British indie icons The Kooks, who started out in Brighton, have announced a major UK tour, including a gig at the Brighton Centre on Sunday 5 October. They also plan to play their biggest ever headline show at the O2 in London on Saturday 11 October. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 25 April, with a special pre-sale available to a number of fans on Wednesday 23 April.
The ‘Never/Know’ tour, kicking off on Friday 3 October will see the group visit Manchester, Cardiff, Brighton, Newcastle, Birmingham and London for a series of huge arena shows. The band will play Manchester’s Co-op Live for the first time. The venue opened its doors in May of last year.
The Kooks will also return to Newcastle’s Utilita Arena on Thursday 9 October, after heading to Brighton – where they originally formed – for a special homecoming show at the Brighton Centre. They last played the venue in 2022, celebrating the 15th anniversary of their landmark debut album
Main support for the tour will come from Merseyside four-piece, The K’s. The band were named ‘Breakthrough Act of the Year’ at the Northern Music Awards in 2024. Their second album, ‘Pretty On The Internet’ is out in June and can be pre-ordered HERE.
The Kooks’ seventh studio album, ‘Never/Know’, drops on Friday 9 May. To pre-order it, click HERE.
News of the tour follows the release of their feel-good, springtime anthem, ‘Sunny Baby’. The track was featured in The Times’ Best New Songs roundup and premiered on BBC Radio 2 with Jo Whiley. Watch the official music video for ‘Sunny Baby’ HERE.
Speaking about the single, frontman Luke Pritchard said, “We’re told how bad everything is at the moment. Everything’s sh*t. The world’s sh*t. And I was like, I’m just going to refuse to not let these be the best years of life, because I’ve got a young family. It’s about me getting to a balanced life, having a family. It’s a love song about someone making me fall back in love with myself.”
The band launched their campaign in style, hosting a raucous Indie Club Night at a packed-out Notting Hill Arts Club in January. The album’s lead single, ‘Never Know’, was named Radio X’s Record of the Week and has received airplay on BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, and BBC Radio 2.
The Times called their last single, “A riff and hook perfect (track) for the start of Spring.”
1883 said: “The Kooks have cemented themselves as a key part of the UK musical landscape.”
Tickets for The Kooks’ arena tour will be available HERE.
The Kooks’ will play:
Friday 3 October 2025 – Co-op Live – Manchester
Saturday 4 October 2025 – Cardiff Utilita Arena – Cardiff
Sunday 5 October 2025 – Brighton Centre – Brighton
Thursday 9 October 2025 – Newcastle Utilita Arena – Newcastle
Friday 10 October 2025 – Birmingham Utilita Arena – Birmingham
Saturday 11 October 2025 – The O2 – London
About The Kooks:
The Kooks, whose 2006 debut sold over 2 million copies, have unexpectedly found themselves beloved by a new generation. While their original fans remain, they’ve layered on a fervent Gen Z following, headlining festivals and selling out shows worldwide. Social media has made them a generation’s new favourite band again, introducing their unmistakable Brit-pop joy to fresh ears. Their debut was a defining moment for indie music in the 2000s, their first releases set the sound of a moment in time. There are few songs as defining of the 2000s as ‘Naïve’, but the band were never a one-hit wonder – their follow-up record, ‘Konk’, hit number one as one of four top 10 albums. The Kooks never stopped evolving, transitioning from indie rock to synthpop and krautrock influences. Over time, they’ve integrated wide-ranging inspirations – Harris’s love of soul and opera, alongside Pritchard’s classic influences like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.
