John Lydon’s Post-Punk Pioneers Bring “This Is Not The Last Tour” to Cyprus Avenue
Cork music fans are in for a treat as legendary post-punk outfit Public Image Ltd (PiL) announces their highly anticipated return to Ireland with a show at Cyprus Avenue on Friday, August 15th, 2025.
The show is part of the band’s 23-date “This Is Not The Last Tour” across the UK and Ireland, running from May through August 2025. The Cyprus Avenue date represents a venue change from the originally planned location, bringing the iconic band to one of Cork’s most intimate and celebrated music venues.
About Public Image Ltd
After fronting the Sex Pistols, John Lydon formed post-punk originators Public Image Ltd (PiL) in 1978. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative bands of all time, their music and vision earned them 5 UK Top 20 Singles and 5 UK Top 20 Albums.
The current lineup features John Lydon, Lu Edmonds, Scott Firth and Bruce Smith, who are the longest stable line-up in the band’s history and continue to challenge and thrive. This consistency has allowed the band to develop a uniquely cohesive sound while maintaining their experimental edge.
With a shifting line-up and unique sound – fusing rock, dance, folk, pop and dub – Lydon guided the band from their debut album ‘First Issue’ in 1978 through to 1992’s ‘That What Is Not’, before a 17-year hiatus. The band reformed in 2009 and has since released several critically acclaimed albums.
Recent Triumph: “End of World”
Following the release of their 11th studio album End of The World last year, PiL are riding high on critical acclaim. The band began writing and recording End of World in 2018, during their 40th-anniversary tour. After The Great Pause, the band regrouped in the studio and “there was just this massive explosion of ideas,” Lydon says.
The album is dedicated to frontman John Lydon’s late wife, Nora Forster, who passed away on April 5th at the age of 80. The deeply personal nature of the record includes “Hawaii,” which Lydon wrote as a “love letter” to Forster, showcasing a more vulnerable side of the famously confrontational frontman.
What to Expect Live
PiL’s live performances remain as electrifying as ever. “There’s a communion that goes on there between audience and band, it’s just so emotional and it takes not only them in the audience but me to places far, far deeper into the songs than I even knew when I wrote them because I insist on eye contact with people in a gig”, Lydon explains about their approach to live shows.
Recent reviews from their 2025 tour dates have been overwhelmingly positive, with fans praising both Lydon’s commanding stage presence and the tight musicianship of his longtime bandmates.
Tour Context
PiL’s tour dates for 2025 comes after Lydon thought the band might not tour again. His lifelong friend and manager, John Rambo Stevens passed away suddenly following the last PiL tour, in December 2023, soon after the death of Lydon’s wife, Nora, in April 2023. However, the love and support he received from fans when he undertook a spoken word tour of the UK earlier this year led to him wanting to hit the road with PiL once again.
The Cork show represents one of only a handful of Irish dates on the tour, alongside shows in Dublin and Limerick in June, and Belfast in August, making it a must-see event for Irish fans of alternative music.
Public Image Ltd will perform at Cyprus Avenue, Cork on Friday, August 15th, 2025. Doors at 7:00 PM.
