Joe: Linkin Park Returning to China (Plans TBD)

[LPLStaff]

The interview from Korea where the band spoke to multiple press contacts in September has revealed yet another video, this time from Warner Music China.

 

Linkin Park (with Mike and Brad appearing remotely) speak about the new album in this recently uploaded clip.

 

 

At the end, Joe says the band has not finalized the details but they will be returning to China. The exact information isn't set in stone yet, according to his comments.

 

Linkin Park's last appearance in China was in 2015, with their large stadium tour that took them to Nanjing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Beijing. The Beijing show, the last on the tour, was webcasted live and was also apparently mixed for a possible DVD release one day but unfortunately no live release of The Hunting Party tour occurred despite that show and Berlin 2014 being recorded.

 

These 2015 shows were a massive and successful welcome back to the band in China after falling on China's blacklist in 2011. The 2011 tour for A Thousand Suns had stadium dates canceled (before announcement) in Beijing, Shanghai, and Wuhan  due to the band meeting with the Dalai Lama at an LA "Plan to Take On the World" event. Other artists like Maroon 5 had similar problems occur due to China's very strict government. Previously, Linkin Park had performed in China in Shanghai in 2007 and 2009. Now a part of China, they had performed in Hong Kong in 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2013 with an LPU Summit, as well as Macao in 2009.

 

 

Although China is not a part of southeast Asia and is usually considered just east Asia, the Jakarta promoters recently said Linkin Park's only 2025 visit to the southeast Asia region would be in Indonesia, which would rule out visits to countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, etc.

 

 

There is considerable time in the touring schedule in 2025 for Chinese dates to appear, so it is unknown if the band would visit in 2025 or 2026. There are currently over two months off after February. Previously, tour dates in China have been leaked well in advance as negotiations have gone on with the Chinese cultural commissions (also the sources of the leaks of the band's setlists/songs being approved by the government). For example, 2015's tour dates were leaked in April 2015 for the May 2015 announcement, about two months before the shows, but rumors began appearing as far back as the end of 2014.

 

Needless to say, when there are dates being finalized, we should be hearing about them whether they are in 2025 or 2026.