The architects of progressive metal are returning to the continent. Queensrÿche, the band responsible for defining the genre with albums like Operation: Mindcrime and Empire, has officially unveiled the schedule for a month-long European tour set to dominate the early summer of 2026.
Kicking off in Germany on June 6 and wrapping up under the Spanish sun on July 5, the tour will see the band delivering their sophisticated heavy metal anthems to a mix of intimate club crowds and massive festival audiences.
For the headline club dates, Queensrÿche has enlisted technical death metal heavyweights Rivers of Nihil as special guests. This pairing promises a night of high-caliber musicianship, bridging the gap between classic progressive vocal-driven metal and modern extreme technicality. The headline run includes stops in major hubs such as London, Frankfurt, and Manchester.
In addition to their own shows, Queensrÿche is slated to hit nearly every major heavy music festival in Europe this season. The itinerary places them on the bills of prestigious events including France’s Hellfest, Belgium’s Graspop Metal Meeting, Denmark’s Copenhell, and Finland’s Tuska Festival.
Queensrÿche Summer 2026 European Tour Dates:
Headline Dates (w/ Special Guest Rivers of Nihil):
- June 12 – Köln, Germany @ Essigfabrik
- June 16 – Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle
- June 17 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Batschkapp
- June 22 – Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
- June 23 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall
- June 30 – Lund, Sweden @ Mejeriet SE
- July 01 – Hannover, Germany @ Pavillon
- July 02 – Lindau, Germany @ Club Vaudeville
Festival Appearances:
- June 13 – Leeuwarden, Netherlands @ Into The Grave
- June 14 – Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic @ Rock For People
- June 19 – Clisson, France @ Hellfest
- June 20 – Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop Metal Meeting
- June 25 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Copenhell
- June 26 – Oslo, Norway @ Tons Of Rock
- June 28 – Helsinki, Finland @ Tuska
- July 03 – Colombier-Saugnieu, France @ Plane’R Fest
- July 05 – Cartagena, Spain @ Rock Imperium Festival
Regarding new music, guitarist Michael Wilton recently provided an update during “Iron City Rocks” podcast. He said: “Yeah, we’ve started the writing process. We’ve got a good bunch of songs. And it’s doing this in pockets of time. All bands are touring, so you find a week where you can go record. And producers are [now becoming] used to this. Long gone are the days where a band has three months to record an album.”
