Wolf Alice are opening for U2 on the whole European leg of The Greatest Show On Earth tour in 2027. Twelve stadium nights, Stockholm to Milan, and yes — Lisbon is on the list.
I’m overjoyed. For me first, obviously. Then for them. And then for every U2 fan who is about to walk into a stadium early and walk out with a new favourite band.
I’ve been following this band for quite some time now — Don’t Delete The Kisses put a spell on me and never let me go — and somehow I’ve only managed to see them live once. NOS Alive, last July. And I missed the start of the set because I was stuck in a festival toilet queue for forty-five minutes. Forty-five. Fastest sprint back through a crowd I ever made. Every other time they came to Portugal, I missed them too.
So apparently my curse is catching Wolf Alice in short sets. Festival slot, opening slot, same deal. I will get my revenge one day, with a full headline show, and I will gorge myself on it.
Until then, U2 fans, listen to me. This is the right band in front of you. It’s not too heavy for our cracking knees, don’t worry. Big fat guitar riffs, a rhythm section that does not mess around, and Ellie Rowsell’s voice soaring over all of it — absolutely gorgeous. Their live energy is exactly what you need before the Irish lads take the stage.
Biased? Probably. Doesn’t mean I’m wrong.
And in case you need the credentials: Mercury Prize in 2018, a second Brit Award for Group of the Year this year, and their latest album The Clearing went to number one in the UK in 2025.
It’s also a woman-fronted band, so of course I’m gonna yap about this. And trust me Ellie carries it with both with grace AND power. So a little dedication to the misogynists hiding in the U2 community — I really hope they play Yuk Foo. Ellie screaming at you through a megaphone should calm you right down.
And to whoever is still asking “what’s even the point of an opener?” — you make me mad, you face the consequences people — so you find new music you might like, you absolute dumbass. And maybe, just maybe, so you stop whining the next time that one band you keep yapping about goes on hiatus for years. UGH.
Openers have the hardest fucking job in the world: playing for a stadium full of people who didn’t come to see them, don’t know them, and half the time don’t even care. So don’t be that person. Support these bands. More often than not, they’re the sound of the future.
Moral of the story: YOU BETTER ALL SHOW UP FOR ELLIE OR I SWEAR I’M HUNTING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU DOWN.
Anyways...
Here’s the practical stuff. The European leg runs from 26 April to 6 July 2027: Stockholm (26 and 28 April), Paris (5 and 8 May), Lisbon at the Estádio da Luz (27 May), Amsterdam (5 and 6 June), London (18 and 19 June), Berlin (30 June) and Milan (5 and 6 July). Ireland and Spain are still to be announced, and if the Latin American leg is anything to go by, more dates will probably follow — they’ve already added extra nights in São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Mexico City.
The U2.com subscriber presale opens on Monday 2 November for long-standing subscribers, and Tuesday 3 November for new or renewed ones. Then it’s the album pre-order presale and Visa on Wednesday 4 November, the artist presale on Thursday 5 November (sign up before Sunday night), and general sale on Friday 6 November, 10am local time. For Lisbon, it goes through Live Nation Portugal: register by 1pm on Tuesday 3 November for the presale on Thursday 5 November, general sale on Friday 6 November at 10am.
Ticket prices? Not announced. Normalize artists sharing their ticket prices when they announce a tour, before presales start, for the love of rock and roll gods. Concerts keep getting more expensive and harder to plan for, and not all of us have millions lying around. Bono recently told the New York Times that the band has “no problem separating rich people from their money.” Fair enough, mate. Unfortunately, that’s not everyone.
I’ll be trying for Lisbon. It’ll probably be my only show. So may the luck of the Irish be with me on this one, because I’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time.
And U2’s new album, Carnaval De Luz, lands on 13 November, so there’s plenty to keep you busy until then.
Show up early.
Don’t skip this band.
Don’t forget to do your homework.
Class starts in April.
