For the first time in a decade, the hugely influential Japanese band toe has confirmed a return to the UK. While the band has built a dedicated cult following over the last twenty-five years, appearances on British soil have been incredibly rare. In fact, they have only visited twice in their entire career: a solitary sold-out show at London’s XOYO in 2013 and an exclusive set at ArcTanGent Festival in 2016. Now, as part of their 25th-anniversary celebrations, the band has announced their first-ever full tour of the UK for April 2026.
The upcoming run of dates is billed as the “Loneliness Will Shine” tour. It follows a massive celebratory period for the group in their home country, which recently culminated in a unique performance in the round at a Sumo arena in Tokyo. Since forming in 2000, toe has maintained the same lineup, blending an intricate mix of math rock, jazz, electronica, and R&B into a distinct sound that has inspired a generation of instrumental bands.
Fans attending the shows can expect material spanning the band’s quarter-century career, from their seminal 2005 debut the book about my idle plot on a vague anxiety to their most recent output. The tour supports their fourth full-length album, Now I See The Light, released in 2024. The new record serves as a bridge between the experimental restraint of their later works, such as Hear You, and the explosive energy of their earlier material. It also sees guitarist Yamazaki Hirokazu reprising his role as a part-time vocalist on tracks like “Loneliness Will Shine” and “Sunny Boy Rhapsody”.
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Tickets for these long-awaited performances go on sale this Friday, 5th December, at 10:00am via the band’s website.
April 2026
- 10th – Bristol, Prospect Building
- 11th – London, Electric Brixton
- 13th – Glasgow, St Luke’s
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Toe: official | facebook | spotify | bandcamp | youtube
