The Coral announce first UK headline tour in almost three years and share wistful new single ‘Leave It In The Past’

Story by Isaac Bradley

01/07/2026

The Coral have announced their first UK headline tour in almost three years, alongside the release of a new video for their latest single, 'Leave It In The Past'.

The Merseyside veterans will hit the road this October for six headline dates, kicking off at Sheffield Foundry on October 2, before rounding out the run in Manchester and Birmingham. They'll also join The Mary Wallopers for a trio of arena shows in Dublin, Glasgow and Brighton later in the year. The announcement arrives little more than a month after the band quietly dropped their 13th album, 388, a record released with almost no advance warning and none of the usual fanfare. Instead, copies simply began appearing in independent record shops on standard black vinyl, reflecting the DIY spirit that shaped the album itself. Drawing inspiration from the homemade tape compilations the band exchanged in their early days, alongside rocksteady, early Wailers recordings and 60s girl groups, 388 was made with little concern for commercial expectations. Recorded entirely to a vintage Tascam 388 tape machine, the sessions embraced imperfections rather than ironing them out, preserving every analogue crackle, missed note and happy accident. After introducing the album with opening track Let The Music Play, The Coral now turn the spotlight onto Leave It In The Past, a warm, reflective cut accompanied by a video filmed inside Birkenhead Market. Directed by James Slater, the clip captures the band performing among the market's traders and regulars, rooting the song firmly in the community that helped shape them. Frontman James Skelly explained the significance of the location:

"Ian and I used to live above a pub in Charing Cross, Birkenhead and wander round the market at weekends. It was a magical place to us. The atmosphere of the place, and the characters you still find there, reflect the ethos of 388. It's simultaneously of today and another time entirely."

Although The Coral have continued to make select festival appearances and support slots since wrapping up their last headline tour in late 2024, these dates mark their first full UK run since touring in support of Sea Of Mirrors. Support across the headline shows will come from Mozart Estate — the project led by Lawrence, formerly of Denim and Felt — while Dave McCabe of The Zutons will open the Sheffield date. The Coral – 388 UK Tour 2026 * October 2 – Sheffield, Foundry † * October 9 – Newcastle, Boiler Shop ‡ * October 10 – Leeds, Project House ‡ * October 16 – London, KOKO ‡ * October 17 – Brighton Centre § * October 23 – Manchester, Albert Hall ‡ * October 24 – Birmingham, O2 Institute 2 ‡ * December 10 – Dublin, 3Arena § * December 18 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro § † Dave McCabe support ‡ Mozart Estate support § Supporting The Mary Wallopers Tickets go on general sale at 9:30am on Friday July 3. Released in the wake of the band's acclaimed recent run of records — from the ambitious double album Coral Island to the widescreen, cinematic Sea Of Mirrors — 388 finds The Coral looking both backwards and forwards. Recorded once again with longtime collaborator Chris Taylor at Liverpool's Kempston Street Studios, the band described the album as a reflection on "the break-ups and break downs", "the tours, the drugs, the births, the deaths" and the experiences that have shaped their three-decade journey.