The Molotovs have announced a 2026 UK tour as they battle Lily Allen for this week’s Number One album. Find all the details below.
The London punk duo – comprising teenage Cartlidge siblings Issey (bass/vocals) and Mathew (guitar/vocals) – released their debut studio album, ‘Wasted On Youth’, last Friday (January 30).
It arrived the same day that Allen dropped the physical editions of her BRIT-nominated fifth record, ‘West End Girl’, including vinyl and a butt plug-shaped USB drive. The singer previously peaked at Number Two with the project, after releasing it digitally last autumn.
Now, the Official Charts‘ midweek update reports that The Molotovs and Allen are both vying for this week’s top spot. The latter is currently in front, having jumped 93 spots up the chart.
Should Allen clinch victory, ‘West End Girl’ would earn the star her third UK Number One album following 2009’s ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ and 2014’s ‘Sheezus’.
However, The Molotovs aren’t far behind at Number Two in the midweek chart. They released ‘Wasted On Youth’ ahead of opening for Yungblud on his UK and Ireland arena tour this spring.
The rest of the current UK top 5 is made up of Olivia Dean‘s ‘The Art Of Loving’ at Number Three (after she won the Best New Artist award at the Grammys 2026), Cast‘s ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ (Number Four) and Kula Shaker‘s ‘Wormslayer’ (Number Five).
Yesterday (Monday February 2), The Molotovs shared a video message about being in a “chart war with some new unsigned band called Lily Allen”, joking that they’d “never heard of them”.
“So, if you want us to get the Number One spot, and not that band, then make sure to download ‘Wasted On Youth’ on iTunes and buy it on all platforms. Cheers,” said Mathew. Allen replied: “It’s all love baby, @TheMolotovs, hope you win the war.” Watch the clip above.
A press release notes that this chart success is down to a focus on physical sales, with more than 6,000 pre-orders of ‘Wasted On Youth’ from fans.
To keep up the momentum, the duo have shared details of a major UK and Ireland headline tour for later this year, including a show at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London.
Gigs will also take place in Cardiff, Nottingham, Brighton, Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast and Dublin throughout September and into October.
Tickets go on general sale at 10am GMT this Thursday (February 5) – you’ll be able to buy yours here.
The Molotovs’ 2026 UK and Ireland headline tour dates are:
SEPTEMBER
03 – Tamshed, Cardiff
04 – Palais, Nottingham
05 – Chalk, Brighton
10 – TV Studio, Glasgow
11 – Digital, Newcastle
12 – Foundry, Sheffield
17 – The Wardrobe, Leeds
18 – Arts Club, Liverpool
19 – Academy 2, Manchester
24 – O2 Academy 2, Birmingham
25 – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
OCTOBER
02 – Ulster Sports Club, Belfast
03 – The Grand Social, Dublin
“After tearing up every dive bar and stage on the circuit, finally unleashing ‘Wasted On Youth’ feels electric,” explained Mathew
“We’ve lived these songs on the road, pouring every ounce of sweat into every live show. To see that raw energy bottled into our debut album is massive – it’s the payoff we’ve been chasing.”
Issey added: “We’re delighted with the chart success of the album but that’s not what we’re about.
“Our passion is for getting out around the country, and around the world, playing for audiences new and old – connecting with people who love music as much as we do. That love of music can help build a positivity and optimism sorely lacking elsewhere in 2026.”
Speaking to NME about ‘Wasted On Youth’ recently, Mathew explained: “The album is a bit of a youth manifesto. An attitude of the youth, and it’s trying to inspire young people to change their environment.
“I can only write about what I see in my environment. I can’t write about Mars like David Bowie. I’m not that imaginative yet, or maybe the drugs haven’t come yet.”
As for the band’s approach to getting out on the road, he said: “On tour, I obviously go to the big cities and [also] the rural places and seaside towns – Blackpool, Skegness, all the rest of it. A lot of these places have been neglected, and that’s a real shame.
“But as much as it’s up to governments to sort that out, it’s also up to people to restore hope. Every generation thinks the one coming after them is doomed, and we’ve got to prove them wrong. We can make change, and you’ve got to start locally with your environment. If there’s not any hope, there’s no chance.”
Lily Allen’s ‘West End Girl’ landed at Number 13 on NME‘s 50 best albums of 2025 list, while the track ‘Pussy Palace’ bagged the Number 21 spot in our 50 best songs of the year feature.
The record’s huge success led to Allen announcing a UK and Ireland arena tour for this summer, where she’ll play the record in full. These dates mark the biggest headline trek of her career, and will follow a run of smaller live gigs in March. Find any remaining tickets here.
She’ll also headline Boardmasters 2026 and this year’s Mighty Hoopla in London.
