Placebo have officially kicked off their 30th-anniversary tour, marking three decades since the release of their seminal 1996 debut album. The band, led by Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal, has embraced the milestone by dusting off deep cuts that have not been performed in over 20 years, while simultaneously debuting their latest single, ‘Helen Keller,’ to live audiences.

A Journey Through the Archives

To celebrate their legacy, the band announced an extensive UK and European arena tour, promising a setlist heavily weighted toward their debut album and their sophomore record, Without You I’m Nothing. The opening night at Krakatoa in Mérignac, France, set the tone for the tour, featuring a 19-song set that included the first performance of ‘Come Home’ in two decades.

The rarity continued throughout the performance, with ‘You Don’t Care About Us’ appearing for the first time since 2001. Other long-absent tracks, such as ‘Without You I’m Nothing’ and ‘Allergic (To Thoughts Of Mother Earth),’ also made triumphant returns to the stage.

New Horizons and Reimagined Classics

Beyond the nostalgia, the band is looking forward. During a subsequent show at the Super Bock Arena in Porto, Portugal, Placebo debuted their new song ‘Helen Keller.’ The track draws inspiration from ‘H.K. Farewell,’ a hidden instrumental from their 1996 debut era, reinterpreting its eerie keyboard melody with a heavier, more anguished sonic palette.

In addition to the tour, the band has released a reimagined version of their debut album. Molko and Olsdal returned to the original master tapes to rework all 10 tracks, describing the project as a “director’s cut” that allows them to infuse the original material with the perspective gained over three decades of musical evolution.

The tour is scheduled to continue through the UK and Ireland in late 2026, with a Latin American leg following in early 2027. As they celebrate their history, Placebo remains committed to the experimental edge that defined their 2022 release, Never Let Me Go.