The Waterboys with Steve Earle to play three big shows for late summer 2026

The Waterboys will perform a series of big dates in Dublin, London and Glasgow in August and September 2026 under the banner The Fisherman’s Blues Revue. The shows will celebrate and explore the music of the Waterboys’ classic “Fisherman’s Blues” era of the late 1980s. Fiddler Steve Wickham will rejoin the band for these shows and, in an exciting development, the ensemble will be joined by the great American singer-songwriter Steve Earle, who will perform as a member of the Revue, singing his own songs while adding vocals, guitar and mandolin to Waterboys numbers.

Earle said: “I only ever wanted to be in three bands: The Rolling Stones, NRBQ and the Waterboys”. The shows will follow hot on the heels of the release of “Atlantic Rain”, a 3-disc set of previously undiscovered music from the “Fisherman’s Blues” sessions, to be released 17th July 2026 on Chrysalis Records.  “Atlantic Rain” will comprise three discs of previously unheard songs and alternate versions recorded during “Fisherman’s Blues” but forgotten due to the sheer volume of music recorded. The Waterboys leader Mike Scott says: “We made so much music during those days – hundreds and hundreds of individual recordings – that I’m still discovering magical stuff in the vaults. This set contains the best I’ve found so far – the music is every bit as good as the original album.”

Scott continues: “The Fisherman’s era was a transcendent time for The Waterboys and it’s always exciting to delve into its spirit and see what happens. We’ll be performing with an eight-piece band including the mighty Steve Earle who I’ve wanted to do a project with for many years. He’ll bring Americana roots and killer songs to the party, and these promise to be among the best Waterboys shows ever.” Other band members include Brother Paul (organ), Famous James (piano), Aongus Ralston (bass), Eamon ferris (drums) and Norwegian lap steel ace Roar Øien.

Dates are listed below and tickets are on sale from Thursday 27th November 2025 at 10:00, from this link.

The Waterboys ft Steve Earle 2026 Tour Dates:

Sat 29th Aug – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Sat 5th Sep – Dublin, 3Arena
Sat 12th Sep – London, The O2 Arena