Merseyside’s favorite psychedelic folk-rock outfit, The Coral, have officially announced their first headline UK tour in almost three years. The news comes hot on the heels of the surprise, undercover release of their critically acclaimed thirteenth studio album, 388. To celebrate the live run, the five-piece have simultaneously dropped a wonderfully nostalgic video for their optimistic new single, ‘Leave It In The Past’. If the raw, human warmth of what we’ve heard from the project so far is anything to go by, we are more than onboard for this live return.
The 11-track record 388 arrived via Run On Records with a purposely low-key, “no-hype” anti-strategy. Shunning the usual grueling promotional cycles, the band quietly stocked the album unannounced on the shelves of independent record shops on standard black vinyl back in May. Inspired by the innocence of their formative years, 1960s girl groups, and early Wailers recordings, the band cut themselves loose from commercial expectations—and the gamble has paid off.
Recorded strictly to a vintage 1970s Tascam 388 tape recorder, the album embraces a charming “warts-and-all” policy, leaving in the natural human mistakes that digital modern tracking normally irons out. That beautifully unpolished ethos carries directly into the music video for ‘Leave It In The Past’. Directed by James Slater, the visual finds the band performing amongst the casual weekend bargains of Birkenhead Market.
“Ian and I used to live above a pub in Charing Cross, Birkenhead and wander round the market at weekends,” says singer and songwriter James Skelly. “It was a magical place to us. The atmosphere of the place, and the characters you still find there, reflect the ethos of 388. It’s simultaneously of today and another time entirely.”
The headline tour kicks off in Sheffield this October, featuring an impressive rotation of special guests. Support duties will be shared between Dave McCabe (frontman of fellow Merseyside icons The Zutons) and Mozart Estate (founded by indie legend Lawrence of Felt and Denim fame). Following the headline dates, the band will then leap into major arenas across Brighton, Dublin, and Glasgow to support Irish folk miscreants The Mary Wallopers.
Tickets for all headline and arena dates go on general sale this Friday 3 July 2026 at 9:30 AM BST via the band’s official website. Given it’s their first proper headline run since wrapping up the Sea Of Mirrors tour in late 2024, demand is expected to be incredibly high.