Sweet Tour 2026: Blitz Of Hitz UK Dates With John Otway, Tickets & Setlist

Sweet have announced a December 2026 UK tour, with seven Blitz Of Hitz shows running from Holmfirth Picturedrome on Wednesday 9 December to Salisbury City Hall on Friday 18 December, including Camden’s Electric Ballroom and Nottingham’s Rock City. Cult hero John Otway joins them as special guest on every date except Bury St Edmunds, and tickets are on sale now.

• Tour: Sweet – Blitz Of Hitz 2026
• Dates: 9-18 December 2026, seven UK shows
• Special guest: John Otway (all dates except Bury St Edmunds)
• Line-up: Andy Scott, Paul Manzi, Lee Small, Tom Cory and Adam Booth
• Tickets: buy Sweet tour tickets

What are the Sweet tour 2026 dates?

The Blitz Of Hitz run is short and sharp, with seven nights across England in the run-up to Christmas. It takes in some of the best-loved rock venues in the country, from the intimate Picturedrome in Holmfirth to the legendary Rock City in Nottingham.

Sweet December 2026 UK tour

• Wed 9 December – Holmfirth, Picturedrome
• Thu 10 December – Ulverston, The Coro
• Fri 11 December – Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill
• Sat 12 December – Bury St Edmunds, The Apex (no John Otway)
• Wed 16 December – London, Camden Electric Ballroom
• Thu 17 December – Nottingham, Rock City
• Fri 18 December – Salisbury, City Hall

If you have never been to KK’s Steel Mill, it has become one of the Midlands’ go-to rock rooms, as we found when we saw John 5 there earlier this year. Rock City needs no introduction either, and it is always a special night when a band with this much history plays there. We have reviewed plenty of shows at the venue, including Jared James Nichols tearing the roof off.

Where can you buy Sweet tickets?

Tickets for all seven dates are on sale now through The Gig Cartel’s Sweet page, which also links through to each venue’s official seller. Some of these rooms are small, so if there is a show near you it is worth booking early. Stick to official sellers and avoid anyone offering tickets on social media, because fake tickets are common for shows like these.

A December gig also makes a great Christmas present for the glam fan in your life. Few bands have a back catalogue as built for a festive singalong as this one.

Who is in Sweet now?

Founding guitarist Andy Scott leads the band, as he has done for decades. He joined in 1970, alongside singer Brian Connolly, bassist Steve Priest and drummer Mick Tucker, and that line-up became one of the biggest acts in Britain. Today he is joined by Paul Manzi on lead vocals, Lee Small on bass and vocals, Tom Cory on guitars, keys and vocals, and Adam Booth on drums and percussion.

This is the same line-up that made the 2024 studio album Full Circle, which gave the band their first top 20 album in Germany since 1978. It also recorded the new live album Live 25, out on Friday 23 October 2026, which mixes songs from Full Circle such as Circus and Don’t Bring Me Water with the big hits and a few heavier tracks that rarely make the setlist.

What songs will Sweet play on tour?

The clue is in the name. Blitz Of Hitz means the classics, and Sweet have more than most. By the early 1970s they were arguably the hottest ticket in town, with a run of UK and European smashes including Blockbuster, Hellraiser, The Ballroom Blitz, Teenage Rampage and The Six Teens. Blockbuster went all the way to number one in the UK in 1973.

America caught on in the mid-70s, when Fox On The Run became a top five hit on the Billboard chart. The song found a whole new generation decades later through the Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack, and The Ballroom Blitz is still a staple of rock radio and film soundtracks.

Going by the Live 25 tracklist, fans can expect Action, Hellraiser, The Six Teens, Teenage Rampage, a Wig Wam Bam and Little Willy medley, Love Is Like Oxygen, Fox On The Run, Blockbuster and The Ballroom Blitz, alongside newer songs like Circus. The exact setlist for December has not been confirmed, but it would be a brave band that left any of those out.

Why are Sweet so important to rock?

Sweet have been called a national treasure and glam rock royalty, and the influence goes far beyond the 1970s charts. Gene Simmons has said: “Without The Sweet there would not have been a KISS.” Nikki Sixx has admitted that Motley Crue “wanted to be The Sweet”, and Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott has called them “the band I wish I had been in”.

That mix of big hooks, big harmonies and heavy guitars set the template for a lot of what came later, from 80s hard rock to the hair metal bands of the Sunset Strip. If you want to dig into that side of the story, our definitive guide to Motley Crue shows just how far the glam sound travelled. Over the years Sweet have sold more than 55 million records worldwide.

Who is John Otway?

John Otway is one of British rock’s great cult figures. He first found fame with an eye-watering performance on the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test and the 1977 single Really Free. A heady mix of blind ambition and a knack for turning any situation to his own disadvantage has kept him going ever since.

His autobiography, Rock And Roll’s Greatest Failure, outsold all the records he had released since his hit by a factor of ten. He then set about trying to live up to the billing, selling out the London Astoria for his 2000th gig in 1993, filling the Royal Albert Hall in 1998 and reaching number nine in the UK singles chart in 2002 with Bunsen Burner, earning his nickname John “Two Hits” Otway. His live shows are famous for chaos, comedy and genuine affection from the crowd, so get there early.

Sweet tour 2026 FAQ

When is the Sweet tour 2026?

Sweet play seven UK dates from Wednesday 9 December to Friday 18 December 2026.

Where are Sweet playing in December 2026?

Holmfirth Picturedrome, Ulverston The Coro, Wolverhampton KK’s Steel Mill, Bury St Edmunds The Apex, London Camden Electric Ballroom, Nottingham Rock City and Salisbury City Hall.

Who is supporting Sweet on tour?

John Otway is special guest on every date except Bury St Edmunds.

Where can I buy Sweet tickets?

Tickets are on sale now through The Gig Cartel, which links to each venue’s official seller.

Is Andy Scott still in Sweet?

Yes. Founding guitarist Andy Scott leads the band with Paul Manzi, Lee Small, Tom Cory and Adam Booth.

Rock News final word

Seven nights, a stack of the biggest glam rock hits ever written and John Otway thrown in for good measure. The Sweet tour 2026 is the perfect way to start Christmas early. Grab Live 25 to get in the mood, then book your tickets before these clubs and halls fill up.