The Wanted 2.0 bring their tour to Engine Rooms

If your early 2010s soundtrack was built around boy bands, the next couple of weeks are worth keeping an eye on. The Wanted 2.0, the 2026 tour of the British-Irish group The Wanted, is working its way around the UK, and Southampton gets its turn on Friday 9 October at Engine Rooms, with doors at 6:00pm and the show running from 7:00pm to 11:00pm.

For context, this is not the same line-up that first climbed the charts. The band reformed after a seven-year break, carried by founding members Max George and Siva Kaneswaran, who both share lead vocal duties. The group formed back in 2009 through auditions, and their debut single 'All Time Low' hit number one in July 2010, with the debut album following in October of that year. 'Battleground' came in November 2011, and a greatest-hits set, Most Wanted, was released in November 2021. Founding member Tom Parker passed away in March 2022. Over the years they have sold more than 20 million records worldwide, notched ten UK Top Ten singles and two number ones, and they still pull in close to seven million monthly listeners on Spotify. The setlist leans on the hits that made them: 'All Time Low' and 'Glad You Came' both reached number one, and 'Chasing The Sun', 'Walks Like Rihanna' and 'Warzone' are the fan favourites that usually round things out.

The Southampton date sits in the middle of a 21-show run across the UK and Ireland that opens at Komedia in Bath on 1 October and closes at Digital in Newcastle on 22 October. Liv Harland supports the first two nights in Bath and Oxford, and Reigns takes over for the rest, including the Southampton show. Tickets start at £30.00 with all fees included, and there is a VIP option that adds early access, a meet and greet with Max George and Siva Kaneswaran, a photo opportunity, a signed poster and a piece of merchandise. Under 16s need to be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

The venue is worth a bit of its own mention. Engine Rooms Southampton, over on the West Quay Road Industrial Estate, is the city's largest independent grassroots music venue, and it has been in its current form since 2014. It holds between 400 and 800 people depending on the show, so it is a proper room for a gig of this size rather than a cavernous arena. Inside there is a large standing floor, a wooden mezzanine balcony and two fully stocked bars, and the whole place is wheelchair accessible with step-free toilets. It is an industrial-style space with professional sound, which suits a loud pop set. If you have never been, it is a good excuse to check out one of the city's more genuine music rooms. The tour is presented by Gotobeat, the UK ticketing platform that set up in 2022, so it is a well-supported run. Whether you grew up on the hits or just want a night of 2010s nostalgia, it is a straightforward one to build an evening around.