British rock icons The Darkness surprised lunchtime commuters at London St Pancras International this week, delivering an unannounced piano and acoustic guitar performance in the station concourse.
The special appearance from Justin and Dan Hawkins comes in a landmark period for the band, as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of their second album One Way Ticket To Hell… And Back and announce their biggest UK headline tour in 20 years.
The album, originally released in 2005 and famous for its steam train cover art, will be marked with a run of December 2026 arena dates across the UK.
Perched at the public piano in the station’s main arcade, Justin Hawkins led the way on vocals and keys while brother Dan accompanied on acoustic guitar. The duo ran through a set packed with Darkness favourites, including their festive smash Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End), a playful take on Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe And Wine, and classics such as I Believe In A Thing Called Love, Givin’ Up and Friday Night.
The pop up set quickly drew a crowd of surprised travellers, who joined in full voice and turned the concourse into an impromptu choir.
“As Santa prepares to fly his reindeer-fuelled sleigh of Slays across the night sky, thence to squeeze his tubby frame down the exhaust flues of the nation’s central heating boilers, so we, The Darkness, dust off our Christmas songs in readiness for a glut of celebration,” Justin Hawkins said.
“And what better place to celebrate than Britain’s favourite railway station? As the commuters hurry by, mince pies crushed in their frozen palms, we are filled with joy to tickle the ivories of Christmas Warmth, and strum upon the Lute of Festive Light.”
Peter Martin-Jones, Head of Marketing at London St Pancras Highspeed, added: “St Pancras International has become one of London’s go-to spots for live music, and having The Darkness bring such a festive performance to one of our iconic pianos perfectly captures that spirit. We are so pleased that Justin and Dan chose to pay us a visit in such an exciting week of announcements for the band.”
The Darkness’ 2026 touring plans include a support slot with Iron Maiden at Knebworth Park on 11 July, before they head out on their own December arena run.
November
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Pre-sale for the December 2026 UK arena tour starts at 10 am on Wednesday 26 November 2025, with general sale following at 10 am on Friday 28 November 2025. Tickets are available from aegpresents.co.uk/event/the-darkness-3.
The band’s eighth studio album, Dreams On Toast, arrived in March 2025 via Cooking Vinyl and stormed into the UK Official Albums Chart at No. 2, their most successful release since Permission To Land.
The album was launched with a sold out tour that included a triumphant return to London’s Wembley Arena, with further dates across Europe, Australia and the USA.
