Radiohead Plans First Europe Tour in Seven Years Amid Grief Recovery

Radiohead is returning to the stage for the first time in seven years with a limited European tour, marking their first live performances since the 2018 end of the A Moon Shaped Pool tour. Thom Yorke revealed that the band paused due to multiple factors, including his personal grief following the death of his ex-wife, Rachel Owen, in 2016, which profoundly affected him and made performing and music painful at times. Guitarist Ed O’Brien admitted feeling disconnected and burned out, even considering leaving the band, and described enduring a deep depression before reconnecting with his bandmates. The group has prepared a setlist of about 65 songs, with Yorke, O’Brien, and Philip Selway curating varied nightly performances, though they have no immediate plans for new music beyond the tour. The decision to stop touring earlier was a preventative measure to avoid burnout and to allow space for personal healing. Despite the challenges, the band members express renewed appreciation for each other and their music as they embark on this milestone tour.