“We’re thrilled to be going back to the UK”: American Football announce British shows, including Outbreak festival appearance, to celebrate their debut album's 25th anniversary

American Football, live in London, 2017
(Image credit: Burak Cingi/Redferns)

American Football have announced UK shows for summer and autumn, including a headline set at Outbreak festival.

Mike Kinsella's cult emo heroes will headline the closing night of Outbreak fest in Manchester on June 30, before returning to the UK for three headlining dates in September. All shows will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the group's debut album, which they'll be playing in full at Outbreak. 

Announcing the gigs on social media, the band say, "We’re thrilled to be going back to the UK this summer / fall for a few very very special shows to commemorate the 25th anniversary of LP1!"

The band will headline

Sep 11: Nottingham Rock City
Sep 12: Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom
Sep 14: The Roundhouse, London

Tickets for all three headline shows go on sale on Friday, Feb 2, at 10am.

Basement will headline the opening night of this summer's Outbreak festival, which will take place at the 5,000 capacity Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester, from June 28 - 30.

Among the other enticing prospects scheduled for the June weekender, Joyce Manor will commemorate the 10 year anniversary of Never Hungover Again, Philadelphia shoegazers Nothing will perform 2014’s Guilty Of Everything, The Hotelier will celebrate a decade of Home, Like Noplace Is There, and New Jersey post-hardcore legends Thursday will perform a special set drawing upon songs from two of their most acclaimed works, 2001's Full Collapse and 2003's War All The Time. Other attractions on the bill include Soccer Mommy, Show Me The Body and Poison The Well.

To launch the festival's 13th staging, Outbreak have programmed an eclectic bill on June 28 that celebrates the diversification in tastes of their loyal crowd, without alienating purists. The line-up includes rap experimentalist JPEGMAFIA, Brooklyn hip-hop crew Flatbush Zombies, experimental rock duo The Garden, emerging underground king Redveil, critically acclaimed alt-rap star MAVI, and Oakland-based afrofuturist King Isis.

Outbreak line-up 2024

(Image credit: Outbreak festival)
Paul Brannigan
Contributing Editor, Louder

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.