Musician Sam Fender is going on tour.
The singer-songwriter, best known for his hits Hypersonic Missiles and Spit Of You, will be heading to London in December for his first show in the capital since 2022. Along the way, he’ll be visiting cities around the UK, before setting off on a trip around Europe’s capitals in 2025.
Where is he playing? Read on.
Who is Sam Fender?
The 30 year old Fender is an English singer-songwriter. Born and raised in North Shields, near Newcastle, he grew up in a musical family: his father Alan plays the guitar and piano, while his brother Liam plays the drums.
At eight, Fender received his first guitar: a present from his father. He was a quick study, and started performing with his brother, playing Jimi Hendrix covers, which eventually developed into a desire to become a professional musician. “When I hit 13 it was the only thing I wanted from life,” he later said.
Despite a tumultuous adolescence – Fender and his mother lived below the poverty line for several years – he was spotted at a gig by Ben Howard’s manager, Owain Davies. In 2017, he put out his first single, Play God, which premiered on BBC Radio 1, and in November, he was put on the BBC’s Sound of 2018 shortlist.
In 2018, he released his first album, Dead Boys – while his second, Hypersonic Missiles, became a bestseller when it came out in 2019.
Famed for combining an American sound (he cites Bruce Springsteen as an influence) with British rock, his biggest hits are Seventeen Going Under, Hypersonic Missiles and Spit Of You – which addresses his fractious relationship with his father.
When will he be touring?
The People Watching tour kicks off on December 2 in Dublin, before heading to Leeds, Manchester, London on the 10th (his first gig in the city since headlining Finsbury Park in 2022), Birmingham and Glasgow. He’ll be finishing off on December 20 with a gig in his home city of Newcastle.
Next spring, Fender will be heading to Europe and headlining shows in Paris, Tilburg, Zurich, Cologne, Munnich, Bergamo, Berlin and Amsterdam, before finally finishing in Brussels.
How can I get tickets?
Tickets for the shows go on sale from October 25 at 10am via samfender.com.
And in Newcastle, tickets for the show on Friday December 20 will be available by ballot to customers with North-East postcodes only. The ballot can be accessed at samfender.lnk.to/newcastleliveMB.
£1 from every ticket sold for the UK dates will be donated to the Music Venue Trust in support of grassroots venues.
The dates:
2nd December – 3Arena, Dublin
4th December – First Direct Arena, Leeds
6th December – Co-Op Live, Manchester
10th December – The O2, London
13th December – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
16th December – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
20th December – Utilita Arena, Newcastle
2025:
4th March – Olympia, Paris
5th March – 013 Poppodium, Tilburg
8th March – Halle 622, Zurich
10th March – Palladium, Cologne
12th March – Zenith, Munich
13th March – ChorusLife Arena, Bergamo
16th March – Uber Eats Music Hall, Berlin
18th March – Afas Live, Amsterdam
19th March – Forest National, Brussels
