British reggae band UB40 set to return this year to tour New Zealand

British band UB40 will head to New Zealand at the end of this year. Photo / Supplied

British reggae band UB40 is set to hit the Tauranga stage next year as it today announces its New Zealand tour.

The acclaimed band will return to celebrate their 40th anniversary (2020) and to perform all their hits at shows in Napier, New Plymouth, Matakana, Tauranga, Nelson and Queenstown.

Joining them on all six dates are rock bands Jefferson Starship and Dragon.

In a statement released today, the band said it always looked forward to trips down under.

"It's one of our favourite places in the world to perform, but with so many uncertainties in the world these past two years, we felt it was far more important to focus on everyone's safety.

"Now that borders have reopened, we're finally ready to get back to New Zealand and perform the show fans have been waiting for."

The New Zealand tour will offer audiences a taste of classic hits like Food for Thought, 1 in 10, Red Red Wine, Kingston Town and Can't Help falling In Love With You, as well as tracks from the latest releases For the Many and Bigga Baggariddim, which will be performed live in New Zealand for the first time.

The band has achieved more than 40 top 40 hits in their native Britain, and with international sales of over 100 million records, is one of the biggest UK music acts of all time.

After four decades of success including their hit singles, international stadium tours and festival headline slots, the band suffered the loss of founder member, lyricist and lead sax player Brian Travers who lost his battle with cancer in 2021.

Although "there is a giant Brian shaped hole that can never be filled", they said they continued with the surviving key founding members and songwriting core, staying true to and building on the legacy and ethos of the band.

UB40 are founder members Robin Campbell (vocals and guitar), Earl Falconer (bass, vocal), Jimmy Brown (drums) and Norman Hassan (percussion, vocals) with new lead vocalist Matt Doyle.

The band also features Martin Meredith (sax) and Laurence Parry (trumpet), who have both been in UB40's touring and recording line-up for over 20 years, Tony Mullings (keyboards) and Ian Thompson (sax) creating a genre-defining synergy of horns and rhythm section that are uniquely UB40.

Jefferson Starship rose from the ashes of another legendary San Francisco band, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Jefferson Airplane.

Between 1974 and 1984, the band released eight gold and platinum albums and 20 hit singles, including We Built This City, Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, Sara, Volunteers, White Rabbit, Wooden Ships, Somebody to Love, Today, Miracles, Count on Me, Fast Buck Freddie, Jane and Find Your Way Back.

They also sold out concerts worldwide and lived out legendary rock and roll escapades. Today's Jefferson Starship remains dedicated to breathing new life into the living catalogue of the Jeffersonian legacy, going to the edge, pushing the sonic boundaries and staying true to the original spirit of the music.

Representing homegrown talent, Kiwi rockers Dragon boast hits such as April Sun in Cuba, Are You Old Enough, Rain and Still In Love With You.

They were inducted into the New Zealand Hall of Fame in 2011 and with Todd Hunter and Mark Williams at the helm, they have continued to delight Kiwi crowds wherever they play.

Presale tickets can be purchased at 12pm on Thursday, April 21 and general public tickets go on sale on sale at 12pm on Tuesday, April 26. Tickets are bought through Trademark Group.

Tour dates

Thursday, December 29 - Church Road Winery - Napier w/ Jefferson Starship, Dragon

Friday, December 30 - Bowl of Brooklands - New Plymouth w/ Jefferson Starship, Dragon

Monday, January 2 - Matakana Country Park - Matakana w/ Jefferson Starship, Dragon

Wednesday, January 4 - Wharepai Domain - Tauranga w/ Jefferson Starship, Dragon

Friday, January 6 - Trafalgar Park - Nelson w/ Jefferson Starship, Dragon

Saturday, January 7 - Venue tbc - Queenstown w/ Jefferson Starship, Dragon