If you have spent the last few decades humming along to Thunder In My Heart, Moonlighting or One Man Band, here is a date worth circling. Leo Sayer is bringing his final full UK tour to the York Barbican on Friday 30 October, and it is billed as a proper farewell to the road. The show starts at 6pm, and given the name of the tour, The Can't Stop Loving You UK Tour, you can expect the hits to be front and centre.
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It is worth being clear about what this actually means, because Sayer has gone out of his way to manage expectations. This is a 23-date run, and the York stop sits near the end of it, after shows in places like Bexhill-on-Sea, Birmingham, London and Skegness. Sayer has said, "I love performing for my fans and look forward to doing so for many more years, but this will be the last time I play so many dates across the country. I am not retiring, just slowing the number of live shows down a little." So it is not a retirement, but it is the last time he will tour the country on this scale.
The setlist is built around the songs people know best. Alongside Can't Stop Loving You, the tour draws on a career that has given us I Can't Stop Loving You, More Than This, Have You Ever Been in Love, The Show Must Go On, When I Need You and You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. It is described as a hit-packed, high-energy evening, and the tour has been playing to audiences across the country since early October, with the York date landing just before the final stretch through Buxton, Salisbury, Swansea, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham and Newcastle.
On tickets, you have a couple of routes. They are available through the York Barbican, with a booking fee, and on Ticketmaster, which carries a Premium option if you want something a bit more. If you book through Ticketmaster, keep in mind that tickets are collected on the night, so you will need to bring your booking reference. A letter of authorisation works for will-call, and you do not need a credit or debit card for identification.
A bit of practical detail before you commit. The York Barbican sits on Paragon Street, right next to the city walls and about ten minutes on foot from the centre, so it is an easy one to walk to. If you are driving, the nearest car park is Q-Park on Kent Street. The venue is accessible for everyone, and there are hospitality options if you want to make an evening of it. A few house rules are worth knowing beforehand: children under 14 need to be with an adult aged 18 or over, accessible bookings need a registered Nimbus Disability Access Card, and there is a limit on bag size, so leave the large backpacks and suitcases at home. For anything else, the box office sits at ticketing@yorkbarbin.co.uk.
It is a rare thing to catch a pop icon at a venue this size, and with this being the last time Sayer tours the country in full, the York date is about as close as you will get to a proper farewell. Whether you have followed him since the seventies or just want to hear the hits live one last time, it is a straightforward night out in a city-centre room.
Published Date
25 October 2026
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