Eric Clapton Announces First Dates of 2025 Tour

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Eric Clapton has announced the first dates of his 2025 tour calendar. On November 18, he revealed a six-date Japan residency at the Budokan in Tokyo. He last played the legendary venue in April 2023. Tickets for the concerts, spanning ten days next April, go on sale to the general public on Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. local time here.

Clapton, who will turn 80 next March 30, had a fairly busy 2024 schedule with roughly two dozen concerts including the U.K., Ireland, Europe, South America, and Mexico. He played just four dates in the U.S., with three headlining concerts in California along with the Robbie Robertson tribute concert in Los Angeles.

2023 marked Clapton’s 60th year as a professional musician. The legendary guitarist joined The Yardbirds in 1963 and the following years saw him join John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, and Derek and the Dominos along with a solo career spanning five decades.

Although his 2025 band hasn’t been announced, Clapton is frequently accompanied by his long-running concert band, including Nathan East (bass), Chris Stainton (keyboards), Paul Carrack (keys and backing vocals), Doyle Bramhall II (guitar), Sonny Emory (drums), and Sharon White and Katie Kissoon (backing vocalists). Clapton’s regular opening act is Jimmie Vaughan.

Watch Clapton perform an instrumental version of a favorite at the Budokan in 2023

On opening night of his 2019 residency at the Budokan, Slowhand did something he rarely does anymore: he played an electric version of “Layla.” Read our story here.

On Nov. 29, Clapton is releasing a souvenir of his two 2023 Crossroads Guitar Festival concerts. The various editions are available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

Clapton has announced a new studio album, Meanwhile, which collects eight previously released singles (including ones with Jeff Beck and Van Morrison) plus six new songs. The album, on CD or 2-LPs, arrives January 24, 2025, via his Surfdog label, and is available to order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

Eric Clapton 2025 Tour (Tickets are available here, here and here)
Apr 14, 16, 18-19, 21, 24 – Tokyo, Japan – Nippon Budokan