Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco performs onstage in 2018
(Picture: Getty Images for iHeartMedia)Panic! at the Disco have said their forthcoming show in Manchester will be their last ever before disbanding after 19 years.
Frontman Brendon Urie announced on Tuesday that the imminent birth of his first child with wife Sarah Orzechowski has brought forward the decision.
The March 10 gig in Manchester’s AO Arena, which is sold out, is billed as being the pop rock outfit's last outing and follows on from two nights at London’s O2 on March 6 and 7, for which tickets are still on sale.
They leave behind a legacy of hits, including I Write Sins Not Tragedies, Nine in the Afternoon, The Ballad of Mona Lisa, and High Hopes. Urie also dueted with Taylor Swift on her 2019 song Me!
Urie said on Tuesday: “Well, it’s been a hell of a journey… Growing up in Vegas I could’ve never imagined where this life would take me. So many places all over the world, and all the friends we’ve made along the way.
“Sometimes a journey must end for a new one to begin.”
Founded in 2004, Panic! has been a solo project for multi instrumentalist Urie since 2016, with members of what was once a four-piece having departed and not been replaced.
They released four albums as a band with Urie releasing three solo works under the Panic! name, the most recent being Viva Las Vengeance in August 2022.
In a post shared on the band’s official social pages, Urie added: “I am going to bring this chapter of my life to an end and put my focus and energy on my family, and with that Panic! at the Disco will be no more.
“Thank you all for your immense support over the years. I’ve sat here trying to come up with the perfect way to say this and I truly can’t put into words how much it has meant to us.
“Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just finding us, it has been a pleasure to not only share the stage with so many talented people but also share our time with you.”
The band’s work has ranged from pop rock, to baroque pop to glam rock and while it has not always brought them critical acclaim, Panic! have always enjoyed a vast fanbase.
On Instagram, fans shared their gratitude to the project as well as their sadness at the news.
Nicole Row, who had played bass with the band as a touring musician, wrote: “Congrats on a long, incredible career, and a well-deserved end! Thanks so much for having me along!”
Johnnie Guilbert added: “Panic! at the disco is done [and] I’m in pain. I know the last few albums I didn’t love but it’s still s*** to see a band that first got me into alternative music and make some of my favourite albums [come to an] end”
Others were more sceptical of the news, suggesting Urie could be back under his own name – with one commenter saying he had dragged the band’s legacy “through the mud” with his solo releases.
“I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Europe and the UK for one last run together,” Urie signed off. “I love you. I appreciate you. Thank you for existing.”
