The Who will return to Edinburgh this year with their greatest hits and a full orchestra this summer, for their first gig in the capital in more than 40 years.
The Edinburgh Castle shows are the only Scottish dates in the full UK tour. This tour, the first UK leg in six years, has been designed to include places in the country that haven't been visited in decades by the band.
The forthcoming shows, part of the annual Castle Concerts series staged by Edinburgh-based promoters Regular Music, will have a capacity of around 8500 each night.
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The dates will be the first shows in the capital since The Who's gig at the Playhouse in 1981, and an earlier show at the Odeon in 1979. Edinburgh has joined Barcelona, Florence, Berlin and Paris on The Who’s 2023 touring schedule, with other UK dates including in Hull Derby, Badminton, Durham, St Helens, Brighton and the O2 arena in London.
An official announcement on the tour stated: “The UK gigs follow last year’s highly acclaimed tour of the US, where the band shared the stage with some of the finest orchestras in America.
"The Who wound up the tour in November having wowed audiences in over 30 cities, with media and fans agreeing that the band were as good as, if not better than ever and that the orchestral arrangements, most of which were done by the legendary (composer and conductor) David Campbell, brought a new depth and excitement to Pete Townshend’s music.”
The Who full UK tour dates
- July 6, 2023 - Sewell Group Craven Park, Hull
- July 8, 2023 - Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
- July 9, 2023 - Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
- July 12, 2023 - The O2, London
- July 14, 2023 - The Incora County Ground, Derby
- July 16, 2023 - Badminton Estate, Bristol
- July 19, 2023 - Seat Unique Riverside, Durham
- July 21, 2023 - Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens
- July 23, 2023 - The 1st Central County Ground, Brighton
Lead singer Roger Daltrey 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, as well as the other cities across the country that we haven’t been to for decades, which will make this very special for me.
"This opportunity will give our UK fans the chance to hear our current show, which, with the addition of an orchestra, takes our music to new heights.”
Guitarist Pete Townshend added: "Roger initially christened this tour with the 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."
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