Prince will be returning to the British Isles later this year, performing on British shores for the first time since his 2007 residency at the 20,000 capacity O2 Arena in London. This time round though the pint-sized Purple One will be hitting up a completely different kind of venue, as it has been reported that Prince will only be playing small gigs during his time in Britain.

Prince
Prince has become accustomed to playing small shows again

Prince played for a 300-strong crowd during his SXSW performance earlier this year and has apparently regained his taste for smaller, more intimate concerts as he looks to get back to basics. A representative for the singer released a statement today detailing his desire to sample the more intimate venues the U.K. has to offer. He said, “It’s still to be decided if he’ll stay at one small venue and play 20 or more gigs or split his time between a few places around the country. Prince has asked his team to find unusual venues his fans wouldn’t expect him to play.”

Whilst Prince's usually obscure and eclectic rider demand may cause headaches for potential venue owners, this news will no doubt please many of the 'Purple Rain' singer's fans, especially those who have been keeping tabs on his most recent shows. Since returning to the road, the singer has often treated fans to both an evening and a matinée shows and has also been very generous in his setlists, usually incorporating up to 30 songs in his shows, including classics, new releases and the occasional cover.

Prince Don't Stop Til You Get Enough from lexe on Vimeo.


Listen to Prince performing Michael Jackson's 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough,' which has become a staple at recent shows

The dates and venues of Prince's tour are yet to be announced, but he is expected to be in the country by the end of the year. We'll keep you posted on any future activity, because this is one that you really don't want to miss.