In 1996, while the rest of the UK was busy arguing over Parklife vs. Morning Glory, three Northern Irish lads were hard at work rewriting the power-pop/garage rock rulebooks. It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years to the day since Ash’s #1, platinum-selling debut album 1977 first launched them from teenage upstarts to bona fide Britpop-era mainstays. Three decades on, a 30th Anniversary Edition will be released to celebrate an album brimming with breakneck energy, razor-sharp hooks, and a raw vitality that has lost none of its potency on tracks like “Girl From Mars,” “Goldfinger,” “Kung Fu,” and “Oh Yeah.”
The 30th Anniversary Edition will be available on 2LP EcoRecord Green & Black “InkPlosion” vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, as well as a 2CD digisleeve with booklet, and digitally.
The band has also announced an extensive international tour, kicking off in September, which will take in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and Europe – with Japanese dates to follow – before wrapping up in the UK and Ireland in December. The presale opens on May 12th, with the general sale on May 15th. More information is available via the band’s website.
For those who can’t wait until September, Ash are performing a special live-streamed concert from Belfast’s Oh Yeah Centre tonight at 8pm BST. Hosted by BBC Introducing’s Taylor Johnson, the event promises an intimate acoustic reimagining of the album’s biggest hits. Expect plenty of nostalgic storytelling between the band’s hits as the band digs into the genesis and impulses behind a record that has managed to remain as evergreen as it ever was. Tickets are on sale HERE.
The digital and 2CD edition features the original album in full on Disc 1, alongside four additional tracks: the long-lost “Bittersweet Blue,” plus “Oh Yeah (2026 version),” “Girl From Mars (Demo 2026 Mix),” and “Gone The Dream (Acoustic 2026 Mix).”
Disc 2 contains a live set recorded at STABAL Studios in 2021, where the band perform 1977 in full, alongside fan favourites from the era including “Oh Yeah,” “Coasting,” “Sneaker,” “American Devil,” and “Silver Surfer.”
The 2LP edition presents the original album on LP1, with LP2 compiling a curated selection of B-sides that showcase the depth and restless creativity of the band during the 1977 era.
We’ll leave you with Ash performing “Oh Yeah” live from STABAL Studios.
GLOBAL TOUR DATES 2026
14th June – Download festival (UK)
19th June – Isle of Wight festival (UK)
30th July – Y Not Festival, Pikehall, Derbyshire (UK)
31st July – Kendal Calling, Hackthorpe (UK)
4th Sept – Rosemount, Perth (AUS)
5th Sept – Freo Social, Fremantle (AUS)
8th Sept – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide (AUS)
10th Sept – The Tivoli, Brisbane (AUS)
11th Sept – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne (AUS)
12th Sept – Metro Theatre, Sydney (AUS)
14th Sept – Tuning Fork, Auckland (NZ)
15th Sept – San Fran, Wellington (NZ)
21st Sept – Hard Rock Cafe, Singapore (SG)
23rd Sept – Hong Kong Portal, Hong Kong (HK)
10th Nov – De Helling, Utrecht (NL)
11th Nov – Gebaude 9, Cologne (DE)
12th Nov – Hole44, Berlin (DE)
15th Nov – Effenaar (Small Room), Eindhoven (NL)
1st Dec – Arena, Torquay (UK)
2nd Dec – O2 Guildhall, Southampton (UK)
4th Dec – Tramshed, Cardiff (UK)
5th Dec – UEA, Norwich (UK)
6th Dec – Rock City, Nottingham (UK)
8th Dec – Albert Hall, Manchester (UK)
9th Dec – Olympia, Dublin (IE)
10th Dec – Ulster Hall, Belfast (UK)
12th Dec – Boilershop, Newcastle (UK)
13th Dec – Barrowlands, Glasgow (UK)
15th Dec – O2 Institute, Birmingham (UK)
16th Dec – O2 Academy, Leeds (UK)
17th Dec – Roundhouse, London (UK)
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