WWE Returning To The UK

Written by Adam Morrison • Published 25th October 2022
WWE UK live tour graphic April 2023

The post-WrestleMania WWE European tour has been a staple on the WWE calendar for over a decade, typically offering some of the most raucous crowds of the year. Ahead of their return to Glasgow on October 30th, the sports entertainment giant has now confirmed their comeback for April 2023.

As revealed via Twitter, the tour – currently scheduled for just four dates – will see stops in Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast, and Paris from April 26th-29th. Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, United States Champion Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins, Bayley, Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens, and Finn Balor are the names currently advertised on promotional material.

Tickets are scheduled to go on sale on October 28th via Ticketmaster. As it stands, only tickets for the Manchester date are currently visible on the website, slated for April 27th from the AO Arena.

A Brief History Of WWE In The UK

Staging their first event in the United Kingdom in October 1989, the popularity of professional wrestling across the nation led to the 1992 SummerSlam pay-per-view being held in London. The beloved event culminated in WWE‘s all-time greatest UK moment, as The British Bulldog dethroned Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship.

Several UK-exclusive pay-per-views have been held over the years, such as Rebellion and Insurrextion. The latter’s 2003 event, however, marked WWE’s last pay-per-view for UK fans, a record that stood until September 3rd as Clash at the Castle emanated from Cardiff. That was headlined by Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns.

With their regular tours of the UK, it’s meant that WWE’s weekly programming has regularly broadcast from this side of the border at least once a year, though typically on a tape delay. This began with the October 11th, 2004 Monday Night Raw, and has since seen SmackDown, ECW, and NXT held in the UK, as well as all episodes of NXT UK.