Dan Howell and Phil Lester are taking their Hard Launch era around the world. The duo have announced the Hard Launch World Tour, a major international run that will visit North America, Australia, Asia and Europe. It marks their first large-scale tour since The Terrible Influence Tour and their first since publicly confirming their relationship and launching their weekly podcast, Hard Launch.
For years, Dan and Phil occupied a unique place in internet culture. They shared homes, tours, books, videos and countless hours of content, becoming one of YouTube’s most recognisable partnerships. While fans often speculated about the nature of their relationship, the pair repeatedly emphasised the importance of privacy. That changed in October 2025 with the video fans quickly dubbed their “hard launch.” Dan and Phil confirmed they had been together for more than 16 years, since 2009, while also discussing the pressure around public speculation and why they finally wanted to stop hiding such a huge part of their lives.
Now, that new chapter is becoming a world tour.
The UK and Ireland leg begins in Birmingham on 31 January before heading to Belfast, Dublin, Newcastle, Brighton, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow. The run concludes with two London shows on 20 and 21 February, giving fans across the UK plenty of opportunities to experience the Hard Launch era in person.
Alongside standard tickets, the tour will offer two VIP options for fans hoping to get a little closer to the action. The Silver Pre-Show VIP package (£99) includes premium seating, a pre-show hangout, early entry and exclusive merchandise, while the Gold Meet & Greet VIP package (£175) also includes a personal photo opportunity with the pair. Standard tickets start from £27.50.
The tour takes its name from Hard Launch, the pair’s weekly male podcast, which has already become a space for more open conversations about their lives, careers and relationship. Together, the podcast and tour feel like part of a wider new chapter for Dan and Phil, one where they can be more open, more free and more fully themselves while keeping the humour, chemistry and chaotic energy fans have always loved.
For many, Dan and Phil are not just YouTubers. They are part of internet history. Generations grew up watching their videos, attending tours, reading their books, drawing whiskers on their faces with Sharpies and becoming deeply invested in their friendship and partnership. They have followed their journey from young lads making content on YouTube to two of the platform’s most enduring icons.
In the tour announcement, Dan called it “a special first experience” for them to share together in this new, unafraid era. The response to the tour announcement has reflected that emotional connection, with fans celebrating not just another live show, but the fact that Dan and Phil appear happier, more comfortable and more authentically themselves than ever before. Naturally, everyone is being very normal about it. Extremely calm. No screaming, crying or bookmarking ticket pages at all.
For CultureCues, the Hard Launch World Tour feels like a celebration of a new chapter. After years of navigating public attention while protecting parts of their private lives, there is something genuinely heartwarming about seeing Dan and Phil embrace this moment on their own terms. We are thrilled for them, and if the reaction online is anything to go by, tickets are going to disappear very quickly.
Tickets go on sale on 26 June at 12pm local time. More information is available at danandphiltour.com.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.