DEVIN TOWNSEND announces September/October 2026 European solo tour
22-04-2026
Canadian visionary musician, composer, and producer Devin Townsend — who has been promoting his upcoming rock opera “The Moth” — has announced a return to live activity, with a European solo tour set to take place in September and October 2026.
Forging a career over four decades in countless genres, Devin has reached cult status in the progressive-metal world for his polymathic talent and continual pushing of the envelope. In 2025, after a career including iconic performances at Royal Albert Hall and multiple world tours, Townsend announced an indefinite hiatus from touring. Having then delivered the live debut in Groningen, Netherlands of “The Moth”, his most ambitious work to date, it was only natural to need a break. Townsend returned home to complete the studio album of “The Moth” (out May 29 on InsideOut Music) and to rebuild himself in preparation for the next stage.
Townsend comments: “‘The Moth’ feels like the culmination of all my musical experiences and my journey in life so far. And as ‘The Moth’ spreads its wings, I’m also aware of how much I’ve changed, and consequently how much remains to be expressed.”
He continues: “The making of this album took me on quite a journey of self-exploration. This opportunity to get out there, tell my story with this renewed clarity, celebrate my entire anthology of music across a variety of projects (and the stories behind them) offers an opportunity to connect with the audience who made this all happen and do what I love in the process: Play music. I’ve been told ‘The Moth’ seems like my life’s work and I would agree, though it was a life that no longer exists. Moving into this new life is the path now, and these events offer an introduction to that.”
This welcomed change of heart should likely appeal to a legion of loyal fans worldwide, who now have the opportunity to watch Devin Townsend perform a range of tracks from his 31-strong studio album discography across a range of different artist projects including PUNKY BRÜSTER, CASUALTIES OF COOL, DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and the genre-defining STRAPPING YOUNG LAD.
The “Metamorphosis” solo tour offers a rare unfiltered opportunity to see Devin Townsend back on stage, performing solo at 23 shows across 10 different countries in Europe. In typical Devin Townsend fashion, expect the unexpected with a varied setlist that will doubtless change night by night, and, of course, a few (bizarre) surprises along the way.
To those fans who were hoping to see Devin Townsend perform “The Moth” live complete with world-class band, orchestra and choir, he admits: “If the audience at large desires this, I would love to, but let’s walk again before we fly.” He admits: “I’m just looking forward to seeing you all again, singing and playing the music from this vast catalogue and discussing the stories behind it all. Thank you and I so look forward to seeing you all again.”
Devin Townsend “Metamorphosis” 2026 solo European tour:
Sep. 01 – UK Birmingham Glee Club
Sep. 02 – UK Bath Komedia
Sep. 03 – UK Southampton The 1865
Sep. 04 – UK Exeter The Phoenix
Sep. 06 – UK London Union Chapel
Sep. 07 – Norway Oslo Centrum Scene
Sep. 09 – Sweden Gothenberg Pustervik
Sep. 10 – Sweden Stockholm NYA Cirkus
Sep. 12 – Finland Helsinki Finlandia Talo
Sep. 15 – Germany Hambrug Markethalle
Sep. 16 – Poland Warsaw Podola
Sep. 18 – Austria Vienna Simm City
Sep. 20 – Switzerland Zurich Volkhaus
Sep. 22 – France Paris La Bataclan
Sep. 23 – France Marseille Le Silo
Sep. 26 – Germany Munich Werk 7 Theatre
Sep. 28 – Germany Cologne Stadthalle
Sep. 29 – Netherlands Utrecht Tivoli GZ
Oct. 01 – UK Brighton Old Market
Oct. 02 – UK Cardiff The Gate
Oct. 03 – UK Glasgow Oran Mor
Oct. 04 – UK Manchester RNCM
Oct. 06 – UK Leeds Howard Assembly Rooms
For more information, visit www.hevydevy.com.
Devin Townsend will release his ambitious, orchestral metal opus “The Moth” on May 29 via InsideOut Music. After an acoustic show in Amsterdam, Townsend was approached by the head of the Noord Nederlands Orkest (North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra) with an offer; and with that moment “The Moth” stopped being an idea and began to become a reality. Today, Devin has shared the video for “Home At Night”, a track that shows a more delicate side of “The Moth”, but one that is no less expansive. The clip was produced by longtime collaborator Mike Zimmer.
Watch “Home At Night” and ‘Enter The City’below.
Townsend‘s response to the Noord Nederlands Orkest (North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra) was immediate — and telling. If those forces were going to be assembled, he wanted to spend them on something new: this original work that had been circling him for years, waiting for a door to open. That was the moment “The Moth” stopped being an idea and began to become a reality.
As Devin explains, “The Moth” is “a loose story following someone who realizes that old patterns of behavior are no longer serving them. By digging in and sitting with themselves, an internal conflict is revealed, one they may have been resisting or unconsciously rationalizing for years”, and “Enter The City” comes towards the beginning of that story arc.
“The Moth” constitutes three distinct parts across its release. In addition to the main album, “The Moth – The Afterlife” highlights the grandeur of the orchestra and choir, in what might be considered a more pure version of “The Moth” experience. “The Moth – The War” is a recording of the live musical debut that took place in March 2025 in The Netherlands, showcasing the raw emotion of performing “The Moth” for the very first time.
“The Moth” will be available on several formats, including limited deluxe 3CD+Blu-ray artbook that includes the album on CD1, “The Moth – The Afterlife” on CD2 and “The Moth – The War (Live)” on CD3. The Blu-ray includes the full “The Moth – The War” live film, as well as Dolby Atmos and High Resolution Stereo mixes of “The Moth” and “The Moth – The Afterlife”. It will also be available as limited 2CD edition (including “The Moth – The Afterlife” on CD2),standard CD jewelcase and as gatefold triple-gatefold 180g 2LP and fold-out LP booklet, as well as digitally.
The full track listing for “The Moth” is as follows:
01. Semi-prologue
02. War Beyond Words
03. The Moth
04. Ode To My Eye
05. Enter The City
06. Covered By Causes
07. Lexin
08. Runaways
09. A Proxy For God
10. The Mothers
11. Orion
12. Stay There
13. Home At Night
14. Intermission
15. Lexin Returns
16. The Clergy
17. Prepare For War
18. The Big Snit
19. Silver Princess
20. A Life In Review
21. Metamorphosis
22. Stained Hearts
23. Let Go
24. We Don’t Deserve Dogs
If “The Moth” has a central gravitational theme, Townsend names it plainly: true self-acceptance. Something sturdier than slogans, closer to a practiced willingness to face what is uncomfortable without turning away. As Devin explains: “The most obvious metaphor for change within the concept of this project was a moth: from caterpillar to an entirely different creature — one so drawn to the light that it burns itself away. What remains is immutable — only the spirit.”
At the hardest moments, when abandoning the project might have seemed rational, Townsend points to the team as the decisive factor. A host of incredible musicians and contributors participated throughout the course of this process, as well as the Noord Nederlands Orkest and orchestrators Joseph Stevenson and Niels Bye Nielsen. Longtime band members Darby Todd, Mike Keneally and James Leach played a huge part, as well as guests including the Steve Vai, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Lynn Wu (Ou),and artists Travis Smith and Eliran Kantor, plus key creative consultation from Mike St-Jean. The technical teams that worked tirelessly included co-mixer Chris Edrich, recording engineers Ben Searles and Jacob Hermann, Atmos mixer Ron Searles, mastering engineer Troy Glessner, choirs in various countries throughout the world and peripheral individuals that helped land this behemoth of a plane.
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