The Who announces Durham date on first UK tour in six…

The Who announces Durham date on first UK tour in six years

Rock legends The Who will be back on tour this summer, with their big comeback set to include a Durham date among cities they haven't played for decades.

Announcing the new UK tour this Monday morning, front man Roger Daltrey says hitting the road again - visiting just eight specially-chosen locations - will be 'very special for me' as it will include cities the band has not visited for decades.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday for the July tour, complete with full orchestra each night and support from UB40, which will bring them to Durham's Seat Unique Riverside ground in Chester-le-Street. It is the first in six years for the band led by Daltrey and Pete Townshend who will be performing music from across their near-60-year career, including sections devoted to classic albums Tommy and Quadrophenia alongside tracks from their 2019 studio album - their first in 13 years.

Ahead of the tour, they will be releasing another - The Who With Orchestra Live At Wembley on March 24. The tour will get under way on July 6 and will come to Durham on July 19. Other dates include two at Edinburgh Castle, a city The Who has not played for more than 40 years, and Derby which will host the band's first gig since 1966.

For singer Daltrey, performing with The Who and an orchestra has been a long-held ambition. He said: “Having not toured the UK for six years, it's great that at this time of our careers we have the chance to go to places that are not on the usual touring map - Edinburgh Castle and Derby - as well as the other cities across the country that we haven’t been to for decades will make this very special for me.

"This opportunity will give our UK Who fans the chance to hear our current show which with the addition of an orchestra takes our music to new heights.” Pete Townshend added: “Roger initially christened this tour with an orchestra Moving On! - I love it.

"It is what both of us want to do. Move on with new music, classic Who music, all performed in new and exciting ways - taking risks, nothing to lose. I’m really looking forward to bringing this show to the UK."

The tour follows on from the success of last year’s The Who Hits Back tour of the US, where the band shared the stage with some of America's top orchestras. Adding support alongside their orchestras this time will be UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, save for the dates in Edinburgh and also London.

Tickets will go on sale for the tour on February 3 at 10am. Keep an eye out here and watch this space.

You can get tickets from See Tickets and Ticketmaster.