Joe Elliott On DEF LEPPARD's New Singles/Album/Las Vegas 2025 Show/Residency

Monday, 8th September 2025

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Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott was recently interviewed on UK radio and talked about the band's 2026 tour and Las Vegas Residency.

The Live 2026 UK and European tour was announced on 1st September.

This followed the Las Vegas Residency announcement in July.

Joe appeared on UK radio recently to promote the tour ahead of their show in Chelmsford.

New Def Leppard Singles/Studio Album

Joe and Vivian recently suggested a new album would be released within a year.

Joe now says their wll likely be new singles released before the residency in February 2026 and ahead of the UK tour in June.

The next album would probably follow in late 2026 or in 2027.

Live 2026 UK Tour

The Live 2026 UK/European Tour was announced last week and takes place in June/July/August 2026.

Joe commented on the tour saying - "It's going to be a great tour. It really is.".

The Las Vegas Residency

The Las Vegas Residency was announced in July and takes place in February 2026.

Joe said the band will - "change the set quite a bit" for the residency.

And he again mentioned the new staging and that it will likely be used on the other 2026 shows.

Last Show Of 2025 In Las Vegas

Joe also revealed plans for the final show of 2025 in Las Vegas, NV on 15th October.

They currently have the Gary, Indiana show scheduled for October with no announcement yet of any Vegas show.

Initial searching did not reveal where this show is but they have played private shows here before.

2014 and 2022 were the last and obviously they played Vancouver last month without any pre show announcement.

The iHeart Radio Festival is taking place this month (featuring Bryan Adams) and is not the event Def Leppard are playing.

So as it was before Sunday two shows still to play before the new staging/screen content to be used in February and probably the rest of 2026.

Read the full transcript of the interview below and hear it via the link to Planet Rock.

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).

Def Leppard 2026.

Joe Elliott 5th September 2025 Interview Transcript - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

Friday morning on Planet Rock Breakfast – there's Def Leppard with Fire It Up.

I'm very pleased to say, joining me now, my old mate and esteemed Planet Rock colleague, Joe Elliott.

Joe, how are you?

Joe Elliott:
I'm great! I'm absolutely spiffingly great.
You know, we've had a great run this summer, and I'm really looking forward to this gig this weekend, and of course, these shows that we're announcing now for 2026.

That's right – you've got In The Park, as you said, the only show for this year.
But next year, the dates are:

Glasgow OVO Hydro – Sunday, 28th of June
Sheffield's Utilita Arena – 30th of June
The O2, London – 2nd of July
BP Pulse Live, Birmingham – 4th of July
Co Op Live, Manchester – 6th of July

But you've also got a big show in Belfast as well, haven't you?

Joe Elliott:
That's right, yeah we do. We've got this festival called Belsonic.
I guess it's like Belfast's version of Glastonbury, or something like that.
It's one of these shows where they put tickets on sale before they even announce who's playing, you know?

There's one also in the south called Electric Picnic, which is very similar.

But yeah, it's great because it gives us this very unique situation where it's a hometown gig for Viv.
The two Ricks and myself have got Sheffield, and Phil's got London – so this plethora of hometown gigs.

Which is... I don't think there’ll be many bands that can say they can do that.
It's a unique situation – but one that we'll embrace with much gusto.

It'll be great fun, actually. Can't wait, really.
It's going to be a great tour. It really is.

Speaking of tours – the last time you did the big tour in the UK was the co-headline tour with Mötley Crüe.
I can't believe it. Seems like five minutes since we chatted about it – but it's about three years, isn't it now?.

Joe Elliott:
It’ll be three years almost to the day.
I mean, I think when we played Wembley, it was the 1st of July – and we've definitely got a gig, I think, on the first this time too.

You know, like I said, when I was 12, three years was a long, long time – to be 15 and wait for your next favourite band’s album to come out.
Now, three years seems like three months. It's really strange.

It does not seem like three years ago since we played the UK. It's really bizarre.

You know what? We're still here talking about it – that's the most important thing.

You and I have been doing this for decades, and talking about it for decades.
And every time we talk about it, it just gets more comical, really. It does.

And also, I mean – if you look back as that kid striving to be a rock star all those years ago, still doing what we're doing now all these years later, 110 million+ album sales later… does it ever actually sink in?
Do you ever step back and go wow, we've achieved something?

Joe Elliott:
I kind of approach it every day thinking, Oh, just woke up and I am who I am, sort of thing.
But when you put me in the spotlight like that and go, Okay, let's think about this for a second, it is kind of weird.

Yeah – it's great. I mean, it's all we ever wanted.

Since I could crawl, pretty much, I’ve always been interested in music.
Since I could stand, I'd sing into the old vacuum cleaner because it looked like a microphone stand.

In fact, we actually mimicked that in a video for a song called Me and My Wine, years and years ago.

And right now, as I'm talking to you, I could pinch myself and go:
I can't believe I'm doing this interview. It's going to go out all over the UK on one of the greatest radio stations there is – of which I'm actually a part as well, which is, you know, a great feeling.

But I don't think about it every day, in fairness.
I wake up and it's more a case of kicking the old body back into shape – because you've got a gig that night.

And you oil it a little bit so you can get on stage and do what you do.

Take What You Want on Planet Rock Breakfast – there's Def Leppard, joined by Joe Elliott this morning.

The big show announced just a week or so ago:

Glasgow OVO Hydro – 28th June
Sheffield's Utilita Arena – 30th June
The O2, London – 2nd July
BP Pulse Live, Birmingham – 4th July
Co Op Live, Manchester – 6th July

Def Leppard 2025.

Now, as well as doing those later next year – early next year you’re back in the States for another Las Vegas residency?

Joe Elliott:
Yes – our third!

We did one in 2013, I think it was, where we did the Hysteria album.
We did it again in 2018, I believe it was – which is, what, seven years ago?

This time we’ve moved up a bit – we're into Caesars Palace, which is a very prestigious venue in Vegas.
We've got 12 shows throughout the month of February – which is going to be an amazing thing to do.

It gives us a great opportunity to change the set quite a bit.

Basically, when we do our last show this year – which will be October 15th, ironically in Vegas – we're scrapping everything and starting from scratch.

So it’ll be a brand new stage set for Vegas, and then of course into the UK and Europe next year as well.

That gives us a great opportunity to bring in some different songs.

Look, we all know, Paul – we’re not silly.
There are “chestnuts”, or the “crown jewels” as we call them, that you can't get away with not playing.

We’re not going to do a gig where we don’t play Sugar, Photograph, Animal, etc., because that's why people are coming.
We’re not stupid – “Hey, let's play our entire new album and watch everybody leave.”

You’ve got to nurse new stuff in – and new stuff will be nursed.

You know, we’ve been playing '73, which was relatively new, since that’s just last year.

New Singles/New Album

We're working on a new album right now – which won’t be out next year – but we may, and probably will, release a new song in time for Vegas.

Then release another one again for the British tour.

That’s the plan that we have right now. So there's an exclusive for you!

We're going to kind of drip-feed songs from the album, and then it'll come out – you know – late '26, early '27, maybe. Hopefully.

I’ve always mentioned to a lot of bands that at the point in their career you’re at – with so many albums, so many songs to choose from – the setlist is always a nightmare.

I often wonder about the other side of the fence, with you being a Planet Rock presenter, doing your show every Saturday at 5 and Tuesdays at 9…

How do you manage to choose just an hour’s worth of music?
You have one of the biggest record collections that I know of.

Joe Elliott:
Well, luckily – there would’ve been a different answer for this 10 years ago – but now I seem to have got my feet nice under the table.
Until I'm told I’m not, you know!

I'm 700 – nearly 800 shows in – and I just know that if I can't fit it in this week, I’ll fit it in next week.

Luckily, for the last couple of weeks it’s been birthdays, not deaths!
So last week it was Ron Mael, Robert Plant, and Ian Gillan.

There’s one this week – which I won’t mention because, you know, spoilers for Saturday!

It really is an open playing field for me.
I don’t sit there and scratch my head like a college professor. It just naturally comes together.

To me, that’s the greatest fun – the fact that I don’t really know what I’m going to pick until I put it all together.

Then one might come out because it’s too long – and I put it in next week's file.

That’s the beauty of it – I’m not playing to a format.
My format is a non-forma – and that’s the only way that’s ever going to work for me.

That’s why, as I say, it’s always a pleasure – because I’m basically just turning my iPod, or whatever device we use these days, over to everybody for an hour.

This is the kind of stuff I listen to when I'm not doing my radio show.

Listen to the full interview @ hellorayo.co.uk/planet-rock

Def Leppard 2024.

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Previous News - 29th August 2025
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