Simple Minds will release their 18th studio album Sacrosanct in January 2027 and have confirmed five Australian arena dates with special guest Gary Numan.
by Paul Cashmere
Simple Minds have announced their new studio album Sacrosanct, due on 29 January 2027 through BMG, alongside the release of the first single, Beginner Boys. The announcement comes as the Scottish band prepares to bring the Simple Minds V Tour to Australia and New Zealand in February, with five Australian arena performances confirmed for Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
The eight-song Sacrosanct is the first Simple Minds studio album since 2022’s Direction Of The Heart, which reached the UK Top 5. The new record was written and recorded during a period of extensive touring, following the band’s 2025 Global Tour, when Simple Minds performed to more than 1.5 million people.
The album developed in part from the response to the band’s earlier material during the North American leg of that tour. Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill were particularly struck by audiences responding to songs from Simple Minds’ early art rock and new wave period, including Sons And Fascination. That reaction helped shape the musical direction of Sacrosanct, which draws on elements of the band’s formative sound while continuing the approach established across their recent albums.
Beginner Boys provides the first indication of the record’s musical and lyrical themes. Kerr wrote the song after watching his twin grandsons grow up and considering the qualities required to become a good man in contemporary society. The song explores strength, tenderness, courage and gentleness, with Kerr describing it as a question rather than a definitive statement. His restrained vocal is set against Burchill’s characteristic guitar work.
The album title reflects the significance of the long-standing partnership between Kerr and Burchill. The pair met as eight-year-olds on a Glasgow street and have spent more than five decades writing and recording together.
“We called the album Sacrosanct because after a lifetime of doing this, nearly fifty years of writing songs together, it’s stopped feeling like a career and started feeling like something closer to faith,” Kerr said. “Calling the record Sacrosanct isn’t an exaggeration. It’s just honest.”
The album opens with Elysium, referencing the paradise of Greek mythology, and continues through King Of The Underworld, inspired by the figure of Mephistopheles. Jerusalem (State Of Mind) draws on William Blake’s vision of Jerusalem as an idea representing a better world rather than simply a physical location.
Our Secrets Are The Same turns inward, examining the enduring relationship between Kerr and Burchill. Songs addresses the emotional role music can play during both positive and difficult periods, while Alive In This Moment considers the importance of resisting nostalgia and remaining connected to the present.
The final track, The Next Right Thing, takes a more reflective approach to ageing, the passing of time and the loss of people close to us.
Sacrosanct follows Walk Between Worlds and Direction Of The Heart as the third album in what Simple Minds describe as a trilogy of recent work. It also follows several years of renewed activity for the band, including a career-spanning documentary, a joint memoir and an extensive international touring schedule.
The new album’s visual identity has also been developed through a Scottish connection. Glasgow-born sculptor Andy Scott has created a steel interpretation of the Simple Minds logo for the artwork. Scott, whose large-scale works include the 30-metre Kelpies sculptures at Falkirk, first saw Simple Minds perform at Glasgow’s Tiffany’s in 1982. He was awarded an OBE in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours for services to sculpture and fine art.
The Australian dates will form the opening stage of the Simple Minds V Tour 2027 before the band moves to Europe and the UK in April and May. Gary Numan will join the Australian shows as a special guest.
For Simple Minds, the tour provides another opportunity to place the new material alongside a catalogue spanning five decades. The band’s recent touring has demonstrated continued demand for its live performances, while Sacrosanct gives Kerr and Burchill a new collection of songs to introduce to audiences in 2027.
“Making records and performing live is as much part of our lives now as when we started out,” Kerr said. “We feel grateful to those who support new music from Simple Minds and look forward to seeing you all on our upcoming world tour.”
Simple Minds 2027 Australian Tour
Saturday, 13 February 2027, Perth, RAC Arena
Tuesday, 16 February 2027, Adelaide, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Thursday, 18 February 2027, Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
Saturday, 20 February 2027, Sydney, Afterpay Arena
Sunday, 21 February 2027, Brisbane, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Ticket Details
Tickets and further information are available through Destroy All Lines.
Sacrosanct Tracklisting
Elysium
King Of The Underworld
Beginner Boys
Jerusalem (State Of Mind)
Our Secrets Are The Same
Songs
Alive In This Moment
The Next Right Thing
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