The wait is over: Depeche Mode has released its eagerly anticipated 15th studio album Memento Mori, available on 2LP vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital as of today, March 24, via Columbia Records.
Early reaction to Memento Mori has been unanimously positive, with The New York Times citing the band’s “exquisite darkness,” Rolling Stone praising the album’s “characteristic musical beauty and lyrical depth,” and the Associated Press raving “The music is staring lovingly into the abyss and asking it to love it back… Depeche Mode might be facing their own mortality but their power as musicians stretches into infinity.” In the UK, the Guardian hailed the return of “the biggest cult band in the world” and lauded the album’s “perfect blend of ominous mood, electronic textures that range from intense to ethereal,” while the NME and Uncut labelled Memento Mori “majestic” and “their most powerful work this century, respectively.
Produced by James Ford, with additional production work by Marta Salogni, Memento Mori’s gestation took place during the early stages of the Covid pandemic, resulting in themes inspired directly by that period. The album’s 12 tracks chart a vast expanse of moods and textures, from its ominous opening to its closing resolve—running the gamut from paranoia and obsession to catharsis and joy, and hitting myriad points between.
Depeche Mode kicked off its Memento Mori World Tour last night with a sold-out show at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center. Due to popular demand, the tour recently added dozens of new dates, including a new Fall leg of North American shows. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductees’ 19th outing and first in more than five years, the Live Nation-presented tour has gotten underway with a limited North American run featuring stops at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Chicago’s United Center, and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. The band will then embark on a European stadium tour on May 16, with noted stops including the Stade de France in Paris, two shows at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, Milan’s San Siro Stadium, and London’s Twickenham Stadium.
Following the end of the European summer run, the recently added leg of the tour brings the band back to North America in the fall, stopping in Mexico City for three nights at Foro Sol before returning to the US and Canada. Newly announced tour stops include Austin’s Moody Center, Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, additional New York City shows at Madison Square Garden and Barclay’s Center, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena and more, concluding with a multi-night run in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum and Crypto.com Arena.
Reception to the Memento Mori tour has been overwhelming with shows quickly selling out across Europe and North America, and over two million tickets already sold. The 81 date tour is on track to be one of Depeche Mode’s largest to date and is also well on its way to being one of the largest worldwide tours of 2023.
Having sold more than 100 million records and played to more than 35 million fans worldwide, Depeche Mode remains an ever-evolving and singularly influential musical force. An indelible inspiration to fans, critics and artists alike, Depeche Mode continues to forge ahead, with the Memento Mori album and tour representing the opening of the newest chapter of a peerless and ongoing legacy.
Memento Mori Tour 2023
March 23 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
March 25 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
March 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
March 30 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
April 2 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
April 5 – Chicago, IL – United Center
April 7 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
April 9 – Quebec City, QC – Videotron Centre
April 12 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell
April 14 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
May 16 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
May 18 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
May 20 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis Antwerpen
May 23 – Stockholm, SE – Friends Arena
May 26 – Leipzig, DE – Leipziger Festwiese
May 28 – Bratislava, SK – Národný Futbalový Štadión
May 31 – Lyon, FR – Groupama Stadium
June 2 – Barcelona, ES – Primavera Sound Festival
June 4 – Dusseldorf, DE – Merkur Spiel-Arena
June 6 – Dusseldorf, DE – Merkur Spiel-Arena
June 9 – Madrid, ES – Primavera Sound Festival
June 11 – Bern, CH – Stadion Wankdorf
June 14 – Dublin, IE – Malahide Castle
June 17 – London, UK – Twickenham Stadium
June 20 – Munich, DE – Olympiastadion
June 22 – Lille, FR – Stade Pierre Mauroy
June 24 – Paris, FR – Stade de France
June 27 – Copenhagen, DK – Parken
June 29 – Frankfurt, DE – Deutsche Bank Park
July 1 – Frankfurt, DE – Deutsche Bank Park
July 4 – Bordeaux, FR – Matmut Atlantique
July 7 – Berlin, DE – Olympiastadion
July 9 – Berlin, DE – Olympiastadion
July 12 – Rome, IT – Stadio Olympico
July 14 – Milan, IT – San Siro
July 16 – Bologna, IT – Stadio Renato Dall’Ara
July 21 – Klagenfurt, AT – Wörthersee Stadion ‘
July 23 – Zagreb, HR – Arena Zagreb
July 26 – Bucharest, RO – Arena Națională
July 28 – Budapest, HU – Puskás Aréna
July 30 – Prague, CZ – Letňany Airport
August 2 – Warsaw, PL – PGE Narodowy
August 4 – Krakow, PL – Tauron Arena
August 6 – Tallinn, EE – Tallinna Lauluväljak
August 8 – Helsinki, FI – Kaisaniemen Puisto
August 11 – Oslo, NO – Telenor Arena
September 21 – Mexico City, MX – Foro Sol
September 23 – Mexico City, MX – Foro Sol
September 25 – Mexico City, MX – Foro Sol
September 29 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
October 1 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
October 4 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
October 7 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
October 10 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
October 12 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena
October 15 — Atlanta, GA — State Farm Arena
October 19 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
October 21 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
October 23 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
October 25 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
October 28 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
October 31 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
November 3 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell
November 5 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
November 8 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
November 10 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
November 13 – Chicago, IL – United Center
November 16 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
November 18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
November 21 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
November 24 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
November 26 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
November 28 – Portland, OR – MODA Center
December 1 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
December 3 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
December 6 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena
December 8 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena
December 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
December 12 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
December 15 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
December 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
