Frank Turner Breaks World Record For Most Shows Performed in Different Cities in 24 Hours

As he approaches the landmark of his 3000th show, on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, acclaimed singer-songwriter Frank Turner embarked on the first-ever Music Venue Trust world record attempt where he performed the most official shows in different cities in 24 hours.

In this timeframe, Turner played 15 solo shows, with each set running for a minimum of 20 minutes, and every performance was held at an independent venue, ticketed by an independent record shop. The previous record was held by Hunter Hayes with 10 shows, and before that it was The Flaming Lips with eight. The challenge supported grassroots venues and independent record stores across the UK, and Turner’s effort was supported by London’s No. 1 Taxi app FREENOW, who provided e-taxis for him to complete the almost 500-mile journey. Turner had the following to share about the achievement: 

“I’m extremely proud — and yet more exhausted — after completing the challenge to get the world record. The main drive for me was to highlight the work of independent venues and record shops and the Music Venue Trust, as well as bringing over 3000 people together in 24 hours for a good time. I did 24 shows in 24 hours in London in 2009, but this was arguably a bigger challenge, and a more official one. Time for some sleep!”

Music Venue Trust CEO and Founder Mark Davyd had the following to share as well:

“If there was a knighthood for supporting the grassroots live music community, he would already be Sir Frank Turner. With this latest effort, Frank has once again demonstrated how central to everything he is as an artist that the live music experience is. We will be submitting all the details of these shows, the evidence required to verify each event, over to Guinness World Records and we believe they will recognise that Frank is the new world record holder.“

Once Turner has recovered, he will return to the road in a more conventional style. He will play a run of European dates in May, including shows as special guests on NOFX’s final tour, before heading across North America in late May and throughout June. He will play a series of UK festivals in the summer before taking the seventh installment of his Lost Evenings extravaganza to Canada for the first time in September. A full listing of Turner’s upcoming North American dates can be found below. 

The world record attempt also came on the heels of the Friday, May 3 release of Undefeated, Turner’s 10th studio LP and the follow-up to his critically acclaimed #1 UK album, FTHC. The new record finds the sweet spot between youthful outspokenness and surviving midlife’s challenges: who you are versus who you wanted to be in your youth, life-altering love, fading friendships, wistful nostalgia, the mental fallout and political consequences that still linger from the pandemic era, and the more prosaic issue of persistent backache. Watch the music video for the brand new single, “International Hide & Seek Champions,” on YouTube HERE. Undefeated is available to stream and purchase HERE, with the pick of its physical formats being a limited edition picture disc with one-shot photography captured by a vintage tintype camera. 

MAY
23 — Harrisburg, PA — XL Live (w/ Micah Schnabel & Vanessa Jean Speckman) =
25 — Boston, MA — Boston Calling ~
26 — Huntington, NY — The Paramount *
28 — McKees Rock, PA — Roxian Theatre ^
29 — Detroit, MI — The Fillmore ^
31 — Chicago, IL — Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom ^

JUNE
01 — Minneapolis, MN — Uptown Theater ^
03 — Denver, CO — Summit ^
04 — Denver, CO — Summit ^
05 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Depot ^
07 — Seattle, WA — Showbox SoDo ^
08 — Portland, OR — McMenamins Crystal Ballroom ^
10 — San Francisco, CA — Regency Ballroom ^
11 — San Diego, CA — SOMA ^
12 — Phoenix, AZ — The Van Buren ^
14 — Austin, TX — Emo’s Austin ^
15 — Dallas, TX — South Side Ballroom ^
17 — Atlanta, GA — Buckhead Theatre ^
18 — St. Petersburg, FL — Jannus Live ^
20 — Greensboro, NC — Piedmont Hall ^
21 — Baltimore, MD — Rams Head Live! ^=
22 — Philadelphia, PA — The Fillmore ^

SEPTEMBER
19—22 — Toronto, ON — Lost Evenings VII Festival at The Theatre at the Great Canadian Casino Resort ~
= — Non-Live Nation date
~ — Festival date
* — w/ Bridge City Sinners, Micah Schnabel & Vanessa Jean Speckman
^ — w/ Amigo the Devil, Bridge City Sinners, Micah Schnabel & Vanessa Jean Speckman

Photo credit: Shannon Shumaker