Chameleons take ‘Arctic Moon’ across Europe this autumn
Chameleons tour Europe from 20 October to 13 December 2026 behind “Arctic Moon”, with Lol Tolhurst on the UK dates and two Manchester homecoming shows.
Manchester post-punk veterans Chameleons are heading back onto European stages this autumn for an extensive run of dates in support of their latest album, “Arctic Moon”. The tour opens in Glasgow on 20 October 2026 and closes at London’s Roundhouse on 13 December.
Released on 11 September 2025 via Metropolis Records, “Arctic Moon” marked the band’s first full-length studio album in more than two decades. Rather than revisiting the sound that made Chameleons a reference point in post-punk, the seven-track record moves into new territory while keeping the atmosphere, intensity and guitar work at the heart of the band. Bassist and singer Vox, otherwise Mark Burgess, has previously stated: “While we’re proud of the band’s legacy, we really wanted to forge something fresh while retaining that profound and imaginative quality we’re known for. We think we managed to do that and deliver a very strong record!”
The European run begins with five UK dates in October, where Lol Tolhurst appears as special guest performing songs by The Cure. From there, Chameleons head through France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
German audiences get a long stretch of shows in November, with dates in Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover, Coesfeld, Bochum and Bielefeld. The tour then reaches Amsterdam and Luxembourg at the beginning of December.
The year finishes with two hometown shows at Manchester’s New Century Hall on 4 and 5 December, billed as “Home Is Where The Heart Is 2026”. The first night is a full electric performance with B-Movie and Kahula supporting; the second is an orchestral collaboration with live strings by the Manchester Camerata and guests Patrick Fitzgerald and Evi Vine. A London Roundhouse appearance on 13 December follows, as special guests of New Model Army.
Before any of that, the band play their final festival date of the summer on 23 August with a mainstage set at Beautiful Days at Escot Park in Devon, followed a day later by a BBC 6 Music session broadcast live on the Riley & Coe show from 9pm.
Chameleons tour dates 2026
- 20 October 2026 – SWG3, Glasgow (UK)
- 21 October 2026 – Stylus, Leeds (UK)
- 22 October 2026 – The Prospect Building, Bristol (UK)
- 23 October 2026 – Koko, London (UK)
- 24 October 2026 – EngineRooms, Southampton (UK)
- 27 October 2026 – Big Band Café, Caen (France)
- 29 October 2026 – Krakatoa, Bordeaux (France)
- 30 October 2026 – Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao (Spain)
- 1 November 2026 – RCA Club, Lisbon (Portugal)
- 3 November 2026 – Sala X, Seville (Spain)
- 4 November 2026 – Planta Baja, Granada (Spain)
- 5 November 2026 – 16 Toneladas Rock Club, Valencia (Spain)
- 6 November 2026 – 16 Toneladas Rock Club, Valencia (Spain)
- 7 November 2026 – Sala Mon, Madrid (Spain)
- 8 November 2026 – Razzmatazz 2, Barcelona (Spain)
- 10 November 2026 – El Mediator, Perpignan (France)
- 11 November 2026 – Le Bikini, Toulouse (France)
- 13 November 2026 – La Belle Électrique, Grenoble (France)
- 15 November 2026 – Largo Venue, Rome (Italy)
- 16 November 2026 – Locomotiv Club, Bologna (Italy)
- 18 November 2026 – Analog Music Hall, Budapest (Hungary)
- 19 November 2026 – Szene Wien, Vienna (Austria)
- 20 November 2026 – Boogaloo Club, Zagreb (Croatia)
- 22 November 2026 – Cargo Gallery, Prague (Czech Republic)
- 23 November 2026 – Lido, Berlin (Germany)
- 24 November 2026 – Knust, Hamburg (Germany)
- 26 November 2026 – Faust, Hannover (Germany)
- 27 November 2026 – Fabrik, Coesfeld (Germany)
- 29 November 2026 – Zeche, Bochum (Germany)
- 30 November 2026 – B Movie, Bielefeld (Germany)
- 1 December 2026 – Melkweg, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- 2 December 2026 – Rockhal, Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
- 4 December 2026 – New Century Hall, Manchester (UK), electric show
- 5 December 2026 – New Century Hall, Manchester (UK), strings show
- 13 December 2026 – Roundhouse, London (UK), with New Model Army
Tickets and further information are available via the band’s official website.
About Chameleons
Chameleons formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester in 1981, when singer and bassist Mark Burgess joined guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding; drummer John Lever completed the line-up shortly afterwards. The debut album “Script of the Bridge” followed on Statik Records in 1983, with “What Does Anything Mean? Basically!” in 1985 and “Strange Times” on Geffen in 1986. The band split in 1987 after the death of their manager, reformed in 2000 for “Strip”, “Why Call It Anything?” and “This Never Ending Now”, and separated again in 2003.
Burgess kept the material on the road for years under the Chameleons Vox banner before the name reverted to Chameleons. The current line-up is Vox on vocals and bass, Reg Smithies and Stephen Rice on guitars, Danny Ashberry on keyboards and Todd Demma on drums. “Where Are You?” in May 2024 was the first new material in over two decades, followed that October by the “Tomorrow Remember Yesterday” EP of re-recorded early tracks and, in May 2025, the single “Saviours Are A Dangerous Thing” ahead of the album.
“Arctic Moon” arrived on 11 September 2025 and takes in “Where Are You?”, “Lady Strange”, “Feels Like The End Of The World”, “Free Me”, “Magnolia”, the long-form “David Bowie Takes My Hand” and “Saviours Are A Dangerous Thing”. The band toured it across Europe in late 2025, a run Side-Line covered when it was announced as the “Arctic Moon Tour 2025”; the 2026 dates extend that campaign into a second autumn.
For almost 15 years I’ve been writing about music, interviewing artists and reviewing releases for Peek-A-Boo Magazine. Recently, I also launched my own WordPress website, where I continue to share interviews, reviews and news from the underground scene. The darker side of music has been part of my life for more than 30 years, with a passion for everything from ’80s synthpop and New Wave to EBM, Futurepop and dark electronic music in general. Also Metal and Rock is part of my world. Away from the scene, I work in a public library, where books are part of my everyday life. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction, especially books on politics, religion, health and travel. I’m also a fan of thrillers and horror films. When I’m not listening to music or reading, you’ll usually find me exploring nature, enjoying a good sauna, experimenting with vegan cooking, or travelling to my second home, Finland. I’ve always believed the underground has the best stories. My job is simply to help tell them
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