Garbage and Skunk Anansie announce joint tour for summer 2026

The alt-rock heavyweights will share headline duties across a string of open-air shows from Halifax to Southampton next June

Two of the most distinctive voices in alternative rock will share the stage next summer, as Garbage and Skunk Anansie announce a joint UK tour for June 2026. The co-headline run will see the bands alternate closing duties at some of the country’s most striking outdoor venues.

The six-date tour opens at Halifax’s Piece Hall on 16 June before heading to Delamere Forest (18 June), Dreamland in Margate (19 June), Scarborough Open Air Theatre (20 June), Cardiff Castle (22 June) and Southampton’s Guildhall Square (23 June).

Formed in London in 1994, Skunk Anansie became one of the defining forces of British rock with a sound that fused punk, funk, and metallic crunch. Fronted by Skin – a magnetic performer and outspoken voice on race, gender and politics – the band’s hits ‘Weak’, ‘Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)’ and ‘Charity’ remain staples of the era. After reuniting in 2009 following a brief hiatus, Skunk Anansie have continued to tour globally, most recently celebrating their top 10 album The Painful Truth.

Garbage, formed a year earlier in Madison, Wisconsin, are equally revered for their dark, cinematic sound – an alchemy of rock, electronica and pop, fronted by Scottish singer Shirley Manson. Their 1995 debut produced the anthems ‘Stupid Girl’ and ‘Only Happy When It Rains’, while follow-ups Version 2.0 and Beautiful Garbage expanded their sonic palette and lyrical depth. With Manson’s cool command and the band’s trademark sheen, Garbage have remained a vital, inventive presence in the decades since.Both acts, each fronted by a powerhouse vocalist and rooted in defiance and experimentation, promise a series of nights steeped in attitude and nostalgia – a celebration of two bands who helped shape the sound and spirit of the 1990s, still evolving three decades on.

Garbage and Skunk Anansie 2026 UK tour dates

Tuesday 16 June – Live at The Piece Hall, Halifax (Garbage Closing)
Thursday 18 June – Forest Live, Delamere Forest (Skunk Anansie Closing)
Friday 19 June – Dreamland, Margate (Garbage Closing)
Saturday 20 June – Scarborough Open Air Theatre (Skunk Anansie Closing)
Monday 22 June – Depot Live, Cardiff Castle (Garbage Closing)
Wednesday 23 June – Southampton Summer Sessions (Skunk Anansie Closing)