Shawn Mendes returns to live with intimate shows

Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes is returning to the road with a series of intimate theatre shows in the UK and the US.

The 25-year-old singer-songwriter has announced six “special” concerts in August and October at theatres in Woodstock, London, Nashville, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

The For My Friends And Family Only outing will see Mendes perform his upcoming album Shawn (due on 18 October) from start to finish.

It will kick off at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock (NY) on 8 August, marking his 26th birthday and the release of the first two singles from Shawn, Why Why Why and Isn’t That Enough.

He’ll take the stage at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London the following week, and then Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Brooklyn’s Brooklyn Paramount, Los Angeles’ The Ford, and Seattle’s Paramount Theatre in October.

Aside from the 500-capacity Bearsville Theatre, all the venues range between 2,000 and 3,000 capacity –  a major departure from his previous tours, the majority of which have been extensive arena runs.

“Music really can be medicine. Two years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was”

“I wanted the first shows back to be special and to play this album for you live in the places we recorded it,” Mendes wrote on Instagram. “I’ve never played an album top to bottom before but it’s already one of my favourite shows I’ve ever rehearsed.”

The intimate outing sees Mendes return to the stage for the first time since cancelling his world tour in 2022 to prioritise his mental health.

Wonder: The World Tour was due to span 87 shows across the US and Europe but the pop star called it quits after just seven shows.

Referring to the cancellation in his Instagram post, Mendes added: “Music really can be medicine. Two years ago I felt like I had absolutely no idea who I was. A year ago I couldn’t step into a studio without falling into complete panic. So to be here right now with 12 beautiful finished songs feels like such a gift.”

Fans will be randomly selected for the opportunity to buy tickets to the For My Friends And Family Only tour after signing up for registration. Those looking to attend the London show will have to pre-order the new album via Mendes’ official UK web store.

Shawn Mendes is represented by Nick Matthews at Wasserman Music in Europe and Matt Galle at CAA for the rest of the world.

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