Having released one of our AOTY candidates in The Weight Of The Mask back in 2023, no one would have thought that it would be the Svalbard's swan song. The Bristol unit had long been a fixture in UK's burgeoning heavy music scene and was making serious strides in achieving the kind of breakout success to match their international reach and acclaim.
Despite that fact, it looks as though Svlabrd have come to the end of the road. The band have issued a brief, but poignant statement confirming that 2026 will be their final year and their upcoming touring plans will mark their farewell performances.
Svalbard offered this gratitude to the fans for sticking with them for so many years and laid out their plans for a proper goodbye over the course of the next year.
After much reflection, we have decided that 2026 will be the final year of Svalbard.
Our final UK tour will be in November 2025. Following that, we plan to do a final EU tour, a final Japanese tour and a few more select farewell shows in 2026.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us during our 15 years as a band. Your support has meant the world to us.
We've shared so many unforgettable moments with you all throughout our career, and we look forward to commemorating our final year as a band with you in 2026.
Spanning nearly two decades with a healthy output consisting of three EP releases, a cache of split releases and four full length studio albums all of which showcased the band's progressive, dynamic approach to heavy music, Svalbard leave behind a legacy that saw no compromise in the pursuit of creative excellence.
Further reflecting on the lengthy run of the band and their ability to create on their own terms, frontwoman Serena Cherry further expressed her appreciation for the entirety of Svalbard.
"From the moment we formed Svalbard in 2011, all we wanted was to play loud and play shows. Every single moment was exciting to us, from playing DIY squat shows to major metal festivals all over Europe. I think we will always feel a slight state of disbelief over what our noisy little band from Bristol managed to achieve.
We never wanted to create music that was easy to pigeonhole, and I feel proud that we always stayed true to ourselves musically and never restricted our creativity within the genre rule book.
The support we received over the years as a band is something that I will carry in my heart forever. It's a testament to the openmindedness of the metal community that our sound and our outspokenness was embraced with open arms.
I would like to say a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported Svalbard, it's been an incredible journey and we could not have done it without you."
See the dates for Svalbard's final UK tour later this year with Cage Fight and Knife Bride. Additional dates for the band's final tour in both Europe and Japan will be announced soon. Get tickets - HERE
