that will take them through Madrid, Bologna, London, Copenhagen and Berlin this winter... their first time on stage together since 2018.
Unsurprisingly, demand is expected to be sky-high, with fans scrambling to secure tickets. But alongside the excitement, there are also calls for a boycott, reigniting a debate that has followed Radiohead for years.
Here’s what you need to know about how to get tickets, how much they’ll cost, and the controversy surrounding the comeback.
When and where is Radiohead playing?
The band kick off in Madrid at the Movistar Arena in early November before heading to Italy, the UK, Denmark and Germany. Each city gets four nights, with London’s O2 Arena hosting the band on 21, 22, 24 and 25 November.
Full dates are as follows:
How do you buy tickets?
You can’t just click ‘buy’ this time. Radiohead are using a registration system in an attempt to stop touts snapping everything up. Fans need to sign up on the band’s official website between Friday September 5 (10am BST) and Sunday September 7 (10pm BST), providing their name, email, phone number and city of residence.
If successful, only those signed up will be sent a code which grants access to the official sale on Friday 12 September at 10am BST. Each fan can buy a maximum of four tickets.
How much are tickets?
Prices vary depending on the city, but here’s the breakdown:
Given demand, expect tickets to sell fast.
What has the band said about the reunion?
Drummer Philip Selway recently explained the comeback: “Last year, we got together to rehearse, just for the hell of it.
“After a seven-year pause, it felt really good to play the songs again and reconnect with a musical identity that has become lodged deep inside all five of us. It also made us want to play some shows together.”
For now, the five cities announced are the only stops – though fans will be hoping more are added down the line.
Why are there calls for a boycott?
The band’s return hasn’t landed without drama. The pro-Palestine BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) has urged fans to skip the shows, citing Radiohead’s history of performing in Israel.
The controversy stems from a 2017 Tel Aviv concert, which the band went ahead with despite protests from figures including Roger Waters, Thurston Moore and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Campaigners argue Radiohead have “yet to apologise” for that decision.
More recently, guitarist Jonny Greenwood has performed with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa, including a 2024 show in Tel Aviv.
PACBI, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, accused Greenwood of “crossing our peaceful picket line” and claimed the collaborations amounted to whitewashing.
Greenwood has pushed back, saying cancellations of planned UK shows were due to safety concerns after venues received threats. He argued that silencing artists “won’t help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves.”
Frontman Thom Yorke has also defended the band’s choices, saying in the past: “Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government.”
In May, Yorke issued a long statement explaining that his silence on the war in Gaza had been misinterpreted as complicity, admitting the criticism had taken “a heavy toll” on his mental health.
He stressed his music should make clear he “could not possibly support any form of extremism or dehumanisation.”
So, will the boycott affect ticket sales?
That’s the big question. Radiohead remain one of the world’s most revered live acts, and this is their first chance in seven years to see them together. For many fans, that’s reason enough to register and buy. For others, the ethical questions may outweigh the thrill.
What’s certain is that the shows will be among the most talked-about gigs of 2025 – whether for the music or the politics that surround them.
