American Football to Embark on 2026 World Tour

Midwest-emo group American Football has announced a 2026 world tour. Kicking off this May, the band will return to the road for an expansive four-month run, with dates across the United States, Europe, UK, and Canada, with more to be announced. The tour marks American Football’s first full run of shows since their 2024 LP1 25th Anniversary Tour.

In response to the deadly violence and intimidation around the country provoked by ICE, American Football will be partnering with PLUS1 to donate $£1/€1 from every ticket sold across the tour to Safe Passage International & The Illinois Coalition for Immigration & Refugee Rights; two essential organizations defending immigrant rights and supporting deportees, migrants, and refugees.

Artist presale and VIP upgrades will begin on Wednesday, February 4th at 10 AM local time. General on-sale will take place on Friday, February 6th at 10 AM local time here. The full list of tour dates can be seen below.

2026 Tour Dates

05/15 - Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall *

05/17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Block Party

05/18 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall *

05/19 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater *

05/20 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *

05/22 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom *

05/23 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *

05/24 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park *

06/19 - Milan, Italy @ Alcatraz !

06/20 - Stuttgart, Germany @ Im Wizeman !

06/21 - Cologne, Germany @ Die Kantine !

06/23 - Brussels, Belgium @ La Madeleine !

06/24 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso !

06/26 - Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy !

06/27 - London, UK @ O2 Kentish Forum !

07/08 - Boston, MA @ Royale #

07/09 - New York, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount #

07/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer #

07/11 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #

07/14 - Richmond, VA @ The National #

07/15 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel #

07/16 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse #

08/07 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues ^

08/08 - Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall ^

08/09 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre ^

08/10 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall ^

08/12 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works ^

08/13 - Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre ^

08/14 - Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed ^

08/15 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom ^

08/16 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue ^

* Mei Semones: 5/15 - 5/24

! Marconi Union: 6/19 - 6/27

# IAN SWEET: 7/8 - 7/16

^ Afternoon Bike Ride: 8/7 - 8/16

ABOUT AMERICAN FOOTBALL:

Before attaining recognition for their work in the “Midwest Emo” sub-genre, American Football was a humble University of Illinois-based indie rock band led by Mike Kinsella (founding Cap’n Jazz drummer-turned-vocalist-and-guitarist) along with Steve Holmes (guitar) and Steve Lamos (drums / trumpet). They were influenced at the time by artists including Steve Reich, Tortoise, and The Sea and Cake.

After a dozen shows, they went their separate ways, but not before releasing a self-titled album in September of 1999 via the locally founded Polyvinyl Record Co. Over the ensuing fifteen years, word of mouth and the Internet gave the group a newfound audience and, in 2014, American Football reunited.

With the addition of bassist/multi-instrumentalist and cousin Nate Kinsella, the quartet has since released two additional self-titled records in 2016 and 2019, while steering an evolution in their sound towards post-rock, post-punk, and more experimental influences. They’ve collaborated with admired peers and fans alike, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, and Ethel Cain, among others. 

American Football spent the last two years honoring the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut – colloquially known as “LP1,” by embarking on a sold-out world tour. In the process, they shared a remastered edition of the record, compiled an LP1 covers album by artists of mutual inspiration, put out their first live album, and released a companion concert film of its recording.

Photo credit: Alexa Viscius