DEFTONES, those purveyors of… *checks notes* …experimental noise-rock (sure, why not?), have graced us with news that they’re hitting Europe in early 2026. Yes, 2026. Mark your calendars, folks, because this is TOTALLY something you’ll remember to do! This grand expedition is in support of their upcoming tenth studio album, “Private Music”, dropping August 22 via Reprise/Warner. Pre-order now so you can brag to your friends that you had the album 4 years early.
The 15-date pilgrimage (because let’s be real, that’s what it is for the three people who still care) will commence on January 29 at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France. Prepare for a night of profound… *squints* …atmospheric soundscapes? It will then proceed to desecrate major cities across the continent before its triumphant finale on February 20 at The O2 in London. As if that wasn’t enough to sell your kidneys for, support will be provided by the lyrical genius of DENZEL CURRY (who?) and the existential dread of DRUG CHURCH (double who?).
Here are your DEFTONES 2026 European tour dates, meticulously crafted for your planning displeasure:
Jan. 29 – Paris, France @ Adidas Arena (Because nothing says Deftones like a stadium full of sweaty hypebeasts)
Jan. 30 – Brussels, Belgium @ Forest National (Hope you like trees, because you’ll probably be watching them instead of the band)
Feb. 01 – Hamburg, Germany @ Barclays Arena (Sponsored by a bank? How edgy!)
Feb. 03 – Munich, Germany @ Zenith (Perfect venue for contemplating the downward spiral of your life)
Feb. 05 – Lodz, Poland @ Atlas Arena (Lodz… sounds fun!)
Feb. 06 – Berlin, Germany @ Max-Schmeling-Halle (Historical significance? Who cares, Deftones!)
Feb. 07 – Dortmund, Germany @ Westfalenhalle (Prepare for the West-FAIL-halle experience!)
Feb. 09 – Stuttgart, Germany @ Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle (Try pronouncing that after a few beers)
Feb. 10 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live (Finally, a venue with a name we can all understand)
Feb. 12 – Birmingham, UK @ BP Pulse Live (Sponsored by Big Oil? Chino would be proud!)
Feb. 13 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro (Eggs? Water? What does it mean?!)
Feb. 14 – Manchester, UK @ Co-Op Live (Get your groceries AND mosh!)
Feb. 16 – Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena (Three times the arena, three times the boredom!)
Feb. 18 – Cardiff, UK @ Utilita Arena (Utility bills AND Deftones? Someone’s living the high life!)
Feb. 20 – London, UK @ The O2 (Finally, a recognizable landmark!)
DEFTONES, hailing from the bustling metropolis of Sacramento, California (pop. like, a million?), have always been at the cutting edge of… *shuffles cards* … sonic exploration? Since 1988 (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), they’ve blessed us with nine whole studio albums! 🥳 Their sound is “ferocious yet dreamlike,” which is PR speak for “we don’t know what genre we are either.” From the groove-forward days of “Adrenaline” (remember nu-metal? We all wish we didn’t) to supposed masterpieces like “White Pony” (which is only praised because of nostalgia), “Diamond Eyes” (more like Diamond Snoozes), and the double Grammy nominated “Ohms” (the Grammys also gave an award to Macklemore so…), they now bring you “Private Music”! Featuring the usual suspects: Chino Moreno (screaming poetry), Stephen Carpenter (the riff machine), Abe Cunningham (drumming), and Frank Delgado (atmosphere). Oh, and let’s not forget Fred Sablan, the touring bassist who apparently made it onto the album somehow. Overseeing this cacophony is producer Nick Raskulinecz, the mastermind behind “Diamond Eyes” and “Koi No Yokan”, two albums so good you probably forgot they existed. “Private Music” is a “lean, masterfully paced 11-song set” that “meditates on the beauty and peril of nature,” which basically means Chino read a pamphlet about saving the bees. It’s a “psychedelic voyage” and a “skull-rattling wallop,” or, in layman’s terms, it’s just another DEFTONES album that sounds vaguely like all the others.
But wait, there’s more! Before they conquer Europe in 2026, DEFTONES will be subjecting North America to a second leg of their 2025 tour, beginning August 22 in Vancouver, British Columbia. They’ll then proceed to terrorize arenas across Canada and the United States, including Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio (because nothing says “rock and roll” like a rocket) and Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado (prepare for altitude sickness and heavy riffs). This leg of the tour will mercifully conclude on September 17 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Joining them on this sonic journey are PHANTOGRAM (who?), IDLES (more like *EYE*dles am I right? 😂), and THE BARBARIANS OF CALIFORNIA (who are presumably still alive and kicking).
Apparently, the first leg of the North American tour kicked off on February 25 and was met with… “unanimous critical acclaim”? Okay, PR department, settle down. The Los Angeles Times (who are they?) raved that DEFTONES have “never been bigger or more definitional for what young people want out of heavy music.” A band ahead of their time for 30 years and counting?” 🤯 More like a band stuck in time for 30 years and counting! But hey, at least someone’s enjoying it.
In other news, DEFTONES replaced Sergio Vega with Fred Sablan back in 2022. Because bassists are interchangeable, right? They also added a second guitarist, Lance Jackman, because one Stephen Carpenter wasn’t enough to create a wall of sound.
So, there you have it, folks. DEFTONES are still a band, they’re still making music, and they’re still touring. If you’re into that sort of thing, go nuts. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. 😉
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
