One of Britain’s most outstanding poets Dr John Cooper Clarke has announced a major UK tour for October and November 2026. The tour will stretch across the UK with performances in iconic venues such as London’s Palladium, Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall and Manchester’s O2 Apollo. The Salford Bard will also be releasing a brand-new book titled ‘Have It’ set for Autumn 2026 and follows on from 2024’s ‘WHAT’, an instant Sunday Times bestseller.
2025 has seen Dr John Cooper Clarke achieve historical feats as he became the first poet to headline a UK arena – the biggest indoor arena in Europe, Manchester’s Co-op Live. The celebrated poet also received the prestigious 2025 Northern Music Award in March of this year in recognition of his phenomenal influence in the music world.
Dr John Cooper Clarke’s anarchic punk poetry has thrilled people for decades and his no nonsense approach to his work has seen his career spanning cultures, audiences, art forms and continents. His critically acclaimed 2020 memoir ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ explored his extraordinary life, filled with remarkable personalities.
His latest collection, ‘Have It’, will be a completely new collection of work and follows on from 2024’s ‘WHAT’, an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Across his 20-date 2026 tour, Dr John Cooper Clarke will be introducing this new body of work alongside his beloved, hilarious and classic fan-favourites.
Tickets for Dr John Cooper Clarke in October 2026 will be available from Friday 5th December at 10am via www.gigsandtours.com and www.johncooperclarke.com.
2026 UK HEADLINE TOUR
Wed 07 Oct Southend Palace Theatre
Sat 10 Oct Poole Lighthouse
Sun 11 Oct Bristol Beacon
Wed 14 Oct Brighton Theatre Royal
Thu 15 Oct London Palladium
Sat 17 Oct Sheffield City Hall
Tue 20 Oct Glasgow Pavilion
Wed 21 Oct Carlisle Old Fire Station
Fri 23 Oct Stoke-On-Trent Victoria Hall
Sat 24 Oct Birmingham Town Hall
Wed 28 Oct Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Sat 31 Oct Leeds City Varieties Music Hall
Wed 04 Nov Whitley Bay The Playhouse
Fri 06 Nov York Grand Opera House
Thu 12 Nov Dublin 3 Olympia
Sun 15 Nov Belfast Mandela Hall
Wed 18 Nov Blackpool Opera House
Sat 21 Nov Manchester O2 Apollo
Wed 25 Nov Leicester De Montfort Hall
Fri 27 Nov Edinburgh Queens Hall
‘Have It’ and all of John Cooper Clarke’s books will be available at all of the shows.
