Two decades after Costello Music crashed into the UK charts and cemented The Fratellis as one of the country’s most infectious indie‑rock exports, the band are preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary properly — even if the party is arriving a little later than planned.
Following the postponement of their sold‑out UK tour earlier this year due to frontman Jon Fratellis’ ongoing health issues, the Scottish trio have now confirmed a full set of rescheduled dates, kicking off in Manchester on 29 January 2027 and wrapping up at London’s Eventim Apollo on 13 March 2027. All original tickets remain valid, and the band’s summer festival appearances will still go ahead as scheduled.
The tour was originally due to begin on 5 February, but just 48 hours before opening night the band announced they had no choice but to postpone. Their statement was heartfelt and unmistakably Fratellis:
“With the tour so close it breaks our musical hearts to take this decision but in light of medical advice that Jon takes time to recover it’s the only sensible option… We were blown away by the reaction to this tour and can only promise that we are as disappointed as you at having to wait a little longer to celebrate Costello Music’s 20th Birthday.”
That reaction was no exaggeration. The anniversary run sold out rapidly, fuelled by fans who have carried the band’s songs — and swagger — with them since 2006.
When The Fratellis arrived with Costello Music, they didn’t just land a hit record; they detonated a moment. The album spent 83 weeks in the UK Top 100, peaking at Number 2, and delivered a trio of tracks that have become indie‑disco folklore: the cheeky strut of Henrietta, the swooning Whistle For The Choir, and the immortal Chelsea Dagger, still blasted in stadiums, pubs and sticky‑floored venues across the country.
The band’s enduring line‑up — Jon, Barry and Mince — has weathered the years with a kind of scrappy charm that’s kept them firmly in the British guitar‑music bloodstream. Their 2021 album Drunk Under a Full Moon proved they weren’t content to coast on nostalgia, pairing their trademark stomp with lush brass and strings and earning a top‑three chart position in Scotland. A deluxe edition followed in 2022 with eight previously unheard tracks.
Last summer’s festival run, including a packed Avalon Stage set at Glastonbury, showed just how broad their audience has become — older fans returning for the memories, younger ones discovering the band’s catalogue for the first time.
For the 2027 tour, The Fratellis are expanding to a nine‑piece live band, promising a fuller, brass‑driven sound that mirrors the richness of their later records while keeping the punch of their early material. It’s a fitting way to honour an album that helped define mid‑2000s indie and still sparks the same grin‑inducing energy today.
Tour Dates
Jan
29– Manchester, Albert Hall
30– Manchester, Albert Hall
Feb
04– Nottingham, Rock City
05– Lincoln, Engine Shed
06– Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
18– Liverpool, Olympia
19– Glasgow, O2 Academy
20– Glasgow, O2 Academy
25– Leeds, O2 Academy
26– Newcastle, NX
27– Newcastle, NX
Mar
04– Bristol, The Prospect Building
05– Portsmouth, Guildhall
06– Cardiff, Great Hall
11– Norwich, UEA
12– Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
13– London, Eventim Apollo Hammersmith