Def Leppard, Live 2026 tour brings Dortmund show and Wacken return

Def Leppard extend their reputation as a touring powerhouse with a full Live 2026 run through Europe and beyond. According to the band’s official tour overview, the schedule includes a sole German arena concert in Dortmund on June 23, 2026 and a Wacken Open Air appearance on July 30, 2026.

Summer 2026 dates in Germany and Europe

The core of Def Leppard’s Live 2026 campaign is a summer tour across the UK and mainland Europe with special guests Extreme on most dates. The official tour announcement lists stops in Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Germany, followed by arena shows in Belfast, Glasgow, Sheffield, London, Birmingham and Manchester.

For fans in Germany, the key anchor is the June 23, 2026 show at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, billed by the venue as the band’s only German concert of the summer. The Westfalenhalle listing notes doors at 5:30 p.m., Extreme on stage from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Def Leppard headlining from 9:00 p.m. to about 10:35 p.m., presented by Live Nation GmbH. This single indoor show is complemented by a festival slot at Wacken Open Air on July 30, 2026, giving German-based fans both an arena night and a metal festival appearance to choose from.

Tour angle for Thursday: Live dates and German anchors

Beyond Germany, the Live 2026 tour opens at Dalhalla in Rättvik, Sweden on June 13, 2026, followed by Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki on June 16 and Hallenstadion in Zurich on June 19. The Zurich date, which sits just before festival sets at Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium and Belsonic in Belfast, underlines the band’s continued pull in the wider DACH region.

In the UK, Def Leppard’s itinerary includes Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on June 28, an arena night in their hometown Sheffield on June 30, and major shows at The O2 in London, Birmingham and Manchester in early July. According to the official announcement, the entire run is framed as “Def Leppard Live 2026” with Extreme as special guests, while Wacken is marked as a festival-only date and Dubai as an “evening with Def Leppard” show.

What defines Def Leppard’s sound today

Def Leppard’s current live show balances classic hits and newer material. Recent setlists from the European leg show staples such as Pour Some Sugar on Me, Hysteria, Photograph, Love Bites and Rock of Ages alongside the newer single Rejoice, which frontman Joe Elliott has described as an escapist song written to keep their live set fresh.

The band’s sound continues to fuse polished arena rock production with layered vocals and guitar harmonies, rooted in the style they established on albums like Pyromania and Hysteria. At the same time, the presence of covers such as Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus in the setlist hints at a willingness to reinterpret other artists’ material within their own aesthetic.

Where Def Leppard stand and what’s next

Looking beyond the summer run, Def Leppard have already announced a fall 2026 leg across Mexico and South America, again with Extreme as special guests. Dates include arena shows in Mexico City, Guadalajara, San Salvador, Alajuela, Quito, Bogotá, Buenos Aires and Santiago, preceded by a night at Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. The next verified live date after September 3, 2026 is October 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Florida at Seminole Hard Rock Live.