Paul Heaton to play the O2 Belfast

PAUL HEATON

CELEBRATES FIRST SOLO UK #1 ALBUM ‘JENIUS’ WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF MAJOR UK & IRELAND SUMMER 2027 SHOWS INCLUDING THE O2 BELFAST

PERFORMING CAREER-SPANNING SET INCLUDING CLASSIC TRACKS FROM THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH AND THE HOUSEMARTINS

PLUS SPECIAL GUEST SINGER RIANNE DOWNEY

FRIDAY 4^TH JUNE 2027

THE O2 BELFAST

w/ LIGHTNING SEEDS

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 4^TH SEPTEMBER AT 9.30AM

TICKETMASTER.IE

Fresh off scoring his first-ever solo number 1 album today, Paul Heaton has announced a series of major shows in the UK and Ireland for summer 2027 with his band featuring special guest singer Rianne Downey.

Paul Heaton is set to play his first-ever headline show at Leeds Headingley Stadium (home of the Leeds Rhinos) on Saturday 12^th June 2027. He will be joined by a lineup of very special guests Echo and the Bunnymen, The Guestlist and Curiosity Shop. 

Paul will also perform two arena dates in Belfast and Dublin on the 4^th and 5^th June 2027 respectively before heading to Cork for Live at the Marquee on Saturday 3^rd July 2027. Lightning Seeds will join as special guest support on all Irish dates.

Paul will start his summer of shows with a headline appearance at Warrington’s Neighbourhood Weekender on Saturday 29^th May – Bank Holiday Weekend. More information about Neighbourhood Weekender is available here. 

Paul Heaton’s fabulous new number 1 album ‘Jenius’ is produced by legendary producer Ian Broudie of Lightning Seeds and recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester. It features 15 new original songs, performed by Paul and his band with his regular live vocalist Rianne Downey. ‘Jenius’ is Paul’s 23^rd album and comes almost exactly 40 years since his first, The Housemartins’ era-defining ‘London 0 Hull 4’. What a way to celebrate his first solo number 1! 

The album’s title is a symptom of Paul’s modest style. “If anybody ever calls me a genius,” he explains, “I always say, ‘What?! With a J?!’ The spelling would obviously be wrong.” Fans who tuned in to the BBC’s ‘Paul Heaton Night’ in their droves on Saturday 8^thAugust might beg to differ; viewing figures exceeded over 800,000! Watch Paul Live at Bramall Lane on BBC iPlayer HERE. 

Paul’s songs, both on Jenius and throughout his career, of love and loneliness, pubs and booze, community and counsel, a nod to football, the state of the nation, and the overall wisdom of kindness – are distinguished by his notably tender voice, his enchanting melodies and a meticulous, effortless craft. 

Paul’s live shows will see him performing songs from throughout his career including classic tracks by The Beautiful South and The Housemartins.  Tickets for UK dates go on general sale Friday 4^th September at 9.30am www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.gigsandtours.com. Tickets for Ireland will be available via www.ticketmaster.ie. 

SATURDAY 29TH MAY 2027 - NEIGHBOURHOOD WEEKENDER, WARRINGTON, UK – HEADLINE SET

FRIDAY 4TH JUNE 2027 - THE O2, BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND

SAUTRDAY 5TH JUNE 2027 - 3ARENA, DUBLIN, IRELAND

SATURDAY 12TH JUNE 2027 - HEADINGLEY STADIUM, LEEDS, UK

Heaton’s upcoming autumn UK arena tour is almost completely sold out. Last few tickets are available here www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.gigsandtours.com. The full list of dates below:

OCTOBER 2026

Thurs 29           NEWCASTLE Utilita Arena [SOLD OUT]

Fri 30                GLASGOW OVO Hydro [SOLD OUT]

Sat 31               LEEDS First Direct Bank Arena [SOLD OUT]

NOVEMBER 2026

Mon 02             CARDIFF Utilita Arena [SOLD OUT]

Tues 03             PLYMOUTH Arena [SOLD OUT]

Fri 06                SHEFFIELD Utilita Arena [SOLD OUT]

Sat 07               LONDON The O2 [SOLD OUT]

Tues 10             NOTTINGHAM Motorpoint Arena

Wed 11             LIVERPOOL M&S Bank Arena [SOLD OUT]

Fri 13                BIRMINGHAM Utilita Arena [SOLD OUT]

Sat 14               MANCHESTER Co-op Live [SOLD OUT]

Praise for Paul Heaton’s number 1 album ‘Jenius’

MOJO 4* - “It’s a whip-smart re-statement of what makes Heaton special…”

Uncut 7/10 - “…crammed with characteristically witty earworms…”

Classic Pop 4* - “A testament to the confidence from his solo success, Paul Heaton and producer Ian Broudie fashion several new and unexpected moves – which have catchiness in common…”

Record Collector 4* - “Musically…all bets are off. But Heaton’s lyrics are as consistent as ever. On the one hand, he’s our Smokey, such is his determination to find new ways to write about love…. On the other, he’s barbed and uncompromising on the state of the nation…and the ills of instant gratification…. Vocally, too, his power is undiminished. Jenius? Maybe.”

About Paul Heaton:

Paul Heaton’s songwriting genius was recognised at the prestigious Ivor Awards in 2022. Heaton is one of the UK’s most successful songwriters, with five No 1 albums and some 15 million album sales under his belt. He first came to prominence in the early 80s as front man of The Housemartins (the same group that gave us Norman ‘Fatboy Slim’ Cook).  The Housemartins released two albums ‘London 0 Hull  4’ (’86) and ‘The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death’ (’87).  In ’88 Heaton formed The Beautiful South, who released 10 hugely successful albums - ‘Welcome To The Beautiful South’ (’89), Choke (’90), ‘0898 Beautiful South’ (’92), ‘Miaow’ (’94), ‘Blue Is The Colour’ (’96), ‘Quench’ (’98), ‘Painting It Red’ (2000), ‘Gaze’ (’03), ‘Golddiggas, Headnodders & Pholk Songs’ (’04) and ‘Superbi’ (’06).   In 2001 Heaton took a break from The Beautiful South and released his first solo album ‘Fat Chance’. The Beautiful South called it a day in 2007 citing ‘musical similarities’. Paul Heaton went on to release two further solo albums: ‘The Cross-Eyed Rambler’ (’08) and ‘Acid Country’ (’10).  In 2011 Heaton wrote a musical called ‘The 8^th’ based on the Seven Deadly Sins and asked former Beautiful South singer Jacqui Abbott to perform in it.  Paul and Jacqui went on to record five acclaimed albums as a duo: ‘What Have We Become’ (’14), ‘Wisdom, Laughter and Lines’ (’15), ‘Crooked Calypso’ (’17), ‘Manchester Calling’ (’20) and ‘N.K-Pop’ (’22). 2024’s ‘The Mighty Several’ saw Paul back in solo mode (with various guest singers).  In 2019 Paul released a career spanning compilation of his biggest hits entitled ‘The Last King Of Pop’.