UB40 Tickets

UB40 are among the most successful British bands of the 1980s and have been celebrating global success with their pop-infused reggae sound for over 45 years. With their distinctive interpretations of “Red Red Wine” (1983) – originally by Neil Diamond – the globally successful Elvis hit “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You” (1993), “I Got You Babe” originally by Sonny & Cher (1985), and Lord Creator’s “Kingston Town” (1990), UB40 have released worldwide hits and made their pop-reggae sound immortal across generations. Their albums “Labour of Love” (1983) and “Promises and Lies” (1993) both reached the top of the UK charts, and UB40 spent a total of 214 weeks in the UK singles charts during the 1980s – a record they share only with the English ska band Madness. Even beyond the eighties and nineties, UB40 continue to release successful new albums and today boast an impressive body of work with over 50 singles, 20 albums, and more than 100 million records sold worldwide. These achievements are complemented by several multi-platinum-certified records, four Grammy nominations for Best Reggae Album, and a BRIT Award nomination for Best British Group in 1984. In March, UB40 will perform four shows in Germany, bringing their greatest hits to Cologne’s E-Werk, Berlin’s Uber Eats Music Hall, Munich’s Tonhalle, and Frankfurt’s Jahrhunderthalle.

UB40 was founded in 1978 in Birmingham by brothers Robin and Alistair “Ali” Campbell. Together with Earl Falconer, Brian Travers, and James Brown – whom they knew from the Moseley School of Art – and Norman Hassan, a friend of the Campbells, they began rehearsing and remained a group in this lineup for 30 years until Ali Campbell left in 2008 and was replaced by Duncan Campbell until 2021. The band took their name from a form used to register for unemployment – the Unemployment Benefit Form 40, which some members had to apply for before the band was formed. Emerging from the British working class, UB40 rose to become Britain’s most successful reggae band in the following years with lyrics addressing social issues. Their debut album “Signing Off” entered the UK charts at number 2, a feat repeated by “Present Arms” in 1981. This was followed by “UB44” (1982), before “Labour of Love” became the band’s first number-one album in 1983. After releasing “Geffery Morgan …” (1984), “Baggariddim” (1995), “Rat in the Kitchen” (1986), and “UB40,” the band followed up the massive success of the 1983 album with “Labour of Love II” and celebrated their biggest chart success worldwide in 1993 with “Promises and Lies.” Eleven more albums followed, celebrated globally, along with several lineup changes, the most notable being Matt Doyle joining as the new lead singer in 2021. Despite all transitions, UB40 remain successful. They have been present in the UK album charts for over eleven years and continue to inspire fans around the world.

Tickets for UB40 are available here at Ticketmaster.