Howard Jones will headline the multi-artist “Things Can Only Get Better” tour across North America in 2026 alongside fellow British acts Wang Chung, The English Beat and Modern English.
by Paul Cashmere
British synth-pop pioneer Howard Jones will headline a new multi-artist North American tour this northern summer, curating the “Things Can Only Get Better” tour featuring Wang Chung, The English Beat and Modern English. The show will run through July and August 2026 with all four acts performing full sets, while long-time radio broadcaster Richard Blade will host the evenings. The tour will visit venues across the United States and Canada beginning in Napa, California on 19 July and concluding in Toronto on 23 August.
The tour draws together several defining artists of the British new wave and post-punk era whose songs helped shape radio and club culture throughout the 1980s. For audiences, the shows are positioned as a retrospective celebration of that decade’s most recognisable pop and alternative hits including Howard Jones’ “Things Can Only Get Better”, “What Is Love” and “No One Is To Blame”, alongside Wang Chung’s “Dance Hall Days” and “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”, The English Beat’s “Save It For Later” and “I Confess”, and Modern English’s enduring anthem “I Melt With You”.
Jones said the concept of the tour was built around the idea of bringing together artists who defined the same musical era. “I dreamed of curating a tour with my favourite bands that could bring some positivity in our troubled times,” Jones said. “I’m thrilled that this is actually happening this summer with the Things Can Only Get Better Tour.
Joining me are my friends Wang Chung, The English Beat, Modern English, and Richard Blade. Our aim is to bring some joy with the banging pop anthems that we all know and love.”
Wang Chung members Jack Hues and Nick Feldman said the tour brings together artists who have known each other for decades. “We are very excited to be joining Howard on this tour. We have known each other since the 80s but have never toured extensively together before,” they said. “Four British bands bringing their hits and that unique 80s energy to your hometown.”
Modern English singer Robbie Grey added that the tour reunites long-time colleagues from the same era. “Will be great touring with old friends again. Every night will be a top night. We will play songs from our latest album 1234 and of course the classic early material and that song ‘I Melt With You’.”
Howard Jones emerged in 1983 during the first wave of mainstream synthesiser-driven pop. His debut album Human’s Lib reached number one in the UK in 1984, introducing songs such as “New Song” and “What Is Love”. The follow-up Dream Into Action, released in 1985, delivered international hits including “Things Can Only Get Better”, “Life In One Day” and “No One Is To Blame”. Across four decades he has sold more than 10 million albums and maintained an active touring schedule.
The artists joining him on the tour represent parallel movements from the same period. Wang Chung developed from the British post-punk scene into a global pop act with multiple US Top 40 hits and a high-profile film soundtrack for To Live And Die In LA. The English Beat, led by Dave Wakeling, were central figures in the British Two-Tone ska movement with their debut Just Can’t Stop It becoming a cornerstone of the genre.
Modern English emerged from the post-punk underground in the late 1970s and found mainstream success with “I Melt With You”, a track that has remained widely used in film and television.
Package nostalgia tours have become a consistent touring format in the live sector, particularly as artists from the 1980s continue to maintain dedicated audiences across North America and Europe. The format allows fans to see several legacy acts in a single event while enabling artists to share production costs and reach broader audiences across large amphitheatre venues.
For Jones, the tour continues a four-decade touring career built around the music that first introduced him to audiences in the early 1980s. With multiple artists sharing the bill and a catalogue of widely recognised songs between them, the “Things Can Only Get Better” tour positions itself as a broad celebration of the British new wave era for fans across North America this summer.
THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER North American Tour Dates 2026
19 July, Napa, CA, Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions At Meritage Resort
20 July, Saratoga, CA, The Mountain Winery
21 July, Paso Robles, CA, Paso Robles Event Center
23 July, Los Angeles, CA, The Greek Theatre
24 July, San Diego, CA, Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
26 July, Las Vegas, NV, Resorts World Theatre
29 July, West Valley City, UT, Maverik Center
30 July, Greenwood Village, CO, Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
1 August, Council Bluffs, IA, Harrah’s Stir Cove
4 August, Austin, TX, ACL Live At The Moody Theater
5 August, Grand Prairie, TX, Texas Trust CU Theatre
7 August, Indianapolis, IN, Everwise Amphitheater At White River State Park
8 August, Rochester Hills, MI, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
11 August, Kettering, OH, Fraze Pavilion
12 August, Lewiston, NY, Artpark Amphitheater
14 August, Atlantic City, NJ, Borgata Resort Spa & Casino
15 August, Washington, DC, The Anthem
19 August, Boston, MA, Citizens House Of Blues
20 August, Wantagh, NY, Northwell Health At Jones Beach Theater
21 August, Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Arts Center
23 August, Toronto, ON, The Bowl At Sobeys Stadium
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