David Byrne announces new album 'Who Is the Sky?' Check out full tracklist and world tour dates

After plenty of teasing this month, David Byrne has announced a new album titled Who Is the Sky??. This will be his first album since 2018's "American Utopia" and will be released on September 5 on Matador Records, reports The Variety. He has announced his first solo album in seven years and a tour of North America, Europe, and Australasia. Who Is the Sky?

Who Is the Sky? was produced by Kid Harpoon and arranged by members of the New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra. Special guests include St. Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams and the Smile drummer Tom Skinner. This is Byrne's first new album since 2018's American Utopia.

All 12 tracks on Who Is the Sky? were arranged by members of the New York–based chamber group Ghost Train Orchestra. The album, a successor to 2018’s American Utopia—David Byrne’s solo project that evolved into a Broadway musical and later a concert film—features contributions from St. Vincent (his past collaborator on a joint LP), Hayley Williams of Paramore (whose work Byrne has previously covered), The Smile’s drummer Tom Skinner, and several others.


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What did David Byrne say?

David Byrne is back in action. The legendary Talking Heads frontman just announced his upcoming album, Who Is The Sky?, in an Instagram post. The album marks his first solo album in seven years and will reportedly feature 12 songs.

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A post shared by David Byrne (@davidbyrneofficial)

Byrne said in a press release, “Someone I know said, ‘David, you use the word “everybody” a lot.’ I suppose I do that to give an anthropological view of life in New York as we know it. Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling. Everybody’s wearing everybody else’s shoes, which not everybody does, but I have done. I tried to sing about these things that could be seen as negative in a way balanced by an uplifting feeling from the groove and the melody, especially at the end, when St. Vincent and I are doing a lot of hollering and singing together. Music can do that—hold opposites simultaneously.”

Byrne will tour behind the new album extensively next year. The backing band will consist of 13 musicians, singers, and dancers, including members of the American Utopia band, all of whom “will be mobile throughout the set,” according to a press release. The North American leg begins this September, with shows in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe taking place in 2026.

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Byrne is set to hit the road again with a brand-new live show in support of his upcoming album. The tour will feature a dynamic ensemble of 13 musicians, singers, and dancers — including several members from the acclaimed American Utopia band, known for their electrifying performances worldwide, on Broadway, and in Spike Lee’s HBO adaptation. All performers will remain in motion throughout the show, adding to the immersive experience. The North American leg kicks off in September, followed by dates in Australia and New Zealand in January 2026, and Europe and the UK in February. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 13. Full tour schedule below.

Full tracklist for Who Is the Sky?

According to a report by Pitchfork, Who Is the Sky? features 12 tracks:

1. Everybody Laughs

2. When We Are Singing

3. My Apartment Is My Friend

4. A Door Called No

5. What Is the Reason for It? [ft. Hayley Williams]

6. I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party

7. Don’t Be Like That

8. The Avant Garde

9. Moisturizing Thing

10. I’m an Outsider

11. She Explains Things to Me

12. The Truth

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David Byrne's 2025–2026 tour schedule

Here is the full schedule for David Byrne's 2025–2026 tour:

North America
Sep 14 – Providence, RI

Sep 16 – Pittsburgh, PA

Sep 17 – Columbus, OH

Sep 19 – Akron, OH

Sep 21 – Schenectady, NY

Sep 23 – Syracuse, NY

Sep 25 – Buffalo, NY

Sep 27–28 – Washington, DC

Oct 1–2 – New York, NY

Oct 3–4 – Boston, MA

Oct 7 – Wallingford, CT

Oct 8 – Portland, ME

Oct 10 – New York, NY

Oct 14 – Richmond, VA

Oct 16–17 – Philadelphia, PA

Oct 21–22 – Toronto, ON, Canada

Oct 25 – Detroit, MI

Oct 28–31 – Chicago, IL

Nov 3–4 – Minneapolis, MN

Nov 6–7 – Denver, CO

Nov 11–12 – Seattle, WA

Nov 16–17 – San Francisco, CA

Nov 20–21 – Los Angeles, CA

Nov 25–26 – Austin, TX

Nov 28–29 – Dallas, TX

Dec 2–3 – Atlanta, GA

Dec 5–6 – Miami, FL

Oceania (Jan 2026)
Jan 14 – Auckland, New Zealand

Jan 17 – Brisbane, Australia

Jan 21 – Sydney, Australia

Jan 22 – Melbourne, Australia

Jan 24 – Adelaide, Australia

Jan 27 – Perth, Australia

Europe & UK (Feb–Mar 2026)

Feb 12 – Berlin, Germany

Feb 15–16 – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Feb 18 – Brussels, Belgium

Feb 21–22 – Milan, Italy

Feb 24 – Frankfurt, Germany

Feb 27 – Zurich, Switzerland

Mar 2 – Cardiff, UK

Mar 3–4 – London, UK

Mar 6–7 – Glasgow, UK

Mar 9–10 – Manchester, UK

Mar 13 – Dublin, Ireland

Mar 15 – London, UK

Mar 18–19 – Paris, France