When Is Judas Priest Touring?
Judas Priest is one of the greatest bands to ever grace the world of heavy metal. Originally founded in West Bromwich, England, in 1969, this band has been leading the charge in heavy metal for over five decades with their aggressive guitar lines, scorching solos, and the magnificent voice of Rob Halford. Despite the numerous fluctuations throughout the years, such as line-up changes, members’ health problems, and scandals, Judas Priest is still rolling on, solidifying their position as true metal knights. These legends have fans in every corner of the globe who still eagerly look forward to the chance of seeing these musicians live.
Now, when does Judas Priest plan to embark on the next tour?
An extensive world tour has not been officially announced yet, but Judas Priest does have some festival appearances and shows planned for the year 2023. They are expected to perform at Hellfest in France in June, their first show at a large European metal festival. Furthermore, Judas Priest has been confirmed as one of the main festival bands for the autumn 2023’s Bloodstock Open Air festival in the United Kingdom. These appearances have led fans to believe that the band may soon be planning a more extensive touring schedule.
Judas Priest was last out on the road in 2018–2019 on their Firepower World Tour, taking its name from the band's 2018 record Firepower. This critically acclaimed tour saw the heavy metal veterans perform over 100 shows across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. It proved that the band still possesses the enthusiasm, musicianship, and unyielding attitude of a metal band, despite having over four decades of experience in touring. The Firepower tour ended in 2019, and since then, audiences have been waiting for Judas Priest to perform live in venues globally.
The COVID-19 pandemic directly affected the band’s performances in that many shows and festivals had to be either postponed or cancelled in 2020 and 2021. Still, 2022 marked the stage where Judas Priest started performing live, albeit less frequently. Last summer, they performed at numerous giant European summer festivals, including Sweden Rock, Hellfest in France, and Bloodstock in the UK. Furthermore, Judas Priest went on a fall North American tour with Queensryche as the opening band. Although they did not embark on as many world tours as they used to do in the past, 2022 saw the band back on stage.
As the news of their performances at Hellfest and Bloodstock next year has already been announced, people expect that the band will soon announce a full-world tour for 2023. Judas Priest is more famous for their high-energy, extravagant, and flamboyant big-world tours that feature metal tracks spanning across three decades and more, with new songs included in the set list. Now, after having their musical skills more honed than ever, Rob Halford’s unparalleled voice still belting it out, and the breath of fresh air provided by guitarist Richie Faulkner, who joined the group in 2011, there’s certainly much more history left in Judas Priest. Due to this, a world tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Judas Priest would enable fans across continents to celebrate in a befitting manner.
Although no extensive tour has been officially announced yet, the band has the festival dates, health, and motivation to tour extensively in 2023. It will therefore only make sense for the fans to prepare for a relatively bigger-scale anniversary tour announcement in the course of the year. Since there are already a number of festivals booked for summer 2023 and more bookings are in the pipeline, a world tour that starts in the next spring or summer is quite plausible. If you have never witnessed these metal titans in action, then it is about time you prepare to see one of the most influential metal bands of all time. When the tour does get announced, obviously setlists will cover the entire Judas Priest career for everyone to enjoy, including Painkiller, Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight, and many more. The priest will be back on the road as soon as possible, all fired up and raring to go with their blazing heavy metal anthem that can only be supplied by them. So watch and listen—Judas Priest may be setting the stage for its next world tour any day soon!
