The National Announce First Show Since 2024, Playing San Sebastián in October
The National have announced their first live performance since 2024, billed as "The National And Friends" for Spain's AB100 festival. The show is set for Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Kursaal Donostia in San Sebastián.
Show details
- 📅 Sunday, October 18, 2026
- 📍 Kursaal Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain
- 🎪 Event: The National And Friends (a standalone AB100 festival date)
- 🎫 On sale: August 3, 2026, 11:30 CET / 10:30 BST
- 🔗 Tickets: via NME's report
The bill also features Kevin Morby, Ben Howard, Jon Hopkins, Mina Tindle, Ragnar Kjartansson, Arcade Fire's Richard Reed Parry, and Anaïs Mitchell, with organizers saying more names are still to be announced.
What's not confirmed yet
No further tour dates beyond San Sebastián have been announced, and the source gives no word on whether this signals a broader run of shows or new music to follow. Ticket prices are also not yet stated.
Where the band stands
The National's last album releases were two studio records put out in the same year, 2023: The First Two Pages Of Frankenstein and Laugh Track. Speaking to NME in 2024, the band described being in a "working phase," actively gathering material for new material.
Frontman Matt Berninger has since released his second solo album, Get Sunk, and told NME about his habit of writing on baseballs — the slow process of etching words onto the ball makes him more deliberate with his word choices. Guitarist Aaron Dessner remains active as a producer, recently working on Mumford & Sons' Prizefighter, Gracie Abrams' The Secret Of Us and "Daughter From Hell," Florence + The Machine's "Everybody Scream," and Brandi Carlile's latest album.