Sex Pistols announce Anarchy in the UK tour to celebrate 50 years of punk

The Sex Pistols are set to embark on a UK and Ireland tour, commemorating five decades of punk rock.

Dubbed 'The Anarchy In The UK' tour, the legendary group will be joined by musician Frank Carter.

The celebratory series of concerts marks 50 years since their seminal track's release, with stops planned for London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dublin.

The band will feature guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock for the December run.

Kicking off at Dublin’s 3 Arena on 7 December, the tour then heads to Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange on 9 December, followed by Glasgow’s O2 Academy on 10 December.

The final leg includes two London dates: O2 Academy Brixton on 18 December and the Eventim Apollo on 20 December.

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The Sex Pistols disbanded in 1978 and frontman John Lydon, also known as Johnny Rotten, formed Public Image Ltd, also known as PiL.

The group were known for their rebel spirit and speaking out against the monarchy and the established political order, in provocative lyrics with songs including “God Save The Queen” and “Anarchy In The UK”.

The band reunited in 2025 for a number of gigs, but Lydon did not perform.

He also promised to never return to the group, after he fought a high-profile court battle to stop their songs being used in a Disney+ series of their story, called Pistol.

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Remembering the first year of the band being together, Cook said: “It was kind of like a commando raid. I don’t even think a lot of places knew we were playing there.

“We just turned up and set up. It was all a learning curve for us, getting out there and playing live, we were learning on the job.

“With ‘Anarchy’, I think we tapped into a feeling of unrest around the country at the time. The message was pretty simple – just have a go and get out there and do whatever you want to do. It was a new world.”

The group returned in 2024 with Carter, known for Gallows and Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes, joining the lineup on vocals.

Cook said: “We’ve had a blast. People want to come and see us play live.

“If I must say so myself, we are a great live band.”

The band will also play shows this summer at The Piece Hall, Halifax (11 July), Castlefield Bowl, Manchester (11 July), Cardiff Castle (1 August) and Scarborough Open Air Theatre (2 August ).