Judast Priest - FAITHKEEPERS TOUR 2026 - Official Event

Judas Priest announce the FAITHKEEPERS tour for 2026.

Few heavy metal bands have achieved the kind of monumental success that Judas Priest have enjoyed over their more than 50-year career. Their presence and influence on the metal world remain as powerful as ever — proven by the record-breaking popularity of their 2018 album Firepower, the highest-charting release in the band’s history; their 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance; and honors such as VH1 Rock Honors (2006) and their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Judas Priest formed in 1969 in Birmingham, England — a region many consider the birthplace of heavy metal. Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing and Ian Hill created the core of a band that would go on to revolutionize the genre. After a period of musical exploration on Rocka Rolla (1974) and Sad Wings of Destiny (1976), the lineup fully discovered its signature sound. What followed was a run of groundbreaking releases — Sin After Sin (1977), Stained Class and Hell Bent for Leather (both 1978), and the live album Unleashed in the East (1979). This era produced timeless metal anthems like “Sinner,” “Diamonds and Rust,” “Hell Bent for Leather,” and “The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown).” Judas Priest were also one of the first metal bands to fully embrace leather and studs — a style born in that period and ultimately adopted as the visual identity of the entire metal subculture.

In 2023, the band focused on recording their new album and had no plans for live shows. However, when the opportunity arose to perform at the massive PowerTrip Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, they knew it was too unique to pass up — and on October 7 they took the stage as co-headliners alongside AC/DC.

The band’s nineteenth studio album, Invincible Shield, was released on March 8, 2024, and Judas Priest continue to be one of the world’s greatest live metal acts. Their global tour supporting Invincible Shield sold out across the UK and Europe, and was so successful in North America that a second leg was added for the fall.

In 2025, Priest stormed stages around the world as headliners at some of the biggest arenas. They continue to spread their unique brand of heavy metal — and will keep doing so throughout 2026.