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The Drifters
Photo: Atlantic Records · Public domain

Band · United States

The Drifters

US doo wop/R&B vocal group

Formed in 1953

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The Drifters tour dates 2026

The Drifters has 72 upcoming shows between Thursday, October 29, 2026 and Saturday, October 2, 2027, across 6 countries, including United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States, Australia. The next one is on Thursday, October 29, 2026, in Walsall, United Kingdom (Walsall Arena).

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Tour dates by city: Walsall · Taunton · Eastbourne · Runcorn · Dublin · Limerick · Fareham · Hastings · Leatherhead · Coventry · Swansea · Beverley · Halifax · Banbury · Ely · Potters Bar · Bedford · Felixstowe · Dudley · Hull · Peterborough · Hornchurch · Poole · Colchester · Harrogate · Torquay · Truro · Manchester · Birmingham · Liverpool · Scunthorpe · Stoke-on-Trent · Leeds · Paisley · Dundee · Edinburgh · Lancaster · Ringwood · Bath · Guildford

More concerts: United Kingdom · Ireland · Canada · United States · Australia

About

The Drifters are an American pop and R&B/soul vocal group. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed in 1959 and led by Ben E. King, were originally an up-and-coming group named the Five Crowns. After 1965, members moved between both groups, and many of these formed other groups of Drifters as well. Over the succeeding decades, several different bands, all called the Drifters, can trace roots back to these original groups, but contain few—if any—original members.

According to Rolling Stone, the Drifters were the least stable of the great vocal groups, as they were low-paid musicians hired by George Treadwell, who owned the Drifters' name from 1955, after McPhatter left. The Treadwell Drifters line has had 60 musicians, including several splinter groups by former Drifters members (not under Treadwell's management). These groups are usually identified with a possessive credit such as "Bill Pinkney's Original Drifters" and "Charlie Thomas' Drifters".

The three golden eras of the Drifters were the early 1950s, the 1960s, and the early 1970s (post-Atlantic period). From these, the first Drifters, formed by Clyde McPhatter, were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as "The Drifters". The second Drifters, featuring Ben E. King, were separately inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as "Ben E. King and the Drifters". In their induction, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame selected four members from the first Drifters (Clyde McPhatter, Bill Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher and Johnny Moore), two from the second Drifters (Ben E. King and Charlie Thomas), and one from the post-Atlantic Drifters (Rudy Lewis). There were other lead singers too, but the group was less successful during those times.

According to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame: "Through turmoil and changes, the (original) Drifters managed to set musical trends and give the public 13 chart hits, most of which are legendary recordings today." Matching that feat, subsequent formations of the Drifters recorded 13 Billboard Hot 100 top-30 chart hits. The 1950s and '60s incarnations of the group were also a force on the US R&B charts, notching six number-one R&B hits: "Money Honey" (1953), "Honey Love" (1954), "Adorable" (1955), "There Goes My Baby" (1959), "Save the Last Dance for Me" (1960), and "Under the Boardwalk" (1964). A 1970s revival in Britain, with both old and new material, was not matched in the United States, although they had their biggest successes on the UK singles chart, peaking with the number-two hit "Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies".

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Also in Français

The Drifters est un groupe vocal américain de doo-wop, rock 'n' roll, rhythm and blues et soul formé en 1953. Emmené par Clyde McPhatter puis Ben E. King, le groupe connaît un vif succès à la fin des années 1950 - début des années 1960 dont témoignent peu les LPs, leurs sorties ayant toujours été en décalage de deux ou trois années avec les périodes d'enregistrement.

Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Past shows

  • Hamilton · The Town House
  • Arbroath · The Webster Memorial Theatre
  • Glasgow · Royal Concert Hall

Discography

Albums

Show all (14)

EPs

Singles

Show all (33)

Questions about The Drifters’s tour

When is The Drifters’s next show?

The Drifters’s next show is on Thursday, October 29, 2026, in Walsall, United Kingdom (Walsall Arena).

How many shows does The Drifters have in 2026?

The Drifters has 21 shows listed in 2026, in 19 cities.

Where is The Drifters touring in 2026?

The Drifters is scheduled to play in Walsall (United Kingdom), Taunton (United Kingdom), Eastbourne (United Kingdom), Runcorn (United Kingdom), Dublin (Ireland), Limerick (Ireland), Fareham (United Kingdom), Hastings (United Kingdom) and 57 other cities.

When does The Drifters play in Walsall?

The Drifters plays in Walsall on Thursday, October 29, 2026 at Walsall Arena.

When does The Drifters play in Taunton?

The Drifters plays in Taunton on Saturday, October 31, 2026 at Wellspring Leisure Centre.

When does The Drifters play in Eastbourne?

The Drifters plays in Eastbourne on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at Congress Theatre.

Where can I buy tickets for The Drifters?

Each date in the list above links to its ticket page when there is one, through sellers such as gigantic.com, trafalgartickets.com, atgtickets.com.

Where can I listen to The Drifters?

The Drifters is on Apple Music, Deezer, Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal. The links are at the top of this page.

How do I keep up with new The Drifters dates?

Add the dates to your calendar (iCal) or subscribe to the RSS feed, both linked under the list of shows. You can also follow The Drifters to get an email as soon as a show is announced near you.

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