Sheffield’s industrial pioneers are packing up their pedals, tape-loops, and sequencers. Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson have confirmed a live album, But What Time Is It Really?, will be released by Cabaret Voltaire on 24 April 2026 via Memetune.
The recordings are drawn from last year’s sold-out 50th anniversary UK run of dates. The track listing hauls through the expected canon – “Nag Nag Nag,” “Sensoria,” “Crackdown” – plus a new live piece, “Tinsley Viaduct.” Long-time Mal collaborator, Benge, engineered and mixed the album. The late Richard H. Kirk is present in spirit.
The accompanying tour spans North America in May and September, Europe through June, and a final UK run in October with Gazelle Twin in support, closing in Sheffield. Mallinder and Watson have confirmed there will be no further studio recordings under the Cabaret Voltaire name.
The band began in 1973 and had a varied career, ranging from dadaist experiments to futuristic techno. Watson left in 1981 to work in broadcast media. Mal departed in 1994 to pursue an academic career in Australia. Kirk kept the name alive until his untimely death in 2021. Watson and Mallinder reconnected in 2025, and the current tour is the final lap for one of Britain’s most influential acts.
Cabaret Voltaire – 2026 Tour Dates
March 2026 – Europe
1. March 6, 2026 – Elevate Festival, Graz, Austria
May 2026 – North America
2. May 4, 2026 – Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA, United States
3. May 6, 2026 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Canada
4. May 8, 2026 – Roseland Theater, Portland, OR, United States
5. May 10, 2026 – Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO, United States
6. May 12, 2026 – The Bellwether, Los Angeles, CA, United States
7. May 15, 2026 – The Warfield, San Francisco, CA, United States
June 2026 – Europe Continued
8. June 2, 2026 – silent green Kulturquartier, Berlin, Germany
9. June 5, 2026 – Elysée Montmartre, Paris, France
10. June 13, 2026 – Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
11. June 19, 2026 – Les Docks, Lausanne, Switzerland
October 2026 – UK & Ireland Final Tour
12. October 7, 2026 – The Academy, Dublin, Ireland
13. October 8, 2026 – The Limelight 1, Belfast, UK
14. October 10, 2026 – Town Hall, Birmingham, UK
15. October 11, 2026 – Arts Club Liverpool – Theatre, UK
16. October 13, 2026 – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
17. October 14, 2026 – The Globe, Cardiff, UK
18. October 15, 2026 – Bath Forum, Bath, UK
19. October 17, 2026 – Boiler Shop (w/ Gazelle Twin), Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
20. October 18, 2026 – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK
21. October 19, 2026 – Albert Hall, Manchester, UK
22. October 21, 2026 – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea, UK
23. October 22, 2026 – Roundhouse, London, UK