James Blake’s ‘Trying Times’ Tour: A Sold-Out North America Run Meets a New UK/Europe Push
james blake has announced a new set of ‘Trying Times’ UK and Europe tour dates, anchored by a headline London show at O2 Academy Brixton in September and a Glasgow stop at SWG3 later in October 2026, as the touring plan expands beyond a North American run that already includes multiple sold-out shows.
What is James Blake announcing—and where does London fit?
The newly announced UK/Europe leg includes a headline date at O2 Academy Brixton in London in September 2026, positioned after a North American run. The same overall routing lists additional European stops in Utrecht, Brussels, Berlin, Manchester, Bristol, and more, outlining a wide regional sweep rather than a single-market visit.
The tour announcement arrives alongside the release of a new record titled Trying Times, which is out now Good Boy Records. The album is presented as exploring “the fragile space between closeness and solitude in an uncertain era, ” with themes that trace “the fault lines of contemporary life, ” ultimately settling “between optimism and unease. ”
The record includes the singles Death Of Love and I Had A Dream She Took My Hand, described as showcasing a wide artistic range and “a rare emotional candour. ”
Which dates are confirmed for the ‘Trying Times’ schedule?
The routing provided spans North America and then the UK/Europe. North America includes dates in Atlanta, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Berkeley. In New York, there are two nights listed at Brooklyn Paramount, and the announcement notes two sold-out nights there, along with a sold-out show at Toronto’s HISTORY.
UK/Europe dates are also specified, including London at O2 Academy Brixton and Glasgow at SWG3, plus stops in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. One schedule lists the Glasgow show on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at SWG3 Galvanizers, while another states a Glasgow performance at SWG3 on October 26, 2026. Both position Glasgow as part of the Trying Times UK and Europe Tour 2026.
Confirmed dates listed in the tour schedule include:
- Wed 27/05/26 – Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
- Fri 29/05/26 – New York, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
- Sat 30/05/26 – New York, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
- Tue 02/06/26 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
- Thu 04/06/26 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall
- Mon 08/06/26 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed
- Tue 29/09/26 – London, UK – O2 Academy Brixton
- Mon 05/10/26 – Utrecht, NL – TivoliVredenburg
- Thu 08/10/26 – Brussels, BE – Cirque Royal
- Thu 15/10/26 – Berlin, DE – Astra Kulturhaus
- Wed 21/10/26 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 Galvanizers
- Sun 25/10/26 – Manchester, UK – New Century
- Wed 28/10/26 – Bristol, UK – O2 Academy Bristol
- Thu 06/11/26 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
When do tickets go on sale, and what is confirmed about demand?
Ticketing details differ depending on the segment being described. One set of details states that tickets for the newly announced European dates will be available on pre-sale from Tuesday, 17 March at 11am local time, with general sale beginning Friday, 20 March at 10am local time. Separately, ticket details for the Glasgow date specify that tickets will go live at 10am on March 20, 2026, with a pre-sale for that show available from March 19, 2026 at 10am.
On demand, the tour announcement explicitly notes that the North American run already includes two sold-out nights at Brooklyn Paramount in New York and a sold-out show at Toronto’s HISTORY. The announcement frames the UK/Europe dates as arriving in the wake of that momentum, with the London headline show emphasized as a marquee addition.
james blake is now routing the ‘Trying Times’ schedule across both sides of the Atlantic, tying the tour’s expansion to the release of the new album and highlighting early indicators of demand through sold-out North American performances.
