In celebration of their 40th anniversary, Scottish legends Simple Minds are embarking on a major world tour, covering 38 shows across 12 countries – including a headline show the 3Arena, Dublin on April 22. Now the band have announced an additional Irish date, at Custom House Square, Belfast on Sunday, August 23.

“We’ll play two sets," lead singer Jim Kerr has revealed in a statement about the tour. “It has to be that bit special so we’re putting a lot of thought into that now. You’ll hear all the classics, and all the big songs. And for the hard core we’ll be playing songs that we haven’t played for the longest time.”

“Simple Minds are different now,” he continues. “We’re not a stock rock band, but we haven’t changed our line-up to be cool. We’ve done it because it’s great to have so many amazing players on board. I’m grateful for the career we’ve had, but I’m mad enough to think we can still hit new levels. This is what we do – write, record and play live.”

“The perception that we're now gathering pace is down to our attitude to playing live,” adds Charlie Burchill. “There have been lots of different incarnations of Simple Minds, but we’ve always kept our identity. A legacy can be a burden if you allow it to be. For us, it's been empowering.”

Simple Minds previously marked their 40th anniversary with the release of the career-spanning compilation 40: The Best Of – 1979-2019 in November – collating their early fan favourites with their era-defining hits and their essential recent material.

Tickets for their Belfast headliner go on sale this Friday, February 14, at 9am. See Ticketmaster for more information.