Legendary British Band to Play First North American Dates in 30 Years on Final Tour
Cabaret Voltaire is saying goodbye with their final tour but not before playing their first shows in North America in more than 30 years.
The pioneering British electronic act kicks off their final tour today (May 4) in Seattle before making stops in Vancouver, Portland, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Following the West Coast swing, they're heading to Europe for a series of dates in Europe beginning in late May through June before returning to North America for additional shows in September in Dallas, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York and Philadelphia.
They'll wrap their final tour slate of U.K. dates in October.
The band's current lineup is led by founding member Stephen Mallinder on vocals, bass, keyboards and samples. He'll be backed by Benge on keyboards and electric drums, Eric Random on keyboards and guitar, and Tara Busch from support act I Speak Machine on keyboards and samples.
"Cabaret Voltaire have always been a huge influence on ISM -- the grit, the raw electricity, not to mention their visuals and art direction -- and it's truly thrilling to be supporting them in the US. I'm also very excited to be standing in for Chris Watson on synths & samples. I relish this as someone that loves performing and getting a deeper, ‘nerdier' look at how sounds and songs are created and executed live by bands I love -- and Cabaret Voltaire is as good as it gets!" Busch said in a statement.
The group, named after a nightclub in Zurich, was formed in Sheffield, England in 1973 by Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk and Chris Watson, though that lineup varied during their career.
Watson initially left in 1981, but not before sharing the bill with like-minded bands like Joy Division. The then two-piece band called it quits in 1994. In 2009, Kirk revived the band as a solo project until his death in 2021 at the age of 65. Four years later, Watson and Mallinder regrouped to celebrate the group's 50th anniversary on Oct. 25, 2025, at the Sensoria Festival in Sheffield.
The group's final tour supports their recently released live album, But What Time Is It Really?
Though he's not performing on the final tour, Watson is encouraging fans to check out the recently released live effort. "This record captures the powerful essence of contemporary live performance and establishes a visceral connection to the history of the band," he said in a statement.
"It was an opportunity to capture the shows as a unique moment in time but also give people the opportunity to have a memento. Something that presented sounds and music, with respect to Richard's memory, that also transcended time," Mallinder added.
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 2:19 PM.