UK Tours: James Bay, Corinne Bailey Rae, Blue Announce Dates

James Bay played a few intimate shows to just a few hundred people in grassroots venues this summer, and decided to turn this concept into a whole UK tour in January and February.

The summer shows where Bay’s first live shows since September 2019, and they reminded him “of how I got started, performing in small independently run venues. They reminded me why I love to do what I do. So I decided to start 2022 with a tour of the same kind of shows,” he wrote on his socials.

The tour coincides with Independent Venue Week, which is exactly the type of venue, Bay will visit on each of the nine dates, equipped only with his guitar, and “a load of brand new songs and stories,” as he wrote.

“I’ve been lucky enough to keep busy through all these lock downs and I have so much to share from what became a very creative time. I cannot wait for this special little tour and I hope to see as many of you there as possible,” the social media post concludes.

Jan. 24 – Clwb Ifor Bach – Cardiff

Jan. 25 – Komedia – Brighton

Jan. 26 – Lafayette – London

Jan. 28 – Esquires – Bedford

Jan. 29 – Arts Centre – Norwich

Jan. 30 – Night & Day – Manchester

Feb. 1 – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds

Feb. 2 – Oran Mor – Glasgow

Feb. 4 – Georgian Theatre, Stockton

British soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae returns to the stage next year with a string of headline shows around the world including her first full headline tour of the UK since 2016. The 10-date UK tour starts in Cambridge, April 20, and finishes in Bath, May 4 (full dates below). 

Before embarking on the UK run, Rae will be touring the U.S. on a co-headline run with Joss Stone in January and February. She’s also already got two 2022 festival dates on her itinerary, one at the Cambridge Club Festival in England, June 12, sharing the bill with Diana Ross, Lionel Richie and Nile Rodgers & Chic, the other at Rock In Rio, Sept. 8.

The UK tour is presented by Metropolis Music and DF Concerts by arrangement with CAA.

April 20 – Corn Exchange – Cambridge

April 21 – Royal Festival Hall – London

April 22 – Town Hall – Birmingham

April 24 – Albert Hall – Manchester

April 25 – O2 Academy – Leeds

April 28 – O2 City Hall – Newcastle

April 30 – Queen’s Hall – Edinburgh

May 1 – Storyhouse – Chester

May 3 – De La Warr Pavilion – Bexhill

May 4 – The Forum – Bath

Blue, one of the UK’s most successful boy bands, are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a 14-date arena tour through the UK, dubbed “Heart & Soul” tour.

Blue will kick things off Sept. 11, 2022, at Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and wrap things up Oct. 2, 2022, at the International Centre in Bournemouth, England (full dates below).

The tour sees all four original members – Antony Costa, Duncan James, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe – reunite on stage, and will feature all the band’s hits spanning five albums “as well as some incredible surprises,” according to promoters Kennedy Street and Kilimanjaro Live. 

Atomic Kitten will be very special guests at every date of the tour. It marks the first time that the Atomic Kitten line up of Jenny Frost, Liz McClarnon and Natasha Hamilton will perform together in over a decade.

Sept. 11 – Waterfront Hall – Belfast

Sept. 12 – 3Olympia Theatre – Dublin

Sept. 17 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool

Sept. 18 – First Direct Arena – Leeds

Sept. 19 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow

Sept. 21 – P&J Live – Aberdeen

Sept. 22 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle

Sept. 24 – AO Arena – Manchester

Sept. 25 – Resorts World Arena – Birmingham

Sept. 26 – Brighton Centre – Brighton

Sept. 28 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham

Sept. 29 – The O2 – London

Oct. 1 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff

Oct. 2 – International Centre – Bournemouth