Simple Minds have revealed that their forthcoming studio album will bear the title Sacrosanct, with frontman Jim Kerr describing the project as reaching a point where creating music feels closer to devotion than to a profession.
The record, slated for release on January 29, 2027, comes after an exceptionally busy spell for the band. Since the 2022 release of Direction of the Heart, the group have unveiled a career-spanning documentary, published a joint memoir that earned multiple “Books of the Year” nods, and performed to more than 1.5 million fans on their Global Tour — their largest audiences since the mid-1980s. It was during that tour, buoyed by sold-out arenas, that Jim and guitarist Charlie Burchill began shaping the material that would become Sacrosanct.
The 2025 North American dates proved particularly influential. Witnessing crowds in new cities respond with passion to early tracks such as Sons and Fascination encouraged Jim and Charlie to revisit their art-rock and new-wave roots, a through-line that threads through the album’s eight songs.
The first track to be released, Beginner Boys, drew inspiration from Jim watching his twin grandsons grow up and reflecting on contemporary ideas of masculinity. He explained the song contemplates how “strength, tenderness, courage and gentleness may still belong together,” while Charlie’s shimmering guitar provides the lift.
Across the record, the duo delve into myth, memory and the enduring nature of their collaboration. Elysium opens the set with a nod to Magazine, while King of the Underworld takes its cue from Mephistopheles. Jerusalem (State of Mind) nods to William Blake’s vision of a better world, and Our Secrets Are the Same focuses squarely on Jim and Charlie’s friendship — two boys who met on a Glasgow street and are still composing together five decades later. The album’s most pop-forward moment arrives with Songs, a tribute to the emotional potency of music.
The closing pair, Alive in This Moment and The Next Right Thing, examine nostalgia from distinct angles: one urges listeners to stay in the present, the other reflects on time passing and the people we lose.
Commenting on the album’s title, Jim said: “We called the record Sacrosanct because after a lifetime of doing this — nearly 50 years of writing songs together — it’s stopped feeling like a career and started feeling closer to faith.”
The band view the record as the final element of a trilogy alongside Walk Between Worlds and Direction of the Heart.
Jim added: “Creating records and performing live is as much a part of our lives now as when we began. We’re grateful to those who support new music from Simple Minds and we look forward to seeing you all on our forthcoming world tour.”
Simple Minds have also announced a major tour with special guest Gary Numan.
The Don’t You Forget About Me hitmakers will embark on their biggest arena tour to date,
The Simple Minds V Tour 2027, which kicks off in February in Australia and New Zealand, before heading to Europe and the UK in April and May. Their biggest UK headline show will be at Manchester’s Co-op Live on May 7.
Fans who pre-order Sacrosanct by September 8 will gain access to the UK pre-sale. Tickets go on general sale on September 11 at 9.30am.
Before then, on September 13, Simple Minds will headline Sunday night of BBC Radio 2’s In The Park at City Park, Stirling, Scotland.
Head to simpleminds.com for the full tour dates.
Sacrosanct tracklist:
1. Elysium
2. King Of The Underworld
3. Beginner Boys
4. Jerusalem (State Of Mind)
5. Our Secrets Are The Same
6. Songs
7. Alive In This Moment
8. The Next Right Thing
