The National in London: UK tour dates, tickets, Alexandra Palace start time, who is the support act?

The National will bring their UK tour to an end with two huge shows in London.

Announced earlier in 2023, the run of shows has seen them come to cities like Dublin, Leeds and Glasgow so far. It kicked-off at the 3Arena in Dublin last week and finishes with back-to-back nights at Alexandra Palace.

The tour comes following the release of the band's first album since 2019, First Two Pages of Frankenstein. Taylor Swift was among the guest artists who will featured on the release.

Fans were able to see The National at such venues as Alexandra Palace, OVO Hydro and First Direct Arena on the tour. There will also be stops in Ireland as well as mainland Europe.

Tickets went on sale earlier this year and there was a presale available 48 hours prior. Here is all you need to know:

When and where is The National's show in London?

The UK and Ireland tour starts with a show at Alexandra Palace on Tuesday 26 September, and Wednesday, 27 September.

What time will the London concert start?

The doors will open at 6.30pm on both nights and the concerts will begin at 7.30pm. The National are joined by special guest Soccer Mommy for the tour - and they will perform before the headliners take to the stage.

During the U.S leg of the tour, The National's set typically began at 9pm local time.

How long is one of the band's concerts?

The National fans can expect to get their money's worth from the tour. The band's North American leg saw them perform for 2 hours plus each night.

For example, The National played Madison Square Garden in New York City on 18 August - taking to the stage at 9pm and performing until 11.20pm. The set lasted 2 hours 20 minutes.

When did tickets for The National’s tour go on sale?

Tickets for the iconic indie rock band's tour went on general sale on Friday, 27 January at 10am local time. There was a pre-sale taking place over the 48 hours between Wednesday, 25 January and the start of general sale. Tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster’s website.

Can you still get tickets?

Tickets are still available for the Dublin show and start at 59 Euros each - plus fees. Ticketmaster is selling the tickets on its Irish website.

For the concerts in the UK, there are limited or low availability of tickets on Ticketmaster's website.

What are the UK tour dates?

The National will be playing three UK and one Ireland during the tour before heading to Europe for dates in Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Portugal. It will follow an extensive run of shows in North America following the release of First Two Pages of Frankenstein.

Full list of UK, Ireland and Europe shows in 2023:

• 21 September - 3Arena, Dublin
• 23 September - First Direct Arena, Leeds
• 24 September - OVO Hydro, Glasgow
• 26 September - Alexandra Palace, London
• 29 September - Ziggy Dome, Amsterdam
• 30 September - Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin
• 1 October - Zenith, Munich
• 4 October - WiZink Center, Madrid
• 5 October - Super Bock Arena, Porto
• 6 October - Campo Pequeno, Lisbon

When is First Two Pages of Frankenstein released and how many tracks?

The National’s ninth studio album will be released on 28 April on label 4AD. It was produced by the band at the Long Pond studio in upstate New York.

The Festivals.UK report that discussing the new album, lead singer Matt Berninger navigated, “a very dark spot where I couldn’t come up with lyrics or melodies at all. Even though we’d always been anxious whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end.”

First Two Pages of Frankenstein will have 11 tracks and will feature the likes of Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens. The National teased the album in a video of lead singer Matt Berninger reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein on a beach.

Who are the featured artists on the album?

The First Two Pages of Frankenstein will feature three guest artists. It includes Taylor Swift who worked with The National’s Aaron Dessner on her 2020 albums folklore and evermore, the later even had a track featuring the band.

Taylor Swift appears on a track called The Alcott. It is the seventh track on the album.

Matt Berninger has previously worked with Phoebe Bridgers on a track called Walking on a String released in 2019. He also featured alongside Fiona Apple on Bridgers 2019 charity Christmas song 7 O’Clock News/ Silent Night released that same year.

Bridgers will feature on two tracks on First Two Pages of Frankenstein - This Isn't Helping and Your Mind Is Not Your Friend. She is the only guest to perform on multiple songs on the album.

The final guest is Sufjan Stevens and he will appear on the first track - Once Upon a Poolside.