Muse’s 2026 UK tour: What can fans expect?

Muse have spent more than two decades filling Britain's biggest stages, but their return to the UK in 2026 will see the band taking one of their most intriguing concepts yet to the arena.

The trio will bring The Wow! Signal to Manchester and London in November, with four arena shows forming part of a wider European tour in support of their tenth studio album. For a band that has spent much of its career exploring technology, dystopia and the future, the new record gives Muse another suitably ambitious idea to take on the road.

The Wow! Signal takes its name from the mysterious radio signal detected in 1977, an unexplained burst of radio energy that appeared to come from deep space and has remained one of the most intriguing episodes in the history of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. It is an appropriately Muse subject, particularly for a band whose music has repeatedly dealt with humanity's relationship with forces it cannot fully understand or control.

And Muse are already thinking beyond simply playing the new songs. Matt Bellamy has discussed plans for an ambitious arena production that could include a spaceship and new laser technology, suggesting that The Wow! Signal could become as much a visual experience as a musical one.

With Muse tickets now available for the UK dates, the question for fans is what this new era will actually look like when one of Britain's biggest live bands brings it to the arena stage.

Why are Muse touring the UK in 2026?

Muse's 2026 UK dates form part of The Wow! Signal Europa Tour, which follows the release of the band's tenth studio album on June 26. The UK shows will open the European arena run in Manchester before moving to London, with further dates taking the band through Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The album itself takes inspiration from the Wow! signal, the powerful narrowband radio signal detected by Ohio State University's Big Ear radio telescope in 1977. Astronomer Jerry Ehman famously wrote "Wow!" beside the signal's computer printout, and the event has remained a source of fascination because its precise origin has never been conclusively established.

It is a subject that fits naturally into Muse's worldview, although The Wow! Signal is not simply another science-fiction concept record in the mould of some of the band's earlier work. 

Speaking to NME around the album's release, Matt Bellamy described the record as being concerned with the unknown and humanity's instinct to search for answers, whether those answers involve alien intelligence, religion or artificial intelligence.

Musically, the album also reconnects with some of the band's earlier instincts, particularly the heavier, more theatrical sound of Origin of Symmetry and Black Holes & Revelations. NME's review highlighted songs such as "Cryogen" and "The Dark Forest" as examples of that connection, while noting that the album still gives Muse room to explore newer sounds. The result is a record that feels familiar in places without simply trying to recreate the band's past.

What will Muse play on their 2026 UK tour?

The exact UK setlist has not been confirmed, but Muse's North American shows have already given fans a useful indication of how The Wow! Signal is being worked into the live set. Rather than treating the new album as a separate block, the band have been placing its songs alongside some of their best-known material.

Five songs from The Wow! Signal have featured during the current tour: “Cryogen”, “Hexagons”, “Unravelling”, “Be With You” and “Nightshift Superstar”. They have appeared alongside songs including “Hysteria”, “Supermassive Black Hole”, “Stockholm Syndrome”, “Plug In Baby”, “Time Is Running Out”, “Uprising”, “Knights of Cydonia” and “Starlight”.

The result is a set that gives the new album a substantial presence while still leaving room for the songs that have defined Muse's live shows. It can move from The Wow! Signal to Absolution, Black Holes & Revelations, Origin of Symmetry and later records without feeling as though the older material has simply been added on as an afterthought.

There is also some room for the setlist to change from night to night. Recent shows have swapped songs such as “Map of the Problematique”, “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Thought Contagion”, while other staples have remained much more consistent. That makes the UK dates slightly harder to predict, particularly with two consecutive shows in both Manchester and London.

For longtime fans, that variation could be part of the appeal. For newer listeners, meanwhile, the current setlists suggest there should still be plenty of familiar songs alongside the The Wow! Signal material, even if the final UK selections differ from the North American shows.

Will Muse play their biggest hits?

Muse have reached the stage of their career where there is a considerable difference between what they could play and what they realistically have time to fit into a single concert. With ten studio albums now in the catalogue, even a set running beyond two hours cannot accommodate every fan favourite.

The current tour suggests that some songs remain particularly difficult to leave out. “Hysteria”, “Supermassive Black Hole”, “Time Is Running Out”, “Starlight” and “Uprising” all have the kind of instantly recognisable choruses that work naturally in an arena, while “Plug In Baby” and “Stockholm Syndrome” bring the heavier side of Muse's earlier sound into the mix. Together, they cover several sides of Muse's live identity, from huge singalong moments to the heavier material that helped define the band's early sound.

The more interesting question is what happens to those staples when The Wow! Signal needs its own space in the set. The current tour suggests that Muse are not simply choosing between new songs and old favourites; instead, they are rotating some material while keeping a core of established songs in place. That gives the UK shows some room for surprises without making the set feel unfamiliar.

What will Muse’s The Wow! Signal show look like?

The staging and theatrics of the Muse tour could be one of the biggest talking points of Muse's 2026 UK dates. Matt Bellamy has already suggested that the European arena shows will have a substantially different production from the band's summer North American dates, with a new setup being designed specifically for the indoor tour.

Speaking to NME, he said the band were “trying to build a spaceship” for the winter arena tour and were also working on new laser technology. He joked that making the spaceship actually fly would probably be too expensive, but the idea gives some indication of how far Muse are willing to take the visual side of The Wow! Signal.

The summer North American shows will give fans a version of Muse's existing production with some additions and customisations, but the UK and European arena dates are being built around a completely new setup.

Bellamy has also said the production will lean into the album's space and science-fiction themes, with geometry, hexagons and lasers among the visual elements being considered. That fits naturally with an album whose artwork and concept are built around the mystery of the Wow! signal and the possibility of communication from beyond Earth.

That fits naturally with an album whose artwork and concept are built around the mystery of the Wow! signal and the possibility of communication from beyond Earth.

That doesn't necessarily mean the spaceship will dominate every moment of the concert. Muse have spent years combining screens, lighting, pyrotechnics and elaborate stage design with the music, so the more interesting question is how those elements will be brought together this time. If the European production delivers on Bellamy's plans, the UK shows could feel less like a conventional arena concert and more like a physical extension of The Wow! Signal itself.

Where are Muse touring in the UK in 2026?

Muse will play four UK arena shows in November, with two nights at Manchester's Co-op Live followed by two shows at The O2 in London.

The UK dates are:

Manchester, Co-op Live: November 12, 2026
Manchester, Co-op Live: November 13, 2026
London, The O2: November 15, 2026
London, The O2: November 16, 2026

The relatively short UK run means the four dates are concentrated in two major arenas rather than spread across the country. Manchester’s Co-op Live will host the opening two shows, while The O2 will provide the setting for the final UK dates before the European leg continues in Berlin.

The decision to play two nights in both cities also gives fans two opportunities to see the new arena production. For those travelling to Manchester or London, the consecutive dates may also be appealing simply because Muse's live shows can vary from one night to the next, although fans should not assume that two tickets will mean two completely different concerts.

What can fans expect from Muse's UK shows?

Muse's 2026 UK shows are shaping up to be a meeting point between the band's past and their latest creative direction. The Wow! Signal gives the tour a new identity, but the current setlists suggest that the album will sit alongside the songs that have made Muse such a formidable arena act over the past two decades.

For longtime fans, that should mean a familiar catalogue presented in a new setting, while newer listeners will get the chance to experience the scale of a Muse concert with a fresh album at its centre. The biggest unknown is how far the band will push the visual world of The Wow! Signal once the new European production arrives.

That could ultimately be what separates these shows from a conventional album tour. Bellamy's plans for the spaceship, lasers and a more ambitious arena production suggest that Muse are treating The Wow! Signal as something to build an entire live experience around, rather than simply another collection of songs to add to the setlist.

The challenge will be bringing all of those elements together without allowing the spectacle to overshadow the music. Muse have spent years developing a reputation for huge live productions, but the appeal of the 2026 shows will ultimately come from the combination of that scale with a set that reaches across the band's history.

Frequently Asked Questions about Muse's 2026 UK Tour

Where can I buy Muse tickets?

Muse tickets for the band's 2026 UK tour are available through Seatpin, including the Manchester and London arena dates.

When does Muse's 2026 UK tour start?

Muse's UK tour begins at Co-op Live in Manchester on November 12, 2026, with a second Manchester show taking place on November 13.

Where are Muse performing in London?

Muse will play two shows at The O2 in London on November 15 and 16, 2026.

What are the Muse 2026 UK tour dates?

The UK dates are:

Manchester, Co-op Live: November 12, 2026
Manchester, Co-op Live: November 13, 2026
London, The O2: November 15, 2026
London, The O2: November 16, 2026

What album are Muse touring in 2026?

The tour supports The Wow! Signal, Muse's tenth studio album, which was released on June 26, 2026.

Will Muse play their biggest hits?

Muse are expected to play a selection of their biggest songs alongside material from The Wow! Signal. Current tour setlists have included “Hysteria”, “Supermassive Black Hole”, “Map of the Problematique”, “Stockholm Syndrome”, “Uprising” and “Kill or Be Killed”, although the final UK setlist has not been confirmed and may vary between shows.

What songs from The Wow! Signal will Muse play?

The current tour has featured “Cryogen”, “Hexagons”, “Unravelling”, “Be With You” and “Nightshift Superstar”, although the precise selection may change during the European and UK dates.

What will Muse’s The Wow! Signal show look like?

Muse are preparing a new European arena production for the tour, with Bellamy revealing plans for a spaceship and new laser technology alongside a wider space and science-fiction aesthetic. However, this is certainly one to watch as the full extent of the production has not yet been revealed.