AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium to host first ever concert

AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium, the home of Leeds Rhinos, will host its first ever concert on Saturday 12^th June 2027 when Paul Heaton will perform at the stadium.

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  the home of Leeds Rhinos. 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 4th and 5th June 2027 respectively before heading to Cork for Live at the Marquee on Saturday 3rd 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 29th May – Bank Holiday Weekend. 

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 23rd 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 8th August might beg to differ; viewing figures exceeded over 800,000! Watch Paul Live at Bramall Lane on BBC iPlayer here Paul Heaton Live at Bramall Lane.

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 4th September at 9.30am www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.gigsandtours.com. Tickets for Ireland will be available via www.ticketmaster.ie.

Book hospitality now Paul Heaton Tickets | Saturday 12 Jun 2027, 18:00

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.

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 8th’ 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’.