Sex Pistols and Frank Carter Reignite Punk for 50th Anniversary Tour

The Sex Pistols Are Back – and Frank Carter Is at the Front

Punk’s most incendiary origin story is about to get a thunderous new chapter. The Sex Pistols, joined by Frank Carter, have announced a string of headline shows for summer 2026 to mark the 50th anniversary of punk.

Guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock will take to the stage once more with Frank Carter — the fiery frontman formerly of Gallows and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes — leading the charge. The live dates promise to honour the chaos, culture, and catalytic legacy of punk, while blowing the dust off one of the UK’s most radical musical revolutions.

From Lesser Free Trade Hall to Festival Stages

The dates land exactly 50 years after the Pistols’ genre-defining show at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall, a night later dubbed by NME as “the most important concert of all time.” With fewer than 50 people in the crowd, the gig lit the fuse for a cultural explosion — giving birth to Joy Division, The Smiths, Buzzcocks, and Factory Records.

Fast forward to 2025, and the Sex Pistols reappeared with Carter as their high-voltage new frontman. That year saw them headline global stages from Tokyo to London’s Royal Albert Hall, where Carter whipped up a legendary circle pit. A surprise show at the 100 Club — with Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, and Bobby Gillespie in the crowd — cemented the band’s rebirth.

“If It Ain’t Fun, I Ain’t Doing It”

Jones keeps it simple: “If it ain’t fun, I ain’t doing it. I’m too old for bullshit.” With that spirit, the 2026 dates promise to be more than a nostalgia trip — they’re a volatile celebration of resistance, resilience, and raw energy.

Frank Carter, who first joined the band in 2024 to help save Bush Hall, has brought new fire to the Pistols’ catalogue — and fans and critics alike are hailing the collaboration as a rebirth, not just a reunion.

Sex Pistols feat Frank Carter – UK 2026 Tour Dates

Saturday 11th July – TK Maxx Presents Live at The Piece Hall, Halifax
With The Undertones and Panic Shack
Tickets via ticketmaster.co.uk

Sunday 12th July – Castlefield Bowl, Manchester
With Dr John Cooper Clarke
Tickets via ticketmaster.co.uk

Saturday 1st August – TK Maxx Presents Depot Live at Cardiff Castle
With The Stranglers, The Undertones, Panic Shack
Tickets via depotlive.co.uk and ticketmaster.co.uk

Sunday 2nd August – TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre
With The Stranglers and The Undertones
Tickets via scarboroughopenairtheatre.com and ticketmaster.co.uk

More Sex Pistols on Punkinfocus: Sex Pistols feat. Frank Carter add six UK dates to Anarchy In The U.K. tour (September 2026) · Sex Pistols Finsbury Park reunion set for red vinyl reissue (July 2026) · Sex Pistols’ Final Tour Captured in New Special Edition Vinyls (January 2025)